Ryan Seacrest told a story on his morning talk show about how a woman tried to trick him into getting into her car at an empty gas station. He said she asked him to press the button to open the gas tank but he got a bad vibe when he realized he would have to get into her car to do it. He told her that he was late for work and couldn’t help her and the woman got abusive toward him. A security expert on his show said it’s a common scam and his skepticism may have saved his life:
My favorite Metrosexual Ryan Seacrest survived a scary carjacking and/or kidnapping threat when he rolled into a self-serve gas station at 4 a.m. to top up before driving to his morning radio gig. A suspicious-acting woman, asking for “help opening her gas tank, attempted to lure him into her car! Seacrest says the station was “dark and abandoned… and it got all when when a woman – who had waited for everyone to leave before she approached me – wanted me to get inside her car and help press the button to open her gas tank.” Happy to help at first, Seacrest grew suspicious when the woman pointed through her car window at what she called a “gas button” which was unreachable unless he actually got in the car. When Seacrest hesitated, the woman got angry as he backed away and told her, “I’m sorry, but I can’t… I’m running late for work.” Suddently the “fit-looking” female exploded, yelling: “WHAT… dont you trust me?”
[From The National Enquirer print edition, January 29, 2007]
Ryan left quickly, and the security expert says it’s a good thing because there could have been someone hiding in the backseat ready to pounce.
I dislike this story for several reasons. First of all, we have to believe Seacrest’s account of the situation, because it’s possible he wasn’t in danger. Maybe this woman was just drugged out or acting weird and wasn’t a real threat to him. We just have to trust his impression, which may have been wrong.
It also feeds into the kind of urban-legend “it’s scary out there” pathos that I think is all too common. Sure there are carjackers and criminals, but they’re not lurking around every corner, and you shouldn’t live scared. Being safe and cautious is one thing, worrying about shit like this – and there are people who live in safe communities who worry needlessly – seems like a waste.
Of course I’m glad he wasn’t hurt and you should never get into a stranger’s car. I guess like Seacrest I’m a skeptic.
Update: I hear you guys, and it is better safe than sorry. There’s just no use fearing carjackers as long as you use common sense like Seacrest did.
I can just see it: “Take the car! Take the car! Please don’t touch my hair!”.
Why couldn’t the woman press her own gas button? Sounds like some kind of trick…. Who knows who was with her hiding?
Better safe than sorry.
Good for him to trust his instincts.
Yeah, stuff like this doesn’t happen to normal people all the time, but I bet it’s a lot more likely to happen to a recognizable celebrity.
Maybe Ryan Seacrest is smarter than I give him credit for.
To think, it could have turned out to be something like that movie “Misery” —
“I’m your biggest fan, Ryan Seacrest”
Maybe the criminals are “not lurking around every corner”, but these days it sure as hell doesn’t hurt to act like they are. I don’t care who you are – if you’re gut tells you something’s off, respect it. At the best, he may have saved himself from harm. At the worst, he left a pissed-off woman in a gas station.
I agree Alex, and if she wasn’t dangerous, but rather was too drunk or drugged out to see her gas button.. then he really didn’t need to be helping her get back on the road!
What are the chances of this woman knowing Seacrest was going to be there, then plotting with someone else to hide in her backseat so she could lure Seacrest into her car? Sounds far-fetched to me, but as everyone knows: Better safe than sorry.
I bet it was Simon in the backseat.
it’s not “living scared” – it’s being smart and cautious and NOT NAIIVE like you sound!! “worrying about shit like this”…. i’m sorry, but that’s an idiotic statement. i guess girls shouldn’t “worry about shit” like getting raped, and little kids shouldn’t listen to “shit” their parents tell them about safety precautions against kidnapping. ’cause – you know – “shit” like that NEVER happens, huh?! wait. it does?!?! there was a kid on oprah last week who was kidnapped 4 years ago and discovered because ANOTHER kid was kidnapped and the trail lead police to the right place?! huh. you don’t say!!!
grow some common sense and watch what you say on your site!
