Was it okay for this guy to follow, chase, and taunt me as I walk?

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933127

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I often like to take walks after dinner in daylight. My walking routine includes walking around streets and cul de sacs in my suburban neighborhood while on public way. I’ve had three incidents in the past with a guy in his twenties with a lot of tattoos on both arms and black plug earrings. The guy was probably around the age of 23-25 and most likely still lives with his parents. The guy pretty much looks like your stereotypical emo goth.


First time it happened I was just about to walk out of a cul de sac I had walked into. All of a sudden a car was speeding towards my way and slowed down. The windows rolled down and the tattoo guy stuck out his head. He stared at me and breathed heavily through his nostrils at me as if he was really pissed off at me. As I walked away he put his car in reverse. He made three small steps in reverse with his car. While doing so - stick his head out and leer right at me with his eyes. He then stopped completely leered at me some more and then drove away.

However I noticed he turned into one of the cul de sac houses. I decided to walk over to that house so I can maybe strike up a nice friendly talk with him and work things out. I had no idea what just happened. If he had a problem with me he should have said something instead of staring at me and flaring his nostrils at me. When I got there he was waiting for me. He said to me “Hi I see you” in a baby mock voice and flashed a laser pointer into my eyes. He wasn’t going to talk to me, so I turned and walked away.


Second time I walked elsewhere. Everything seemed fine until 6 p.m. I noticed him following me on his bike. I began walking at a faster pace to lose him. I eventually jogged to a local elementary school. He followed me there and circled around the school waiting to get close to me. No one else was there to help me, no homes nearby, etc. This guy basically had trapped me. So I hid in the bushes hoping he would lose interest if he can’t find me to follow around. Unfortunately he rode his bike to a hill on the playground and spotted me. I moved to the left and right behind the bushes and he mimicked my movement on his bike.

I was going to run up and attack the creep if I had to. However I wasn’t sure if he had a weapon or not, and I wasn’t going to take my chances. There was a fence behind me and I jumped over it and ran to a dry creek bed. He got off his bike and ran after me. This guy wasn’t going to leave me alone no matter how much of a distance I try to create. So I decided to finally confront him, I turned around and in an indignant voice I yelled at him “What do you want from me?” The guy said “Come here” I told him “No!” He then said “I know where you live little boy” “Ahahaha”. And then he turned around and left me alone.


A month later I walked straight past the entry of the cul de sac but not into it. All of a sudden I hear loud footsteps behind me. “Hey”. I turned around and it was the guy again. He walked closer to me and then stopped and kept a distance from me. He crossed his arms to his chest and then peered over my left shoulder to make sure there was no one else in the area. He then said to me “Why are you always walking around my f***ing place?” I told him I like to talk walks. He then said to me “I don’t know I don’t believe you, I always see you walk around my place and it seems I don’t know just peculiar”. I told him “You followed me around; I don’t know what you want”. “I’m just walking, I swear.” He then said “Alright WALK” in a reluctant tone and let me go.

I was able to find his profile on a social networking website. I asked him why he chose to do what he did and why was he trying to tempt me to fight.
He sent me a message to me saying.

"Little squirt, fighting was never an option, I'd have smacked that smirk off your face two times. Next time youre in the middle of the road when I come by get the hell out of the road, yeah I looked at you, I've got places to be and don't have time to stand in the middle of the road looking smug. Better keep hiding in the bushes, I see you again you go back into the bushes or else. Each time you walk watch for a bush to hide in if you see me coming."

Also I checked the address of the home on a local police arrest and ticket search. His name is Jason. He’s had tickets/arrest for failure to obey stop/yld sign, 60-64mph/45mph zone, too many in front seat, obstruction of police justice w/o threat/force, driving with suspended license, and DWI: 1st offense.
Not sure if this explains his behavior.

My neighborhood has no sidewalks. Lots of people in my neighborhood walk on the outer edge. I walk past lots of houses when I walk on public property. I did not trespass, damage personal property, steal, or did anything else to this guy. I am a courteous person and give passing cars room when they drive by. I actually moved out of the way for him (car was driving pretty fast) in the 1st encounter, if he needed more room he could have said something, but he didn’t. I did not stand in the middle of the street (it was a residential neighborhood street not a road like he said).I never smirked at him or walked like a smug like he said.

Please answer this for me:

Were his actions which involved following, staring, nostril flaring, and chasing reasonable?

Should I have just attacked this guy and risk being charged with assault Or was my decision of running/avoiding him like a pussy/coward still the better option?
 
While he does seem out of line and a little screwy, I don't think attacking him is a good option.
 
Minus said:
While he does seem out of line and a little screwy, I don't think attacking him is a good option.

Did I handle the situation like a coward?

I don't understand why he made a big deal with me walking to begin with. I got out of the way when he was speeding though the residential street.

He leered at me in a threatening way. I walked over so I could maybe strike up a nice friendly talk to work things out. He didn't want to talk to me so I left him alone. And then everything else was all him.


Minus said:
While he does seem out of line and a little screwy, I don't think attacking him is a good option.

