Females, especially southern girls, are taught to be polite along with stranger danger. I’ve caught myself doing it with my own daughter.
Don’t talk to strangers, but when the nice man holds the door for you, you say thank you sir. Trust your gut, but don’t make a scene in public. Don’t be rude, respect your elders, speak when you’re spoken to, etc.
Imo, we need to teach our kids, girls and boys, to speak up when something feels wrong. If that man who held the door open gives you the creeps, you are not obligated to chat with him about the weather. When the sweet old lady in the waiting room keeps getting closer and closer to admire your baby, hold them for a second, it’s okay to say no!
I notice it a lot because I wasn’t raised in the south and to see my teen daughter caught between being polite and trusting her gut, it’s scares me. She needs to know she CAN make a scene, it’s okay if she overreacts, it’s better to be wrong than to be harmed. It’s okay to offend someone instead of taking a chance with your safety.
I grew up in a northern city and wouldn’t hesitate to tell someone who was making me uncomfortable to leave me alone or even F-off.
As to how this might relate to Paighton, she may have felt uncomfortable but didn’t want to draw attention to it. Maybe she told herself she was overreacting, maybe she did drink or take drugs (willingly or not) and questioned her judgement. Sending a text to a friend is a subtle way to look for help but not feel foolish if she was wrong. JMO as someone living in the south for 20 years, but raised elsewhere. This is something that really stands out to me.
