If You See This Stranger on the Road, Don’t Even Think of Pulling Over

Bright Side

If you see this stranger on the road, don’t even think of pulling over. Criminals use staged breakdowns, fake injuries, and urgent pleas to catch drivers off guard. In this video, we expose the most common roadside scams and how they really work. You’ll learn the red flags, the psychology behind these tricks, and the safest way to respond. Stay alert, trust your instincts, and protect yourself every time you drive.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00Are you used to picking up hitchhikers on your long commute to work?

00:03You might want to hear about the Hitchhiker Road Scam.

00:07This trick preys on unsuspecting drivers.

00:10The scam typically starts with a person posing as a hitchhiker,

00:14who flags down a car on the side of the road.

00:17They may claim to be stranded or in need of a ride to a nearby town or city.

00:23In some cases, the hitchhiker may ask the driver to pull over at a specific location,

00:29such as a gas station or convenience store,

00:31where they will then disappear with the driver's money or other valuables.

00:36This scam can also be done in groups,

00:38where a bunch of people will flag down a car and ask for a ride.

00:42And once the car is on the move,

00:44they will threaten the driver and steal money, valuables, or even the car itself.

00:50It's important to be aware of this scam and to always be cautious when picking up hitchhikers.

00:56It's best to avoid giving money or other valuables to anyone who claims to need a ride,

01:01and to never pull over at a location that is not safe or familiar.

01:07Hitchhikers are not the only reason why you might get into trouble on the road.

01:11Slice of cheese isn't something you'd expect to find on your parked car, am I right?

01:16Well, it might indicate something quite dangerous.

01:19One woman told the story of such an experience online,

01:23thinking it was just a prank made by some neighborhood youngster.

01:27She decided to call a friend and ask for help with cleaning the car up.

01:31But once the two ladies started rubbing off the melted cheese from her windshield,

01:35they saw something strange nearby.

01:38She remembered seeing a white van arriving.

01:41In it were a bunch of men, suspiciously staring at them.

01:46She wasn't alone, so she decided it was safe enough to finish cleaning up the car,

01:51even though they didn't feel comfortable being stared at.

01:54It took them almost an hour to scrape off the cheese that had melted under the heat.

01:59She did wonder, though, if this wasn't a tactic to rob a person.

02:03That's because most people would be so focused on cleaning up the mess on their car,

02:07they'd be distracted from keeping an eye on the thing they left in the car,

02:11like bags, wallets, or even recent shopping items.

02:15Or worse, what if it was a kidnapping strategy?

02:18That sticky cheese would keep a person really concentrated on fixing the car,

02:23so they wouldn't be able to see suspicious people coming at them in due course.

02:28The key takeaway from this story,

02:30if you ever see a piece of cheese on your car,

02:32might as well leave it as it is,

02:34as long as it's not blocking your view and it doesn't really affect your driving.

02:38Your safest bet is to just clean it at home,

02:41or take it to the nearest car wash.

02:43They'll know the best way to clean up the vehicle without ruining the paint.

02:48Sure, the piece of cheese on a car scam might just be a coincidence,

02:52but some scams out there are more legitimate,

02:55with this next one being quite the unusual method

02:58when it comes to snatching away other people's cars.

03:01If you notice a t-shirt or a hoodie on your windshield,

03:05or even wrapped between your wiper blades,

03:08don't be so quick to take it away.

03:10Again, it can be placed there on purpose to distract you while your car gets taken away.

03:16Drive away as quickly as possible if you can,

03:19and get to a safe location that's well-lit and filled with many people.

03:23There you can remove whatever object you have on the car without any risks.

03:27Some people have even found money under their wiper blades.

03:31It's easy to imagine that those who left it there probably had the same intention in mind.

03:38There are methods to help when it comes to decreasing your odds of getting your car snatched away.

03:44Keep your tires turned to the curb whenever you park it.

03:47If your car wheels are in that position,

03:50thieves are less likely to be able to move around with the vehicle.

03:53They'll see that your car requires more time and energy to be moved,

03:57so it'll become less of a target.

04:02Sadly, scams on the road are quite common,

04:05and one of the most widespread types is the infamous tow truck scam.

04:09This scam involves leaving oil, metal nails, or glass shards on the road,

04:14and waiting for drivers to fall into the trap.