Yeah I know. But I feel like a complete coward for not fighting him. I just don't understand what his problem is with me.
 
933127 said:
I walked over so I could maybe strike up a nice friendly talk to work things out.

If someone leered at you in a threatening way, I think the WORST thing you could do is to "walk over and strike up a friendly conversation." :D
 
No, while the situation may understandable make you uncomfortable you can't go starting a fight in every uncomfortable situation just to prove to yourself that you aren't a 'coward'.
 
EveWasFramed said:
933127 said:
I walked over so I could maybe strike up a nice friendly talk to work things out.

If someone leered at you in a threatening way, I think the WORST thing you could do is to "walk over and strike up a friendly conversation." :D

So was any he did to me reasonable? Yes or No? All I was doing was taking a walk.


Minus said:
No, while the situation may understandable make you uncomfortable you can't go starting a fight in every uncomfortable situation just to prove to yourself that you aren't a 'coward'.

So you are saying I'm not a coward for trying to avoid him, right?
 
933127 said:
So you are saying I'm not a coward for trying to avoid him, right?

Yes, I am saying that because you chose not to escalate the situation into a physical assault does not make you a coward.
 
Minus said:
933127 said:
So you are saying I'm not a coward for trying to avoid him, right?

Yes, I am saying that because you chose not to escalate the situation into a physical assault does not make you a coward.

Were any of his actions towards me reasonable?

I don't understand why he said it seemed peculiar. He thought I walked in a way that was peculiar. So he decided to chase after me and taunt me by saying he knew where I lived. I don't understand. Other folks in my neighborhood go out for walks and see me. None of them find it peculiar to see me going out for a walk just like them. Anyone else watching me from thier home will just see a person taking a walk and nothing else. I honestly don't get it.

He was the one that leered at me and said nothing. I walk over to have a friendly talk with him to work things out and he finds it peculiar.
 
I would actually feel sorry for that guy. All of what he does seems to me that he has some serious problem.

But other than that...I would be kinda afraid really, I feel sorry for you to go thru all of this.
I dont know if suggesting this is the right thing, but maybe you can talk to police if they can help? Just scare him a bit to leave you alone?
 
933127 said:
Were any of his actions towards me reasonable?


Naw, who knows what was in his head. He sounds rather flaky.
 
File a police report about the incidents. Buy yourself a stun gun, pepper spray, or knife (whatever you feel most comfortable with.) Take your walks and if he assaults you, or you believe he is going to, use them and kick him in the balls then call the police. Your previous police report will help validate your claims.
 
I have to agree with Dr.Strangelove.
I've been hassled on the street, usually by aggressive men and it's a sore topic for me. Although now that I have my daughter, it seems to happen less.
He is harassing you. You have a right to take a walk in your own neighborhood without strangers intimidating and threatening you and you don't need to justify your presence to anyone.
I would carry an ipod; you don't even have to be listening to anything, you can just have the earbuds in if you don't want to listen to music.
Also carry a cell phone, you really need to consider calling the police the next time this jerk shows up.
And unless you're yelling "Get the f#ck away from me!", don't talk to or otherwise engage him, that will only encourage him!

-Teresa
 
Could you avoid where he lives, maybe walk a different way around different streets? Even if this would make you feel that he was dictating where you walk, I think it would be better than risking another scene with him.
 
Tiina63 said:
Could you avoid where he lives, maybe walk a different way around different streets? Even if this would make you feel that he was dictating where you walk, I think it would be better than risking another scene with him.

I walked in a different area on the other side of neighborhood when the second event happened. (The event where he was following me on his bike). Out of dumb luck I guess he found me. No other explanation, it was no where around his area.

Again all I did was take a walk. He was driving pretty fast down a residential street. Gave me a threatening leer at me when I was courteous and moved out of the way. If he needed more room all he had to do was ask. I walked over to have a friendly conversation with him and work things out. Instead he shined a laser pointer at me. I got the message and left him alone. I did not smirk, or walked like a smug like he said, or said anything to him.

I did not do anything to agitate him. I walked over to reason with him. It's not like I walked over and said to him "Haha buttface I know where you live now, bet you will never know where I live haha, catch me if you can." He shined a laser pointer at me. He didn't want to talk to me so I left him alone and left, didn't say a word. I honestly don't see why he would need to initiate the other events. He gave someone a threatening stink eye. It should have been no suprise to him that me or anyone else who got a threatening leer from him would have looked back in confusion and try to have a friendly conversation to work things out.
 
My first guess is this guy is a criminal-type who is paranoid about new faces in his neighborhood. He might think you are a cop trying to spy on him.

My second guess is he's a predator and he takes delight in any power he can exert over people.

If I were you, I would not take any further walks without carrying a legal, defensive weapon.
 
This guy screams dangerous to me. I would not try to approach him kindly if he was glaring at me for no reason -- and I would be very afraid he if found me while I was on another route. You are not over-reacting especially if you had to run from him.

I'd say avoid all contact with him from now on. I would also keep a phone on me and maybe let someone know if I was going for a walk.
 

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