ON TOMORROW'S "PRIMETIME: WHAT WOULD YOU DO?"

*** Program will air 10:30-11:00 on the East Coast and 10:00-11:00 on the West Coast ***

When People See a Situation that Cries Out for Action, Do They Step in, Back Away or Just Walk on by?

As the economy stalls, shoplifting is on the rise. So what would you do if you saw someone not only shoplifting, but using their child as the scapegoat? And in these tough times, will strangers help someone begging not for money - but for gas? Using hidden cameras, "Primetime: What Would You Do?" sets up everyday scenarios and then captures people's reactions. Whether people are compelled to act or mind their own business, John Qui�ones reports on their split-second - and often surprising - decision-making process, on "Primetime: What Would You Do?," TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 24 (10:30-11:00 p.m., ET and 10:00-11:00 p.m., PT) on the ABC Television Network.

Often people speculate on how they might act in a difficult situation, but this series shows what they actually do in the face of everyday dilemmas that test their character and values. Tuesday's scenarios include:

(The following scenarios will air on both the East Coast and West Coast broadcasts:)

* SHOPLIFTING PARENTS WITH KIDS IN TOW: In a story ripped from the headlines, a mother shoplifts clothing and accessories from a trendy store and uses her daughter as an accomplice, placing the stolen items in her child's backpack. Will fellow shoppers step in and confront the mother in front of the child or mind their own business? And will the reaction from those who witness the shoplifting be different if it's a nanny instead of a parent stealing?

* BEGGING FOR GAS: With high gasoline prices and a falling economy, how will people react to someone who approaches them begging not for money, but for a few gallons of gasoline? Will the unsuspecting motorists react differently to female and male beggars? And what if one of the women asking for help is trying to fill up her expensive SUV?

One of the young men who helps her out is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who has very little money himself. And even though he steps up and helps, he says he doesn't think people would help him. So "What Would You Do" set out to see if he was right, having him pose as the man begging for gas. (

The following scenarios will air only on the West Coast broadcast:)

* CELL PHONE - OBNOXIOUS PERSON IN RESTAURANT: Almost everyone has experienced it -- the obnoxious person in a restaurant talking so loudly on his cell phone that there's no escape, everyone must hear every word. How will the frustrated diners react? But when an attractive woman plays the part, the outcome is remarkably different. (OAD: 12/06)

* TEENAGE VANDALISM: Will anyone in the neighborhood intervene when they witness teenagers trashing a parked car? And will the reactions differ if the vandals are black or white? (OAD: 2/08)

"What Would You Do?" has won awards from the Chicago International Television Festival, as well as the Avon Foundation's 2006 Voice of Change Award for exposing "injustice and wrongdoing against women and bringing the message of domestic violence to the mainstream." The foundation called the program "an important work of journalism that illustrates the unwillingness of many people to become involved or speak out against domestic violence."