A predator in sheep’s clothing

[Broken video link fixed.]

I’ve known Dan Noyes for years, as our children have attended the same schools.  This is not to say I know him well and, indeed, he knows me even less well.  Every time we run into each other at school functions, you can see him try to figure out who the Hell I am.  I understand that.  He stands out, being tall, handsome, well spoken, and a San Francisco media celebrity.  I, on the other hand, am an ordinary looking suburban mom.

I bear Dan no animus for his bad memory.  Indeed, I like him, despite our mere passing acquaintance.  My every interaction with him has been pleasant.  I don’t recall handshakes (although I’m sure there have been some), but he’s always friendly, albeit somewhat distant.  His manners are impeccable.  His wife and children are delightful.  He is a stellar member of the parent community.

It was therefore interesting to see this bit of unedited footage that has Dan getting involved in an unpleasant (for Dan) confrontation with a representative of the newly refurbished Laguna Honda Home for the Aged in San Francisco.  Dan must have realized immediately that the guy was some sort of predator, hence his instant, clear and explicit request to the man to “unhand me, Sir.”  What’s fascinating is that the man cannot keep his hands off of Dan — or Dan’s colleague and the camera — even as he becomes more and more aggressive in a creepily soft-spoken manner:

Frankly, if I was in Dan’s shoes, I would have decked the guy after the second or third hands-on moment.  I believe that Dan showed exceptional forbearance in the face of an aggressive attack from a predator masquerading as a soft spoken voice of reason.

If it was up to me, I would show children this video so that they can see what a predator looks.  Dan did not let himself get side-tracked by the man’s ostensible peace-making motives (even as the man continued his offensive behavior), nor did he fall for the man’s effort to make Dan look like the guilty or unreasonable party.

As I remind my children, it’s only ineffective bad guys who look obviously evil.  The ones who are dangerous are the ones who look like everybody else, and who try to manipulate our normal emotions (guilt, the desire to avoid offending people, etc.) to their own perverse and, sometimes, evil ends.

Hat tip:  Hot Air