Pardon me if I'm a little less than coherent...I've still got a fair amount of adrenaline pumping through me at the moment...
I take my son out for a walk every day, weather permitting, and today was no exception. We stroll all the way down to the end of our neighborhood, probably about a mile or so. It's a very busy street with lots of cars coming and going, because it's the only entrance/exit to our neighborhood.
The first half of our walk was like any other walk we've taken, but on the second half back, a beige car passed us, driving into the neighborhood. As it was passing, the driver was practically leaning out of his window, staring at me. I though he was going to crack his neck at that angle. I noted it, thought it odd but shrugged it off as no big deal. We kept walking and enjoying the sunshine.
Barely 3 minutes later, the same beige car approached, now going in the opposite direction. He stopped in the road, obviously wanting to talk, or wanting something else. I wasn't interested in finding out. Other cars were driving past him, so I pushed the stroller into someone's yard and walked past, ignoring him and keeping several feet between us. At this point, my radar is going off. Something is not right about this. I'm feeling very wary and alert. After I pass him, I frequently glance over my shoulder and watch him. He drives off slowly, as if he's watching me in his mirror. He goes all the way down to the end of the road, and turns into the tennis court parking lot. Now I know he's going to pass us again.
Fortunately, before I left the house, I got a strong feeling to take my pocket camera with me. I pulled it out, turned it on, and set it in the stroller cup holder, so it wouldn't be too obvious, but could still be angled towards the road, and see everything beside us.
About 3-5 minutes and a few cars later, he does pull up.
(Sorry, at the moment I can only link it to photobucket, because youtube converts it to having this funky tracking issue...Click to watch.)
I really wish I hadn't been so polite. I considered asking him why he wanted to know my name, but I didn't expect him to answer truthfully, and I didn't want to engage in the encounter. I wanted to end it.
Is it possible he was just some curious, harmless guy who wanted to meet a stranger out walking her son? Or were my spidey senses tingling for the right reasons? I guess I'll never really know.
I'll tell you one thing that is for damn sure; I'm GLAD I was armed!!!!!
And if he'd known it, I bet he would have been a little less nosy! :twisted:
I take my son out for a walk every day, weather permitting, and today was no exception. We stroll all the way down to the end of our neighborhood, probably about a mile or so. It's a very busy street with lots of cars coming and going, because it's the only entrance/exit to our neighborhood.
The first half of our walk was like any other walk we've taken, but on the second half back, a beige car passed us, driving into the neighborhood. As it was passing, the driver was practically leaning out of his window, staring at me. I though he was going to crack his neck at that angle. I noted it, thought it odd but shrugged it off as no big deal. We kept walking and enjoying the sunshine.
Barely 3 minutes later, the same beige car approached, now going in the opposite direction. He stopped in the road, obviously wanting to talk, or wanting something else. I wasn't interested in finding out. Other cars were driving past him, so I pushed the stroller into someone's yard and walked past, ignoring him and keeping several feet between us. At this point, my radar is going off. Something is not right about this. I'm feeling very wary and alert. After I pass him, I frequently glance over my shoulder and watch him. He drives off slowly, as if he's watching me in his mirror. He goes all the way down to the end of the road, and turns into the tennis court parking lot. Now I know he's going to pass us again.
Fortunately, before I left the house, I got a strong feeling to take my pocket camera with me. I pulled it out, turned it on, and set it in the stroller cup holder, so it wouldn't be too obvious, but could still be angled towards the road, and see everything beside us.
About 3-5 minutes and a few cars later, he does pull up.
(Sorry, at the moment I can only link it to photobucket, because youtube converts it to having this funky tracking issue...Click to watch.)
I really wish I hadn't been so polite. I considered asking him why he wanted to know my name, but I didn't expect him to answer truthfully, and I didn't want to engage in the encounter. I wanted to end it.
Is it possible he was just some curious, harmless guy who wanted to meet a stranger out walking her son? Or were my spidey senses tingling for the right reasons? I guess I'll never really know.
I'll tell you one thing that is for damn sure; I'm GLAD I was armed!!!!!
And if he'd known it, I bet he would have been a little less nosy! :twisted:
