... and she paid dearly.

John Derbyshire was attacked ferociously for suggesting to his children that they be prudential regarding their personal safety. He was a bit overwhelmed by the faux fame it brought him, and the brevity of it. National Review quickly threw him under the bus, a touch of irony, given its founder's 1965 campaign slogan, "He has the guts to tell the truth! Will you listen?"

"When in doubt, don't" — but a Philadelphia woman wasn't listening. As she stopped on a dark road to ask if she could help an apparently stranded motorist, she was robbed, assaulted, and gashed with a knife.

Derb will undoubtedly appreciate this touch: "Police have not released a description of the suspects or vehicles that they used."

In Central America, prudent drivers follow Derbyshire's advice. When they see a disabled vehicle blocking their path, they speed up and drive around it — on the sidewalk or breakdown lane, if necessary — and disappear.

One fellow who didn't paid with his life. He was driving through San Salvador and a man in a wheelchair rolled out in front of his car. The driver, a gentleman, stopped. The man in the wheelchair threw off the blanket covering his lap, stood up, and sprayed the man's windshield with a 9 MM. Ingram and ran from the scene.

What were those rules, again?

UPDATE: A young man who wishes he'd heard Derb's advice is attacked, robbed, stripped, and laughed at by a cheering crowd taking pictures of it all.

As a distant neighbor, permit me to add a safety tip to Derb's rules: Avoid Baltimore!