What would you have done--creepy follower (long)

[sundial]

What would you have done differently?

I would have produced a Magnum 57 from my skort.

[papaver]

I was in the same situation when I was 14 or so. A man was following me with his car for at least 15 mins (which seemed like ages). The first house I saw I acted like it was 'mine'. I opened the gate, took my bike and parked it against the house and walked around the house. I waited for a good 15 mins and the guy was gone.

that was ofcourse long before cellphones excisted.

[Mr. Bloom]

I don't think there is an absolute right or wrong...but I think you did well under the circumstances.

I encourage you to contact your friend and let her know...this guy followed you to her house and may be have that house on a radar now.

[skinimini]

I encourage you to contact your friend and let her know...this guy followed you to her house and may be have that house on a radar now.

You're absolutely right about that. I certainly didn't think about that issue.

My husband continues to think I wasn't vigilant enough, and he may be right. I'll certainly be from now on.

I'm also really ticked off that jerk was able to ruin my afternoon.

[kermit]

First off, congrats on your observation skills. Thats 99% off getting a**holes like this guy off the street and keeping yourself safe. Don't let this guy chase you out of your riding spot. A license plate number would have been a huge help to the police. I hope they look for him. If this ever happens again, make no secret of the fact that YOU see him. If you have a camera on your phone, take a photo of him. Most guys are trying to act tough in the safety of their car and want to try to make you uncomfortable. I would let your friends in the area know about the car. Find a friend to ride with for a while if you are feeling uneasy. It's no fun to be looking over your shoulder all day.

[Tokie]

I can ride and dial 911 - or at least ride and pretend to dial 911 - and just pulling out a cell phone could cause the creep to look for another victim. I love bike jersey pockets - so handy - no zippers, no fumbling, the phone is always in it's own pocket so I know how to get it, and also know I won't lose it getting out a snack, etcl I hate seeing vans parked on the roadside of my favorite climb. the vehicle of choice for kidnapping. Scary! Tokie

[Aggie_Ama]

Most cell phones allow you to program 911 by holding down a button, look into that. And because you went to your friend's house unfortunately you may have put her at risk. We had a thief here who followed people on rides to case the house. So best your friend knows about the situation. I would have called 911 and given as much information as I could. Even if I could only say "he is in a white toyota". Of course for some reason I am freakishly good at picking model and approximate year of cars but still practing even a partial plate.

Tell your husband to not badger you too much about how you should have handled it, that is why they say hindsight is 20-20. Learn from the incident and warm thoughts heading your way!

[tride]

Hi~
I ride pretty much every day and though I have a few occurances where I felt like something wasn't 'right' there has only been a time (maybe two) where things got creepy enough that I unclipped, stopped and immediately pulled out my cellphone. Once I pulled out my cellphone, the creep whom I believed was following me sped up. Though I wasn't actually dialing a number, it makes me wonder if the fact that he/she (I hate to place the blame totally on men without proof~~tho, I 'bet' it was a guy checking me out) saw me on my phone (and thus able to yell and give pertinent info. on their description and their vehicle) made them think twice of following me. It was along a highway where there was no possiblility of them delivering mail or checking out houses, etc. I truly believe they were following me for 'some' reason and once they realized I wouldn't tolerate it, they took off. Cellphones are great for more than the call for "I have a flat am am way too exhausted to change it. PLEASE come and get me." NEVER go on a ride without one! Plus, trust your instincts. Ride safely, fellow cycling friend.

[skinimini]

Thanks for all of your advice and empathy. I was able to give a fairly good description of the van to the emergency operators. However, not ever being behind him, I didn't get a license plate number. I just wanted to hide at all costs. I doubt a situation like this will ever come up again, but if it does, I'll be certain to whip out the cell phone first and try, try, try to get to a busier area.

On the weekends, I most always ride with a group. During the week, with my friends' conflicting work schedules, it's not always feasible. I really try to be safe and ride in those places with lots of activity. I never thought for a minute that a short ride around my neighborhood (especially on a busy Sunday afternoon) could have been dangerous. To this point in my short biking experience, my concern has been more with traffic issues and staying safe than worrying about some psycho/sociopath wandering around our streets. Lots of lessons learned today.