topic Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done? in Community Chat

I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

golding76 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:56:46 GMT

Sorry for interrupting the important communication on a new forum for us, but something happened to me within the last hour, and I am still upset over it.

After my last post under "TV and Movies," I decided to shoot out of the house for a quickie trip to Dollar Tree, which is, admittedly, in the sketchiest strip mall around here. I went in, found what I needed within 15 minutes, took my cart to my car, returned the cart and then, when I stepped into the parking lot, a small, foreign-looking man stepped into my line-of-vision and kept staring at me.

I noticed that he started to follow me as I went to my car, which I had parked a short distance from the store but enough to give me a bit of a walk. When I noticed he was following me, I moved to another line of cars. At this point, he said to me, "Don't be afraid. I am not going to hurt you." Yes, he had a foreign accent.

Stubborn and determined as I can be at times, I kept switching lines of cars, sometimes going two or three to the left or right, up and down. Each time he followed me and uttered the same words about not harming me and not to be afraid. I'm freaking out at this point. I looked around for a man to help me at that point, but no one was walking in the parking spaces at that time. So, I saw a car pulling into a space at a distance, went to the driver's side and saw a woman. She kept her window up as I said,"A man is following me." I repeated it because she could not hear me (we were both wearing masks) and she waved me off before I could ask her to see that I got to my car safely.

I can understand the fright she might have felt, too, with my coming to her window and saying a man is following me. Still, I was deeply disappointed she decided to ignore me.

Of course I should have gone back into the store, but I remembered they had only three women on duty and they were all busy.

After I walked away from the woman's car, I saw that the little dude had decided to give up and was back up above the parking lot, on the walkway in front of the stores.

Perhaps I now feel some sort of false sense of safety because I am elderly and look like an older woman. It was already dark outside.

I felt the presence of menace in that little man. My gut told me to get away from him. And yet I stubbornly tried to get to my car. I don't know what it was all about.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

tansy — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:40:50 GMT

Ugh. I am glad you are safe, @golding76.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

suzyQ3 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:40:53 GMT

Very scary experience, @golding76

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

Love my grandkids — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:42:23 GMT

@golding76 That's too bad. Being elderly (I'm 73) does not guarantee safety. In fact it makes us MORE vulnerable.

You should have gone back to the store. I don't think he would have taken on 3 or 4 women. He followed you cuz you were alone.

I've been told that it could help to start yelling "Leave me alone! I don't know you! Stop following me!"

Next time please be more careful. Foreign looking or not you are lucky nothing happened.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

On It — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:42:35 GMT

@golding76 Thank goodness you kept moving. Of course you are shaken. I am just glad you were not hurt.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

Etoile308 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:43:11 GMT

Have you called the police?

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

golding76 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:43:32 GMT

Thank you. I am now crying over it.

I was so frightened.

Was this man crazy? I don't know.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

golding76 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:47:48 GMT

Etoile308, I never thought to call the police. Would I report that he frightened me? Was a stalker?

They will look at me and laugh.

I must outweigh this man by 60 lb. He had a cane, did not look like a derelict but he did not mean well. I had this fear that he had a knife with him. True.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

RedTop — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:46:53 GMT

I would've called the police, and the store.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

On It — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:47:00 GMT

@golding76 wrote:
Thank you. I am now crying over it.

I was so frightened.

Was this man crazy? I don't know.

Cry. Get it all out. You will never know what he was doing or thinking. Just be grateful nothing happened.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

Love my grandkids — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:48:45 GMT

@golding76 You should have gotten in your car, locked the doors and called the police with a description of this man. They may have gotten other reports about him. You'll never know now.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

Etoile308 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:47:31 GMT

You report that someone continued to follow you in a parking lot, after dark, and felt his behavior was suspicious.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

new nickname 4 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:47:47 GMT

@golding76 , I am sorry, of course you were frightened. I can only question what the man was doing, probably trying to rob you? If I had been in the car pulling into the parking lot, I would have stuck by you. Sorry this happened.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

1Snickers — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:48:09 GMT

@golding76 You were lucky! Please shop in daylight.
You can purchase an alarm for your keys (even a loud whistle)or set off your car alarm. I Carry mace.

Your guardian Angel was with you!

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

Bri369 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:59:08 GMT

You should have gone back into the store and notified the police. You left him there possibly to attack or threaten someone else. He may have been harmless or he may not have been.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

ThinkingOutLoud — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:48:26 GMT

I'm so glad you were able to get away. For the future -

- get an alarm you keep on your keychain

- get some mace

- hold your keys between your fingers to use against someone if needed

- get on your phone and loudly say you're calling the police

- go back in the store and alert others of the issue (workers and customers)

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

LdyBugz — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:49:32 GMT

@golding76 Wow! That is awful! I'm glad you are safe though! I wonder if you should report the incident to the police. They could at least go and check the guy out, and possibly save someone from harm.

BTW, I always carry keys in my hand when going to my car at night. It can be used as a tool to someone's eyes if in danger.

Be safe!

ImRe: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

chprsp — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:49:43 GMT

I'm glad you're safely home. Maybe a cup of tea will help you feel better. It's always best to follow your gut feeling.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

golding76 — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:53:13 GMT

As I do from time to time, I forgot to take my phone with me tonight.

I know it is not "right" to mention he was foreign-looking. Heck! I'm foreign-looking in my own way and come from people who were foreign-looking as well.

It's just that he had this "exotic" look. Plus, he was an old man. I think he was 68 - 70 something.

Re: I Just Had a Scare; Still Shaking From It; What Would You Have Done?

50Mickey — Tue, 05 Oct 2021 00:50:44 GMT

You were so frightened that you weren't thinking straight. It happens. At least you had the presence of mind not to stop and you kept walking away from him. Next time don't go to a sketchy strip mall after dark and don't park far enough away from the store to give yourself a little walk. A little walk is not that important when it come to your safety. Park as close to the store as you can. if it ever happens again and I hope it never does make a beeline back to the store and wait there until someone can walk you to your car. Glad that you are safe. Stay safe.