[Niamh.]

*Inspired by Caitlins thread*

Caitlins thread got me thinking about this, do we as a modern society ignore our basic instincts for fear of offending people too much? Have you ever ignored an in instinct and then later kicked yourself when things turned out badly?

One example for myself was a few years ago, I'd borrowed a van from a friend of my dads to take abroad for a couple of weeks. My dad asked me if I'd leave my car at work incase his friend needed to borrow his jeep while I was away and then he could use my car. I knew his friend would never ask to borrow his jeep and I got such a bad feeling about leaving my car there but because I was borrowing the van from his friend I bit my tongue about my concerns because I felt obliged to agree............my car was burnt out while I was away.

Also, here's the example from The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo I was talking about in caitlins thread (spoilers if you haven't read the book/seen the film)

(Semi-spoiler alert.) Towards the climax of the film, Martin (the bad guy) returns home to find Michail (the good guy) in his yard. Sensing that he has been discovered, Martin invites Michail in for a drink – luring him into a trap. Michail complies. And, after a short dance of words, Martin pulls a gun and takes Michail to what can only be described as his dungeon.
There, while Michail is hanging from the ceiling, Martin does what is apparently a psychological necessity according to the genre; he talks to Michail. And here is where it gets relevant to solo travel.
Reflecting on Michail actions, Martin says how curious it is that people are more fearful of offending a person than for their own safety. Even as Michail’s gut told him that it was not safe to re-enter the house, he did. He could have run but, for fear of offending, he went in for a fateful drink. At least, that was Martin’s take on it and I think, in general, it’s pretty accurate.