Great topic suggestion :)

I've had some near misses and a couple that were frightening but in hindsight were probably totally innocent.

The first was on my first ever non-family holiday! I was with my best friend celebrating university graduation with a trip to the US. Our stopover was in Waikiki so we're two 21 years old girls strolling streets gawking and enjoying the afternoon. A very BIG guy came up to us telling us that his club/café was having special offers blah blah and if we followed him he could show us around. Naïve and stupid we followed. After a while we realised we were getting lost so we snuck away and headed back. We were never out of the wide streets and sunshine with lots of people milling around but we suddenly realised how silly we had been first day in a new part of the world.

Second time I was older and not wiser :) At Versailles I was doing a solo self-guided-book tour outside when a security guard approached me. He was an older guy and he spoke conversational English and he said that he could give me a bit of a tour with commentary around the gardens if I'd like when he finished his patrol in half an hour. I said yes thankyou - I always avoid these situations but I read so often of these wonderful experiences that people have by accepting the gracious hospitality of strangers in foreign countries.... He came back as promised and told me about the Orangerie etc, and then said he must quickly duck back and check on his dog. He managed to explain that he lived in the caretaker's cottage just at the edge of the gardens. I wasn't worried as I passed many workers, but when he asked me to pop inside while he checked on his dog (dog was fine) and then he locked the door I panicked. I declined his offer of a drink and kept the table between us. And when he suddenly bolted upstairs and came running - yes running! - back down I thought I was going to pass out. Turns out he just wanted to show me his koala postcard! I said I really had to go, managed to avoid the kiss (NOT cheek-cheek) and speed-walked away determined never to be brave and act out of character again! :) Megan Brisbane, Australia