I was living out in West Hollywood
when a Hollywood strangler was strangling women.
Every night there was a panel discussion on TV about the strangler,
speculations about his habits, his motives, his methods.
One thing was clear about him:
he only strangled women when they were alone, or with other women.
And the panel members would always end the show by saying:
Now for all you women, listen: don't go outside without a man.
Don't walk out to your car, don't even take the garbage out by yourself;
always go with a man.
Then, one of the eyewitnesses
identified a policeman
as one of the suspects.
The next night,
the chief of the police
was on the panel, and he said:
Now for all you women,
whatever happens,
do not stop for a police officer,
stay in your car.
If a police officer tries to stop you,
do not stop,
keep driving and under no circumstances
should you get out of your car.
For a few weeks,
half the traffic in LA was doing twice the speed limits.

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