If I go to the grocery store after dark, I park in a brightly lit spot near the door. I don't feel afraid walking from the store to my car, but I'm always very aware of who's around me ... and would not hesitate to ask the store security guard for an escort if something out there made me uncomfortable. And I live in a good neighborhood in a small city with very low crime rate.
If someone was armed, I wouldn't argue much, though I still would resist getting into a car with them... but of course the child changes everything. Thank heavens he was "only" a rapist and let them both live.