04:19If your car gets damaged in such a situation,

04:22the scammers will suddenly appear out of nowhere

04:25and offer to provide towing service at extremely high prices.

04:29They'll try to pressure you into using their services

04:32because most of the time, they place these traps in strategic locations.

04:37They make sure people get stranded where there's low visibility

04:40and no gas station in sight where you can assess the damage done to your car.

04:46In a situation where you have no other option

04:48but to give consent for them to tow your car,

04:51they'll also take advantage of the situation

04:53and take it to workshops unapproved by your insurance company.

04:57This means you'll have to pay even more money to get your car back.

05:03If you've been a driver for long enough,

05:06you know that the driver who rear-ends another vehicle is always at fault.

05:10That's because you should always keep a comfortable distance from the car in front of you

05:14so you can safely stop the car in case of an emergency.

05:17Some scammers will take advantage of this by repeatedly braking suddenly,

05:22causing you to hit them.

05:23This dangerous tactic is used to get money for supposed damages

05:27and even for make-believe medical expenses.

05:30To avoid falling victim to this scam,

05:33you should reduce your speed and keep a safe distance,

05:36especially from suspicious vehicles or chaotic drivers.

05:39If a scammer continues to bother you in traffic,

05:42the best force of action is to drive to the nearest police station and report them.

05:48Picture this.

05:49You're driving on the road

05:51and suddenly a motorcyclist gets your attention

05:54and points out that your wheels are smoking.

05:56You quickly pull over to the side of the road.

05:59The motorcyclist then offers to help

06:01by calling a mechanic to check your wheels.

06:04Surprisingly, the mechanic gets there really fast,

06:09but proceeds to disable your braking system

06:11while inspecting the cause of the smoke.

06:14He then asks you to test your brakes,

06:17which of course won't be working since he's already disabled them.

06:21Pretending to be helpful,

06:22he offers to fix your brakes for you,

06:25but will charge an enormous price for it.

06:27Moral of the story,

06:29stick to your trusted mechanic or towing company.

06:31You never know who you'll find on the road.

06:37Some scams aren't even that.

06:39They're just urban legends.

06:40Many people claim to have seen the wrong way man on the roads.

06:44One version of this story mentions a man stuck

06:47driving down one-way streets in the opposite direction,

06:51causing chaos and confusion as other drivers try to avoid him.

06:55The man is said to be crazed and dangerous,

06:58with a wild look in his eyes

06:59and a penchant for reckless driving.

07:02Other stories say he's not even driving,

07:04but that once you've seen this mysterious person

07:07on the side of the road while driving home,

07:09you should turn around to keep from going back to your house

07:12for at least a week.

07:14That is, if you don't want anything bad to happen.

07:17There are countless stories of near misses

07:19and close calls with this mysterious figure.

07:22Some even say that they've been hit by the man

07:25and that they suffered serious injuries as a result.

07:30Despite the many sightings and stories,

07:32there's no concrete evidence to suggest

07:35that the wrong way man actually exists.

07:38Many experts believe that the legend is simply a cautionary tale,

07:42meant to remind people to be aware of their surroundings

07:44and to drive safely.

07:46However, the legend persists

07:48and continues to be passed down through generations,

07:52making it one of the most enduring urban myths of all time.

08:01See this weird grayish lump lying on the ground and steaming?

08:05Wow, what are you waiting for?

08:07Run as fast as you can.

08:09It can burst right into your face at any moment,

08:11leading to horrifying consequences.

08:14A disaster is unfolding in front of your eyes.

08:17At first, the ground starts trembling.

08:20A deep rumbling sound echoed through the valley.

08:23Then, boom, the volcano explodes,

08:25hurling glowing rocks high into the sky.

08:28Among them is a blob of molten rock,

08:31fresh from the Earth's fiery depths.

08:33As it's soaring, the blob begins to change.

08:36The cold air wraps around it,

08:38hardening its outer layer,

08:39while the inside remains hot and gooey.

08:41Some of its neighbors are different.

08:43Some have gas bubbles trapped inside.

08:46Others have solid rock cores,

08:48and a few stretch into long, twisting ribbons.

08:50The biggest of these flying blobs

08:52are as large as a small car.

08:55For 10 long seconds,

08:57the lava blob is flying and twisting and tumbling.

09:00Below, people begin to realize the extent of the danger

09:03and start scattering.

