Weird Men!!!

[RolliePollie]

I live in a small town too, and believe me, we have our share of weird-os. Actually, I'd be willing to bet that we do, in fact, have more weird-os per capita than a city or a suburban area. And some very weird weird-os at that.

I think picking up on creepy vibes is like a 6th sense...you need to pay attention to it. You did the right thing listening to your instincts. He needed to leave you alone and he should've realized he was acting creepy. There's the chance he was just a harmless weird-o, but why risk it. He's a stranger...you owe him nothing. Self preservation and safety is a lot more important that being chatty with a creepy stranger. I think this is exactly why our mothers told us never to talk to strangers.

[Geonz]

I live in a small town too, and believe me, we have our share of weird-os. Actually, I'd be willing to bet that we do, in fact, have more weird-os per capita than a city or a suburban area. And some very weird weird-os at that.

I think picking up on creepy vibes is like a 6th sense...you need to pay attention to it. You did the right thing listening to your instincts. He needed to leave you alone and he should've realized he was acting creepy. There's the chance he was just a harmless weird-o, but why risk it. He's a stranger...you owe him nothing. Self preservation and safety is a lot more important that being chatty with a creepy stranger. I think this is exactly why our mothers told us never to talk to strangers.

OTOH, sometimes it's simply the "oddness" that we are afraid of, and there are oddnesses that are undisguisable but genuinely harmless. However, if you've been there four years, you probably have a good handle on what's a normal social interaction -- but on the third hand, I do agree that the block-later guy set the stage and this guy had nothing to do with him.

[latelatebloomer]

Trusting your gut is always #1, but 'round here in tiny Applebachsville - where there are so many characters it's like Northern Exposure in Pennsylvania - a guy hanging around while I fixed something most likely thinks he's doing a good turn looking out for me while I'm stopped roadside, preventing real evildoers from bothering me.

The rural-ride situation that pushes my fight/flight button? if a vehicle, especially a van, stops ahead of me on a deserted road, I make a u-turn and beat it.

The car window story reminds of a time I lived in Oakland, Ca and had an art studio in a neighborhood with a terrible reputation. I had no sooner locked the door and turned on the lights when there was a knock on the door. I froze and decided not to answer, as I was alone (didn't usually go alone at night.) The knocks continued, eventually getting insistent, along with a deep loud voice yelling, " C'mon, lady, I know you're in there!" OK, I thought, time to beat it upstairs and ask the neighbor to call the cops. 3 more knocks, and the voice says, "Lady, I just want to tell you you left your keys in the door."

I had. A 6'4" man handed me my keys and gently said, "Let's be a little more mindful, shall we?"