My DH was in a shopping center.
He was about to go down an escalator, but in front was a man on his phone and what he assumes was his 3/4 year old daughter.
The man was still talking away on his phone, his daughter was a step or two behind him when the dad got on the escalator.
The daughter hesitated and just stood at the top; DH then is next to the little one, who reaches out her hand to DH --- my DH didn't take it, but instead got on the escalator himself.
The man then shouted up to the girl 'stay there, stay there' as he had to walk to the opposite end of the center to get to the 'up' escalator.
DH said he looked up and a woman had stopped to stay with the little one.
I was really mortified DH hadn't either 1) taken her hand to take her down with him, or 2) stayed with her until her dad came back.
But DH said, as a male, and it being a little girl, he 100% didn't feel comfortable with either scenario.
Did he do the right thing?
I'd have instinctively taken the little one's hand and been reassuring and kind to her, taking her to her dad at the bottom. and would have resisted telling the dad what an idiot he his