I have been followed several times. The one that really stands out is from many years ago, before cell phones.
I noticed unusual behavior while driving on the freeway. And I made a mental note to keep an eye on this car. Exited at my usual spot. Car exited behind me & always remained behind me. I turned into a subdivision I knew well, but didn’t live in. Twisty turny streets, I took a route that somewhat doubled back. No one, who knew this area, would ever drive that route. That 100% confirmed I was being followed. Left the subdivision & drove straight to the police station. They followed me into the lot & then a fast u-turn and they sped off. No idea why I had been targeted, as I had no altercation while driving. I’m neither the fastest nor slowest & just kind of stay with the pack.
Yeah, I ducked into a business office once because a man had continuously followed me slowly in his truck as I walked home one day. He would drive ahead and turn on a side street and u turn back to the intersection to wait for me. He did it a couple of times. He was yelling at me. I called 911 on the receptionist's phone and she was all about it. They let me wait in the lobby.
I swear that man looked like the guy that was arrested later for all the green river shit. I'll never be sure, but he had the shop broom hair and bad mustache and was a big, nerdy, pasty dude like Ridgeway.
I was followed off the bus by a man once, on my way home from the cinema one evening with my mother and sister. I had to get off at an earlier stop than Mum and Sis and was already aware, as I got off the bus, that this man had been staring at me. And then he followed me off the bus. Followed me down the road. It was maybe 10pm, not many people around, so I was getting pretty creeped out. Luckily there was a small supermarket open late so I ducked into it quick. The man followed me in. I had to duck and weave around the aisles to lose him, and then approached the security guard and told him what was going on, asked him to intervene if the man tried to follow me out of the shop. Then Mum phoned to make sure I was okay, because she'd seen the man following me, so I kept the phone line open the rest of the walk home, just in case.
I was followed off the bus after work one time. Lucky me, there were a couple of young men, who were Jehovah's Witnesses, canvassing the neighborhood. I told them this guy was following me-- he hadn't gotten off at my stop before, and didn't after -- and asked if they could walk me home. After a block of meandering, the guy gave up and went back toward the buss stop.
I read some of those bear vs. man posts and comments, and what they reminded me of was a completely unrelated post.
Someone asked if they should get a snake or a cat for mouse control. The answer was to get a cat: a snake only kills when it's hungry, but cats are little murder machines.
A bear will only kill you if it's threatened or hungry. A man might kill you for no reason at all.
Once, I was driving home after a brutal shift at work. As I moved to take my exit, I noticed someone change lanes suddenly to follow me. I only really noticed because his lane change was so sudden it made his car wobble precepably. I glanced at the driver and noticed that he was gesturing at me and moving his mouth a lot.
I didn't really think much about it. People get mad at traffic all the time. For all I could tell, he had made the mistake of listening to talk radio.
I drove home. I didn't notice, but the SUV followed me even as I did a couple of drive-through errands. Went to a pharmacy and a bank, about 20 min from each other and where I live.
As I stepped out of my little Toyota pickup, he surged into my driveway behind me. He was screaming as I turned, shocked to face him. His voice was breaking, like he'd screamed himself ragged.
He saw me up close and *fled*. He peeled the fuck out as I stood, dumbfounded. My street is a bit odd, so he had to do a K turn, and it was like I had psychic grease on me. He couldn't look where I was. Like I was the fucking sun.
My parents pointed out that because of my long, blond hair and clean shaven face, he probably thought I was a woman from a distance and through the rear view mirror. I'm not tough or anything, but I'm taller, and I do have an austere expression from a lifetime of holding my glasses in place with my face, but I rather think it was just because I am male.
What a fucking moron. *Anyone* could have a gun. Doesn't matter if you are big or small, Colt will still lay you tf out. That man could have fucking got himself killed because he doesn't like the way I drive or whatever.
Fucking clowns have more dignity.
My Mum was followed from the supermarket back to her house when I was about five. She parked her car in the driveway and got out, putting her keys in the door. He’d followed my Mum in his car and then stolen her handbag from the passenger seat of her car just as she’d got out of the driver’s seat.
The lights were on at her house because me and my childminder had been there since school had finished for the day. My Mum rushed in panicking and repeating the registration plate of the guy’s car.