09:05It's useless.

09:06Flying blobs can travel for miles,

09:08up to 6 miles away to be precise.

09:10Then, the moment comes.

09:12The lava blob slams into the ground.

09:14Some of its smaller companions have cooled completely

09:17and landed with a thud.

09:19But this one is still burning inside

09:20a crystalline container called a bleb.

09:23As it strikes the Earth,

09:25its hard shell cracks,

09:26and molten lava oozes out,

09:28sizzling and steaming,

09:30spreading out like a giant fiery pancake.

09:33The eruption has passed,

09:35but the danger remains.

09:36Lava bombs, though fascinating,

09:38are among the most dangerous tricks of a volcano.

09:41The insides of the biggest blobs remain blazing hot,

09:45still bubbling with energy.

09:47They're not just warm.

09:48The temperature inside reaches hundreds of degrees.

09:51If one of these fiery projectiles struck a person,

09:54it would crush them instantly.

09:56Even worse, lava bombs can blow apart

09:58or cause secondary explosions in two cases.

10:01If the lava bomb has volcanic gases,

10:04like water vapor, CO2, or sulfur gases inside,

10:08rapid cooling can trap them.

10:10When pressure builds up,

10:11it can cause the bomb to burst.

10:13Or if a hot lava bomb lands in water or ice,

10:17the sudden temperature change can create steam explosions,

10:20sending debris flying.

10:22Lava blebs come in different shapes,

10:24depending on how fluid the magma was when it was ejected.

10:28Their forms are also shaped by how they travel through the air

10:31and how they land.

10:33Ribbon blebs form when very fluid magma

10:36is thrown out in long, stretchy blobs.

10:38As these break apart in midair,

10:41they create thin ribbon-like fragments that land intact.

10:44These blebs often have fluted textures

10:47and small air pockets inside.

10:49Spherical blebs also come from highly fluid magma.

10:52But instead of forming ribbons,

10:54they're shaped by surface tension,

10:56which pulls them into nearly perfect spheres as they cool.

11:00Spindle or almond-shaped lava blebs

11:02start off similarly to spherical ones.

11:05But as they spin through the air,

11:07they stretch into elongated football-like shapes.

11:10One size usually ends up smoother than the other,

11:13showing how it moved when it fell.

11:16Cow pie blebs,

11:17yep, the real name for them,

11:19form when very liquid lava doesn't cool

11:21before hitting the ground.

11:23Instead of solidifying in the air,

11:24it lands while still molten

11:26and flattens on impact,

11:28spreading out in irregular roundish shapes

11:30that resemble, you know, cow patties.

11:33There are also bread-crust blebs

11:35that occur when the outer layer of a lava bomb

11:38hardens during flight

11:39while the inside remains hot.

11:41As the interior expands,

11:43it cracks the hardened shell,

11:45giving it a texture similar to the crust of a loaf of bread.

11:49Chord lava bombs have a hardened shell

11:51surrounding an inner core made of older volcanic rock,

11:54pieces from an earlier eruption,

11:56or even fragments of the surrounding landscape.

11:59Whatever shape a lava blob takes,

12:02you should watch out for one during a volcanic eruption,

12:05even if you're miles away from the epicenter.

12:08But lava blebs aren't the only danger you should watch for

12:11when wandering around volcanoes.

12:13Sometimes, when small drops of lava

12:15are thrown from a volcano,

12:17they can stretch into thin, elongated shapes as they cool.

12:21If they form small, teardrop-like shapes,

12:23they're called Pele's tears,

12:25after the Hawaiian volcano and fire deity.

12:28If they become longer, thinner strands,

12:31they're known as Pele's hair.

12:33In this case, you can notice something

12:35that looks like golden mats of fine hair covering the ground.

12:38These aren't strands of human or animal hair,

12:41but delicate threads of volcanic glass.

12:43They form when gas bubbles and lava burst,

12:46stretching the molten rock into long, hair-like fibers.

12:50Pele's hair can be incredibly thin,

12:52sometimes just one micron thick.

12:55But at the same time,

12:56they can reach up to a couple of feet in length.

12:59They're so lightweight

13:00that the wind can easily carry them through the air.

13:03Later, they settle in low-lying areas,

13:05sometimes piling up in thick layers.

