GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Florida in Gainesville is home to nearly 50,000 students and recently home to stepped-up security. That's because in August and September a man terrorized the campus in a string of attempted sexual attacks. That person is still out there.
So it was in this climate of heightened awareness that News4Jax conducted an experiment. We wanted to know if we could get students to hand over their personal information and get into a stranger's vehicle. It was a lot easier than we thought.
We rented an unmarked minivan and parked near campus. News4Jax producer Jodi told students we were scouting talent for a reality series about college life. Most students we approached were too busy to stop, but many did. Alex was one of them.
Alex filled out an application that asked for his name, address, email and other personal information. He also sat in the minivan when Jodi asked him to, a stranger he had just met. Once he sat inside the vehicle, he then handed over his cell phone when Jodi asked to take a picture of him. If we had truly been predators, we would have just taken his only lifeline.
"Do you realize you're sitting in someone's van that you don't know?" Staci Spanos asked when she walked up to the minivan.
Alex responded, "I was kind of thinking of that right now. If someone was back there, they could easily put a bag over my head."
Alex wasn't alone. Olivia also handed Jodi her cellphone and then sat down in the van when Jodi told her to have a seat to get out of the sun so she could take a picture.
Spanos approached Olivia to point out the danger she had just put herself in.
"I'm sorry, we're not doing a college reality show," said Spanos. "We're doing it on safety."
"Yeah, I knew," said Olivia. "And I was like I didn't want to sit in the car."
"You didn't feel comfortable all along did you?" asked Spanos.
"No," said Olivia.
"Why did you sit in here?" Spanos asked.
"When she asked for my phone I thought it was a little bit better. I didn't want her to use her phone. I don't know," Olivia answered.
News4Jax crime and safety analyst Gil Smith said young adults need to be more assertive and just say no.
"Don't hand over your cellphone to anyone for any reason, especially if it's unlocked," said Smith. "Use your own cellphone if they want to take a picture. Ask the person for identification. 'Who are you? Who are you with?' And filling out a form with personal information: Don't give someone your name and address. Now they know where you live. Now they know where they can locate you."
"Y'all got me. I'm going to say that much," said another student who failed our safety test.
In less than one hour, we approached 19 students, everyone from freshmen to grad students. Six of them got into our minivan and handed over their cellphones -- their only lifeline to get help.
So, what about all those safety reminders from the attempted sexual attacks back in August and September? Even Alex, who was one of the six who got into our van, actually helped out on a Safe Walk program following the attacks. He admitted he didn't think twice about sitting in the van and said the safety test was a good reminder.
"For the most part, people are too trusting with other people, so it's definitely good," said Alex. "You guys got me."
The students we asked to provide us with a social security number turned us down. And all the other personal information they wrote on the survey we either gave back to them or destroyed.