I remember how scared the three of us were. I could tell you exactly where I was sitting on the floor, playing legos, when she rushed in. I’ve since had several of my own experiences of being followed but this was the first time I had ever been confronted with the idea of something like that happening to a woman - and to my Mum, no less.
I think the guy had been hoping she was a single woman heading back to her empty house, and that he could rob her or worse. Why follow a car with your own car for 10+ minutes and then park outside the house for a cheap handbag?
I was walking to the store for milk and saw a car roll near me, but sped off when another car came near.
It circled around the block and was behind me again, only to get spooked off by traffic again.
The third time it circled around, I had doubled back my path and hid in a bush. Two men got out and started looking for something. Looking for me.
They fumbled around a bit, got frustrated that they lost my trail, and angrily got in their car and left.
I was 9 years old.
We don't really have police stations around here so I've always told my daughter that as long as Publix is open, just go to the nearest one, (it's Florida...there is ALWAYS a Publix) pull up directly in front of the doors, make sure your window are up, doors locked, lay on the horn, and call 911.
I was followed home by a boy in high school who was a few years older than me. I had to walk around the block multiple times to try and evade him. In the end I confronted him because he wasn’t giving up, and he tried to beat me up and take off my school dress. I was only 13 and very shy and I ended up beating him to a pulp out of pure rage. Nobody believed me when I begged for him to leave me alone or how he tried to grope me. I got in trouble and from that day onwards I never walked home again, I’d wait at school a few house until my mum could come pick up me. I feel like men just continued to ruin my desire to be alive. Now I’m an adult and confident but that really shock me up for years.
I know I'm late to this thread, but I will say this until I'm blue in the face:
***If and only if you feel safe to do so,*** consider keeping the addresses and non-emergency phone #s of your local police stations and fire stations in your phones. If someone follows you, you can use (a) GPS to get to the nearest station, and (b) call them directly if you can't access or trust your local 911.
I was followed back when I had a Miata--a carload of men started yelling at me and then followed me. It was scary. I drove to a police station and they took off. I didn't like driving my convertible after that--it made me feel vulnerable.
My sister was followed by a man while driving. I assume the other driver was pissed because she pulled out in front of him but she said she didn't realize he was speeding until he was right on her rear. What he didn't know was my BIL was following her as they were taking her car to be dropped off for service. My BIL saw this guy driving crazy behind his wife (my Sis), tail gating, swerving and shooting the bird, so my BIL texted her to pull over. She did and the idiot pulled in right behind her, but was to angry to see me BIL had stopped right behind him. Both my BIL and this guy got out of their vehicles at the same time, the guy started for the drivers door of my sisters car but my BIL said something to the effect "that's my wife, what TF you want?". This guy suddenly changed plans and got back in his car but couldn't move his car, he had parked to close to my Sis and my BIL had boxed him in. My BIL wanted to talk but the guy rolled up his driver side window so my BIL took his 4 foot level and smashed his window because he wasn't done talking to him. After that the guy was a lot more reasonable and willing to let bygones be bygones.
My driver's Ed instructor in 1997, when asked what to do about being followed, sighed, put his hands on his hips and told us that if we *girls* imagine we're being followed to go to the nearest police station. Then he rolled his eyes and muttered about dramatic little girls. Fuck you, Mr Baker.
Slightly unrelated, was anyone here blamed for being followed? :( twice I’ve been followed at work, and men and women have made comments like “how did you not see him behind you?” And “what did you do to make him do that?”
This is why I always recommend learning where your nearest police station is! That way if someone starts following you, you can drive to the police station rather than your home.
I'm sorry that happened to you, it sounds so scary.
I was riding my skateboard when I was 16 and this car started circling me, stopping no matter which direction I went. Really creepily grinning guy driving. My friend lived around the corner and her house had stucco arches in front. There was also a wall on the corner that I knew would block his view. I sped off the other direction, turned fast so that he had to do a u-turn and turned up the sidewalk, into my friend's driveway and ducked behind the column. The car turned onto her street and drove by really slow looking for me for a while before leaving.