13:08Now, despite their delicate appearance,

13:10these strands are actually tiny pieces of glass.

13:13They are sharp and brittle,

13:15and if they get on the skin,

13:16they can cause irritation.

13:18If they get into the eyes,

13:20they can be even more dangerous.

13:22That's why it's very important to be cautious

13:24when around Pele's hair.

13:26Now imagine a tidal wave of fire and ash

13:29racing down a mountain with unstoppable force.

13:32This is a pyroclastic flow,

13:35a fast-moving surge of scorching gases

13:37and shattered rock that buries everything in its path.

13:40These flows can stretch for miles,

13:43moving as fast as a racing car

13:44and reaching temperatures hot enough to melt metal,

13:47up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

13:51Pyroclastic flows strike without warning.

13:53The collapse of an erupting volcano's towering ash column

13:56or a lava dome,

13:57a massive plug of hardened lava sitting at the volcano's mouth,

14:01can easily trigger one.

14:03The moment it gives way,

14:05the fiery avalanche is unleashed,

14:07rolling down the slopes with terrifying speed,

14:10vaporizing forests,

14:11flattening villages,

14:12and incinerating anything caught in its path.

14:15There is no outrunning of pyroclastic flow.

14:18It is the most fatal force a volcano can unleash,

14:22responsible for claiming over 90,000 lives

14:24in the past 400 years.

14:26That's one-third of all volcanic fatalities.

14:29Not only do these flows burn, crush, and suffocate,

14:33but they also destroy buildings, bridges,

14:35and anything human-made.

14:37While scientists can predict the most likely paths,

14:40usually along valleys,

14:42history has shown that powerful flows can jump bridges,

14:45sweep over hills,

14:46and strike areas we once thought were safe.

14:49Volcanic lightning isn't as dangerous as a pyroclastic flow,

14:53but it's a breathtaking view.

14:54It forms only in the thick ash-filled clouds

14:57that erupt from certain volcanoes.

14:59These towering columns called volcanic plumes

15:03shoot up into the sky

15:04when a volcano releases massive amounts of ash.

15:08Not all volcanoes create these plumes.

15:10That's why volcanic lightning is rare.

15:12For example, the volcanoes in Hawaii

15:15mostly erupt with flowing lava

15:17rather than thick clouds of ash,

15:19so they almost never produce volcanic lightning.

15:22Now, look at these tiny ash particles.

15:25Before an eruption,

15:26they're squeezed together inside the volcano

15:28under extreme pressure.

15:30But when they burst into the open air,

15:32they collide and rub against each other

15:34in a process known as friction.

15:36This friction charges the particles,

15:38just like when you rub a balloon on your hair.

15:41As these charged particles rise into the air,

15:43they start to separate.

15:45Positive charges move one way,

15:47and negative charges move in a different direction.

15:49When the difference in charge becomes too great,

15:52the energy bursts free as a lightning bolt

15:55cutting through the volcanic plume.

15:57Some of the most devastating consequences

16:00of a volcanic eruption are lahars.

16:02A lahar is a powerful, fast-moving river

16:05of mud, ash, and rock

16:07that rushes down the slopes of a volcano,

16:09destroying everything in front of it.

16:11These terrifying mudflows form

16:13when heavy rains mixed with loose volcanic debris.

16:16When lahars sometimes happen during an eruption,

16:20they can also strike without warning.

16:22This makes them especially dangerous.

16:24Like pyroclastic floats,

16:26lahars move fast,

16:28sometimes traveling hundreds of miles.

16:30They can bury entire towns,

16:33sweep away bridges,

16:34and wipe out roads,

16:35leaving behind a deep layer of mud and rock.

16:38One of the most devastating lahar disasters

16:40happened in Colombia in 1985,

16:43when the Nevado del Ruiz volcano

16:45unleashed a mudflow

16:47that buried the town of Armero,

16:49taking the lives of over 23,000 people.

16:52Another tragic event occurred in the 1990s,

16:55when lahars and pyroclastic flows

16:57from the Sofriere Hills volcano

16:59wiped out the capital city of Plymouth,

17:02causing $500 million in damage.

17:06That's it for today.

17:07So hey,

17:08if you pacified your curiosity,

17:10then give the video a like

17:11and share it with your friends.

17:12Or if you want more,

17:13just click on these videos

17:14and stay on the bright side!

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