JC- calm down a little. I don’t think anyone was saying anything about women and children being raped and kidnapped. But, adults being taken from gas stations by crafty criminals at 4 am is a little bit more far fetched.
nono… not the comments on here… just quoting what was said about the situation (by the blog’s author) playing into the “urban legend pathos”…. people need to be careful… head over to socialite’s life …. their blogger was pickpocketed over the weekend… because he was being friendly and helpful (and drunk, yes). it’s not urban legends – it’s REALITY. that’s all. and so many people read these sites, their authors just need to watch what they say. it’s not bullshit. no, not everone out there is “out to get you,” but some people are….. sad as it is.
oh yeah – and i’m sure a lot more poeple find themselves in similar situations as ryan seacrest – the only reason we don’t hear about it is because it generally happens to normal people like you and me, and not to celebrities. if it happnes to a celebrity, people are going to hear about it all over the place… not just a side-story on the local news.. y’know?
I read that story on Socialite’s Life and I feel for the guy. He’s a great writer and managed to make that sad story quite funny. I totally understand what you’re saying, and I do not mean to dismiss crime or say that you shouldn’t be cautious. Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it, and I will be careful not to dismiss crime in the future.
It sounds a bit ludicrous to me. I mean, where exactly was Ryan? Was he in a bad area of town? Or was it somewhere along Rodeo Drive? Chances are, he was probably being his usual whiny pants.
I agree that shit happens. But it rarely does. People just have to be aware of their environment (sometimes then it can be futile).
If I was going to do something horrible to someone, I think I’d be more calculating about it, and maybe open up the backdoor for my partner to pounce. What are the chances that this “fit woman” would take to kidnap someone? Obviously she wasn’t fit enough to bum rush Seacrest.
“Being safe and cautious is one thing, worrying about shit like this – and there are people who live in safe communities who worry needlessly – seems like a waste.”– I agree. I moved into a nice complex in Addison and my car was burglarized less than 2 months after moving in. But you don’t see me riding my bike everywhere or buying a handgun (even though this is Texas). I do carry Mace with me and I exercise caution and I don’t consider myself naive.
Criminals are just opportunitists…. they are always on the lookout for someone with their guard down.
One night when I was walking to my car with my friend some weird drunk woman started chasing us. So, we turned around and ran straight at her screaming at the tops of our lungs. We scared the crap out of her and she took off.
It doesn’t matter what time it is, what neighborhood, etc… you always have to be on guard. I read stuff everyday in our Atlanta paper that amazes me. Carjackings in nice neighborhoods during the middle of the day, etc… Wish it was different but this is our reality.
I don’t believe anything this weasel Seacrest says. He’s probably just trying to get more publicity. Just a couple of weeks ago he was on this show whining how horribly Angelina treated him, how rude she was etc…NOT what I saw on TV. I think he’s a drama queen with an out-of-control ego.
As others have said, better safe than sorry, and 4am is not a typical time for people to be out and about, filling up their gas tanks. If Ryan has an early radio show, then he’s among the few people who do have a legitimate reason to be driving around at that time of day. He was smart to be suspicious. And also — you should never get into a car with a stranger! It’s just not smart.
And by the way, I saw that Ryan Seacrest/Angelina Jolie segment from the Golden Globes, and in my opinion Angelina was cold, rude, and contemptuous. If looks could kill, Ryan would have been dead in the first two seconds! It’s one thing For Angelina to be humble and allow Brad to have the spotlight, it’s another thing altogether to transmit such animosity and boredom that I could feel it radiate off the television screen. Ryan was just doing his job, and besides, ALL those interviewers ask dumb questions — it’s all part of the red carpet routine. Ryan’s questions were no worse than any others. There was no excuse for Angelina to disdain to offer even a minimum of common courtesy and grace.
If looks could kill, Ryan would have been dead in the first two seconds!
It’s a damn shame looks can’t though.
JUST KIDDING. (Sort of)