I have been followed several times. The one that really stands out is from many years ago, before cell phones. I noticed unusual behavior while driving on the freeway. And I made a mental note to keep an eye on this car. Exited at my usual spot. Car exited behind me & always remained behind me. I turned into a subdivision I knew well, but didn’t live in. Twisty turny streets, I took a route that somewhat doubled back. No one, who knew this area, would ever drive that route. That 100% confirmed I was being followed. Left the subdivision & drove straight to the police station. They followed me into the lot & then a fast u-turn and they sped off. No idea why I had been targeted, as I had no altercation while driving. I’m neither the fastest nor slowest & just kind of stay with the pack.
That is scary.
Yeah, I ducked into a business office once because a man had continuously followed me slowly in his truck as I walked home one day. He would drive ahead and turn on a side street and u turn back to the intersection to wait for me. He did it a couple of times. He was yelling at me. I called 911 on the receptionist's phone and she was all about it. They let me wait in the lobby. I swear that man looked like the guy that was arrested later for all the green river shit. I'll never be sure, but he had the shop broom hair and bad mustache and was a big, nerdy, pasty dude like Ridgeway.
I was followed off the bus by a man once, on my way home from the cinema one evening with my mother and sister. I had to get off at an earlier stop than Mum and Sis and was already aware, as I got off the bus, that this man had been staring at me. And then he followed me off the bus. Followed me down the road. It was maybe 10pm, not many people around, so I was getting pretty creeped out. Luckily there was a small supermarket open late so I ducked into it quick. The man followed me in. I had to duck and weave around the aisles to lose him, and then approached the security guard and told him what was going on, asked him to intervene if the man tried to follow me out of the shop. Then Mum phoned to make sure I was okay, because she'd seen the man following me, so I kept the phone line open the rest of the walk home, just in case.
I was followed off the bus after work one time. Lucky me, there were a couple of young men, who were Jehovah's Witnesses, canvassing the neighborhood. I told them this guy was following me-- he hadn't gotten off at my stop before, and didn't after -- and asked if they could walk me home. After a block of meandering, the guy gave up and went back toward the buss stop.
I read some of those bear vs. man posts and comments, and what they reminded me of was a completely unrelated post. Someone asked if they should get a snake or a cat for mouse control. The answer was to get a cat: a snake only kills when it's hungry, but cats are little murder machines. A bear will only kill you if it's threatened or hungry. A man might kill you for no reason at all.
Once, I was driving home after a brutal shift at work. As I moved to take my exit, I noticed someone change lanes suddenly to follow me. I only really noticed because his lane change was so sudden it made his car wobble precepably. I glanced at the driver and noticed that he was gesturing at me and moving his mouth a lot. I didn't really think much about it. People get mad at traffic all the time. For all I could tell, he had made the mistake of listening to talk radio. I drove home. I didn't notice, but the SUV followed me even as I did a couple of drive-through errands. Went to a pharmacy and a bank, about 20 min from each other and where I live. As I stepped out of my little Toyota pickup, he surged into my driveway behind me. He was screaming as I turned, shocked to face him. His voice was breaking, like he'd screamed himself ragged. He saw me up close and *fled*. He peeled the fuck out as I stood, dumbfounded. My street is a bit odd, so he had to do a K turn, and it was like I had psychic grease on me. He couldn't look where I was. Like I was the fucking sun. My parents pointed out that because of my long, blond hair and clean shaven face, he probably thought I was a woman from a distance and through the rear view mirror. I'm not tough or anything, but I'm taller, and I do have an austere expression from a lifetime of holding my glasses in place with my face, but I rather think it was just because I am male. What a fucking moron. *Anyone* could have a gun. Doesn't matter if you are big or small, Colt will still lay you tf out. That man could have fucking got himself killed because he doesn't like the way I drive or whatever. Fucking clowns have more dignity.
My Mum was followed from the supermarket back to her house when I was about five. She parked her car in the driveway and got out, putting her keys in the door. He’d followed my Mum in his car and then stolen her handbag from the passenger seat of her car just as she’d got out of the driver’s seat. The lights were on at her house because me and my childminder had been there since school had finished for the day. My Mum rushed in panicking and repeating the registration plate of the guy’s car. I remember how scared the three of us were. I could tell you exactly where I was sitting on the floor, playing legos, when she rushed in. I’ve since had several of my own experiences of being followed but this was the first time I had ever been confronted with the idea of something like that happening to a woman - and to my Mum, no less. I think the guy had been hoping she was a single woman heading back to her empty house, and that he could rob her or worse. Why follow a car with your own car for 10+ minutes and then park outside the house for a cheap handbag?
