Tonight's Dateline tests Americans' vigilance

On tonight's episode of Dateline on NBC (7:00 p.m.), Today security consultant Bill Stanton will set up hidden camera scenarios that will test how people respond to suspicious situations. Wild Bill: Breaking and Entering, hosted by Rob Stafford, will follow Stanton as he attempts to break into cars, homes and a hotel room right in front of people using the same techniques as seasoned criminals.

Stanton's conclusion is that people aren't as aware of their surroundings as they should be. At the risk of sounding stupidly optimistic, I think another way to look at it is that most of us assume our fellow human beings are usually working with the best of intentions. People should be smart, of course, but I like to assume that people are basically good.

One last thing: the press release describes the episode as an "investigation." Is it really an investigation when you're just creating fake scenarios?