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

[Trek420]

I'm usually focused on cars/trucks purely from the potential collision standpoint. Thank you for making me aware of other possible dangers, too!

Great thread! And again, glad everything is ok, you done good!

I don't want us to worry about everything that could happen along the road. Nor should our random thoughts be "pothole, unleashed dog, car back, gotta read the license plates backwards of the cars behind me .... ooooh, it's pretty out! where's my escape route from here?"

The best self defense is get out there and ride looking fabulous, confident, aware, and strong enough to kick some @zz if it came to that because we are.

Get outside and ride!

[Triskeliongirl]

I have been in this situation, and I always drove into a highly populated area, shopping plaza, etc., and then texted the license plate number to my husband w a brief note on what is going on. Usually that makes the creep drive away, so I never felt threatened enough to call 911, but obviously that is a judgement call you need to make in the specific situation.

[AnnieBikes]

Skinimini, I think you reacted perfectly. There is a book called The Gift of Fear

http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Fear-Surv...5080914&sr=8-1

which DH made me read and although it is scary in some parts, it is right on for this kind of incident. You felt threatened and scared and you reacted VERY WELL and very normally. I think under the circumstances that you did exactly what you should.

I am wondering if just using the cell so that the person knows you are calling someone would be enough to get them off your route. Also, if possible (and safely) take a photo of the car and perhaps that would scare them away. Even if you can't get to the camera part of the phone easily, you could LOOK like you were taking one.

This is a great thread and as one who also rides alone on a regular basis(but hopefully less now that DH is retired), I now have some very good ideas of what to do. Thanks to all for the good suggestions.

Act confident, ladies, and read the book!

[skinimini]

This is such great advice for all of us, and advice I've already taken to heart. I've programmed the local PD number in my phone. Fortunately, the 911 operators stayed on the phone with me until my husband arrived. We only live about 5 minutes away by car, so my husband arrived quickly. In fact, the local PD called last evening just to check in. After I made the call, they surveilled the area, but of course, no one was to be seen. The interstate is only a couple of minutes away.

I've talked to my friend and asked her to pass on the information to her neighbors. I never thought to take his picture, but it would have been very easy and my phone is very accessible, right on the handlebars. The confrontation scenario sounds like a good idea, and probably just enough to make him turn tail and run.

I won't let this one incident interfere with my future rides, but I will certainly be more vigilant. I don't have a set schedule or route, so I'm not so worried about people picking up on a pattern. Of course, I can't really know his motivation or intentions, but he probably wasn't targeting me specifically. More likely, he thought he would have some sick fun scaring the pants off of a middle aged woman.

On an entirely different note: one good thing to come out of this is I learned very quickly how to get my front tire off and back on securely (no bike rack on DH's car) As many times as I've seen it done, never had to do it. There's a first time for everything!

[redrhodie]

We are all vulnerable to attack once in a while. During my vacation to Spain last week, I had a situation which luckily ended well. A man approached me, asked if I spoke English, and asked me to help him find a street on his map. My guard was already slightly up, but I apprehensively began to look at his map. We were suddenly approached by another man, who held out a badge and said "police" and asked to see our passports. I immediately got a rush of adrenaline and fear. Somehow, I got control of that, and asked to see the "policeman's" badge again (he had put it away really quickly). He took it out, and it was not a metal badge, but a patch. He was not in uniform. It just felt wrong, so I said "no!" really firmly, and quickly walked away.

I did not look back at first, but I was ready to run and/or yell my head off if I heard them coming towards me. I got out of there safely. When I did look back, they were gone. I have since read about similar scams, where they impersonate police to rob tourists, on the State Dept website.

You did great. Going to your friend's house shows you were thinking, considering your options, and you chose the one that made the most sense. The rush of adrenaline can be either incredibly powerful or immobilizing for me. I have been "frozen with fear" once in my life when I was a teenager, and I've held my head on several other occasions since then.

Always, always, always trust your instinct. When you feel like you're being followed, don't talk yourself out of it, and convince yourself it's your imagination. That's really easy to do. You're better off being embarrassed for being wrong than finding out you were right.

[papaver]

redrhodie, police badges in Europe are never in metal. But your instinct was right, a lot of crooks present themselves to foreigners as policemen.

[redrhodie]

redrhodie, police badges in Europe are never in metal. But your instinct was right, a lot of crooks present themselves to foreigners as policemen.

I did not know that. As I was walking away, I though if this guy is an actual cop, he might arrest me, but then at least I'll know he's legit.