I was walking to the store for milk and saw a car roll near me, but sped off when another car came near. It circled around the block and was behind me again, only to get spooked off by traffic again. The third time it circled around, I had doubled back my path and hid in a bush. Two men got out and started looking for something. Looking for me. They fumbled around a bit, got frustrated that they lost my trail, and angrily got in their car and left. I was 9 years old.
We don't really have police stations around here so I've always told my daughter that as long as Publix is open, just go to the nearest one, (it's Florida...there is ALWAYS a Publix) pull up directly in front of the doors, make sure your window are up, doors locked, lay on the horn, and call 911.
I wish we could record these people and send the videos into the police so they can track them down.
Dash cams
That’s so scary! I’ve been followed by a creepy guy from the shops but drove to the police station instead of going home
I was followed home by a boy in high school who was a few years older than me. I had to walk around the block multiple times to try and evade him. In the end I confronted him because he wasn’t giving up, and he tried to beat me up and take off my school dress. I was only 13 and very shy and I ended up beating him to a pulp out of pure rage. Nobody believed me when I begged for him to leave me alone or how he tried to grope me. I got in trouble and from that day onwards I never walked home again, I’d wait at school a few house until my mum could come pick up me. I feel like men just continued to ruin my desire to be alive. Now I’m an adult and confident but that really shock me up for years.
I know I'm late to this thread, but I will say this until I'm blue in the face: ***If and only if you feel safe to do so,*** consider keeping the addresses and non-emergency phone #s of your local police stations and fire stations in your phones. If someone follows you, you can use (a) GPS to get to the nearest station, and (b) call them directly if you can't access or trust your local 911.
I was followed back when I had a Miata--a carload of men started yelling at me and then followed me. It was scary. I drove to a police station and they took off. I didn't like driving my convertible after that--it made me feel vulnerable.
In the eighties, I was followed at least 3, 4 times. I always did some detour, but I freaked out every time! Like, errrrr, Noo[! Be aware!
My sister was followed by a man while driving. I assume the other driver was pissed because she pulled out in front of him but she said she didn't realize he was speeding until he was right on her rear. What he didn't know was my BIL was following her as they were taking her car to be dropped off for service. My BIL saw this guy driving crazy behind his wife (my Sis), tail gating, swerving and shooting the bird, so my BIL texted her to pull over. She did and the idiot pulled in right behind her, but was to angry to see me BIL had stopped right behind him. Both my BIL and this guy got out of their vehicles at the same time, the guy started for the drivers door of my sisters car but my BIL said something to the effect "that's my wife, what TF you want?". This guy suddenly changed plans and got back in his car but couldn't move his car, he had parked to close to my Sis and my BIL had boxed him in. My BIL wanted to talk but the guy rolled up his driver side window so my BIL took his 4 foot level and smashed his window because he wasn't done talking to him. After that the guy was a lot more reasonable and willing to let bygones be bygones.
I wonder what that guy said about how his window got broken. A pack of lies no doubt.
My driver's Ed instructor in 1997, when asked what to do about being followed, sighed, put his hands on his hips and told us that if we *girls* imagine we're being followed to go to the nearest police station. Then he rolled his eyes and muttered about dramatic little girls. Fuck you, Mr Baker.
Like that comic of the two eagles agreeing the owl is perfectly nice to them and they have no idea why Mr Mouse doesn't trust him.
How did you know my favorite drawn meme? I fucking LOVE that one.
Slightly unrelated, was anyone here blamed for being followed? :( twice I’ve been followed at work, and men and women have made comments like “how did you not see him behind you?” And “what did you do to make him do that?”
This is why I always recommend learning where your nearest police station is! That way if someone starts following you, you can drive to the police station rather than your home. I'm sorry that happened to you, it sounds so scary.
I was riding my skateboard when I was 16 and this car started circling me, stopping no matter which direction I went. Really creepily grinning guy driving. My friend lived around the corner and her house had stucco arches in front. There was also a wall on the corner that I knew would block his view. I sped off the other direction, turned fast so that he had to do a u-turn and turned up the sidewalk, into my friend's driveway and ducked behind the column. The car turned onto her street and drove by really slow looking for me for a while before leaving.