How many people can you trust?

[Dr Jekyll]

Scenario originally suggested by Penn Jillette IIRC.

Suppose you arrive at a station in a great hurry, missing this particularly train would be a disaster, matter of life and death etc. You find you have 2 minutes left to catch it, nowhere near enough time to get your expensive car from the ridiculous and illegal place you've left it on the forecourt and still catch the train.
You go up to a stranger leaving the station, explain the situation, ask him/her to stick your car in the car park and phone you with the location. When they agree you hand over your business card and keys to your Porsche/Range Rover or whatever.

What are the chances they will do as you ask and you will get your car back intact? My guess is that they will most likely do exactly as you ask or at worst drive your car up and down the bypass before parking it safely. Not that I'd remotely risk it of course.

[FrankAbagnale]

It would depend on which station.

If we were to say... Reading station? A run of the mill town with lots of people. I'd say the vast majority would help in the right manner. 85-90%.

[Dr Jekyll]

I was assuming of course your namesake wasn't using this particular station at the time.

[justanother5tar]

Agree with him^^.

Depends entirely on where the station is. Some parts of London, i'd let it get towed before throwing someone the keys. Some parts of Yorkshire id probably be somewhere up around 60%ish.

ETA; on those grounds I went in the middle of both and went 25-49%.

[groundcontrol]

The overwhelming majority of people I would imagine. Obviously picking someone that doesn't look like a twat will help here.

[944fan]

Think of the reverse. Someone runs up to you and gives you the keys to an expensive car before running off in a hurry.

Am I the only one who would think, that's clearly stolen and find the nearest bobby.

[Impasse]

Life has taught me that no one can be trusted.

[0000]

If asked I'd probably tell them I was busy, not insured and wish them luck. If it were my Porsche I wouldn't even ask a random.

[Dr Jekyll]

Impasse said:

Life has taught me that no one can be trusted.

Do you mean that everyone would do a runner with the Porsche or just that you can't tell so have to assume they would?

[markiii]

on the basis my insurance would be void, and they would likely be driving it without insurance

not a chance in this world

[PurpleMoonlight]

Dr Jekyll said:

Scenario originally suggested by Penn Jillette IIRC.

Suppose you arrive at a station in a great hurry, missing this particularly train would be a disaster, matter of life and death etc. You find you have 2 minutes left to catch it, nowhere near enough time to get your expensive car from the ridiculous and illegal place you've left it on the forecourt and still catch the train.
You go up to a stranger leaving the station, explain the situation, ask him/her to stick your car in the car park and phone you with the location. When they agree you hand over your business card and keys to your Porsche/Range Rover or whatever.

What are the chances they will do as you ask and you will get your car back intact? My guess is that they will most likely do exactly as you ask or at worst drive your car up and down the bypass before parking it safely. Not that I'd remotely risk it of course.

That's not really a question of trust though, it's a question of risk.

[Impasse]

Dr Jekyll said:

Do you mean that everyone would do a runner with the Porsche or just that you can't tell so have to assume they would?

Trust no one. That way you won't be disappointed.

[Speed addicted]

If you're in that much of a hurry why are you getting on a train? I wouldn't trust anyone with the car, but would drive to the destination.

[soad]

[MrBarry123]

Impasse said:

Life has taught me that no one can be trusted.

Anyone behind you that is...

[drivin_me_nuts]

If it's life or death. fk the car.

[Dr Jekyll]

I think people are getting off the point here. The issue isn't whether you would get into this situation in the first place, or how many people you would actually trust to give your car keys to. It's IF you did take the risk, however foolishly, and trust someone, what's the chances of them turning out to being honest? I'd reckon 80 odd percent, though I don't claim any way of identifying members of the 80 odd percent.

I can certainly relate to 'don't trust anyone that way you won't be disappointed'. But I'm still interested in just how often I might be disappointed.

[jamiem555]

Why don't you just drive to your destination. The reason I own a car is to avoid public transport. Unless it's a plane then I drive most places.

[iva cosworth]

Trust no one.

[Blib]

The overwhelming majority of people are decent and trustworthy. Loads are crap drivers, though.