Staying Safe from Creepers?
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This would be the time when I would wish for a really buff guy to have as a workout partner. I'd feel safe and secure
One night fairly late I decided to go to the gym. It's a 24 hour gym unstaffed. When I got out of my car I could smell cigar smoke but couldn't see anyone. That made me nervous as I was the only person at the gym. Unfortunately there are places someone could lurk so I got in quickly.
Stay safe!0 -
This would be the time when I would wish for a really buff guy to have as a workout partner. I'd feel safe and secure One night fairly late I decided to go to the gym. It's a 24 hour gym unstaffed. When I got out of my car I could smell cigar smoke but couldn't see anyone. That made me nervous as I was the only person at the gym. Unfortunately there are places someone could lurk so I got in quickly.
Stay safe!
I shouldn't laugh, but the employee that walked me to my car is handicapped (uses two hand held type crutches) and it was very nice that he did that but I don't know how much protection he would have been, lol.1 -
MonkeyMel21 wrote: »This would be the time when I would wish for a really buff guy to have as a workout partner. I'd feel safe and secure One night fairly late I decided to go to the gym. It's a 24 hour gym unstaffed. When I got out of my car I could smell cigar smoke but couldn't see anyone. That made me nervous as I was the only person at the gym. Unfortunately there are places someone could lurk so I got in quickly.
Stay safe!
I shouldn't laugh, but the employee that walked me to my car is handicapped (uses two hand held type crutches) and it was very nice that he did that but I don't know how much protection he would have been, lol.
Sometimes just not being alone is enough protection. Definitely keep your wits about you, having your phone in hand is a good idea, not sure a fake gun sticker would be a deterrent - what if he calls your bluff before you get to your non-existent gun? My paranoid brain wonders what kind of personal information he can get with your license plate. So glad you reported it, don't take anybody's crap.
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Reading stuff like that I'm very glad I live in a land with very low crime rate and no guns at all.7
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Reading stuff like that I'm very glad I live in a land with very low crime rate and no guns at all.
A firearm is one of the few tools that Equalize a fight between a 250 pound man and 120 pound woman.
Ohio, where I live, is Open Carry, and Concealed with permit, and unless I'm at work or church I have mine on me.5 -
MonkeyMel21 wrote: »DetroitDarin wrote: »MonkeyMel21 wrote: »What if I just get a bumper sticker that says "I'm packing" or something, lol. We have several guns, but do not have our concealed carry license.
Remember - when seconds count Police are only minutes away!
Oh I know. We had a dude come in to our office two months ago throwing cheese on the floor and claiming Isis sent him. Took the cops 15 minutes to get here
Cheese? Really? What kind? If it's just mozzarella or Mascarpone, whatever, but Epoisses should be considered a bioweapon.2 -
MonkeyMel21 wrote: »DetroitDarin wrote: »MonkeyMel21 wrote: »What if I just get a bumper sticker that says "I'm packing" or something, lol. We have several guns, but do not have our concealed carry license.
Remember - when seconds count Police are only minutes away!
Oh I know. We had a dude come in to our office two months ago throwing cheese on the floor and claiming Isis sent him. Took the cops 15 minutes to get here
Cheese? Really? What kind? If it's just mozzarella or Mascarpone, whatever, but Epoisses should be considered a bioweapon.
I believe it was American cheese. So, no big loss there one way or the other.1 -
That's super creepy. I work in a sketchy part of town, and pepper spray doesn't make me feel safe enough so I carry a taser. They are pretty inexpensive to buy and they just make me feel safer. The sound that thing puts off would be enough to make any would be creep reconsider. So, maybe try that out until you can get a CC permit. You can always ask the staff to walk you out too.2
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MonkeyMel21 wrote: »broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »MonkeyMel21 wrote: »deluxmary2000 wrote: »Park close to the building. Is there a different gym you could go to if this one is really in such a bad area?
Also, are you SURE he was taking a picture of your license plate? Not to be naive, but what why would someone even do that?
Yeah, he was. Actually, I did get out of my car door and yelled asking him if he just took a pic of my license plate. He was quite a ways away but yelled back that Yes, he did take a pic and it's not illegal to do so. He said that someone with the same car has been harassing him. I said that I don't harass people and he replied that he doesn't take anyone's word for anything (at this point I got back in to my car and he said something else that I didn't hear and then walked behind the building). But....like....why were you waiting for me to get there though?
I have a few things I can do to change my routine up a bit, but I'm still a bit upset at this point.
So someone was harassing him but he doesn't know who was doing the harassing? That makes no sense at all.
If it is something your worried about change your routine as you said, talk to the people running your gym, and/or call the authorities. Say, you are worried about the guy and tell them he took a picture of your license plate. Which may be considered stalking and is illegal. They may even tell him to stay the f away from you.
Kudos on calling him out on it too, its way too many times someone is doing creeper things in the gym and a female's reaction is a smile altho they aren't happy with what has transpired. I understand that reaction but its not teaching the guy anything, but if you were to go off on them even tho this may be out of character the guy will more than likely just leave you alone and stay away from you.
No, it doesn't make sense. Especially hanging around in a dark parking lot for 20 minutes, then taking the picture as I'm parking so I see him instead of just waiting 2 minutes for me to go inside the building. He does not belong to the gym as far as I know though. The gym is in the upstairs of a plaza, adjacent to a hospital. There's about 10 businesses on the ground floor. It's a very popular area, gentrification at it's finest. Homeless sheltering under the bushes, while millionaires and doctors drive their Mercedes around.
I did call the police and the lady said an officer would come talk to me but that it is indeed not illegal (which I'm not concerned about the legality of it anyway, it's the reasoning behind it). No cop came to talk to me but they did drive by according to another employee.
Another person I talked to mentioned that the same sort of thing happened to a family member and there was a false claim made against them/the car. I guess I'd rather have that happen than be abducted
It sounds like you know he hasn't done anything illegal yet, and I agree with taking a picture of him, which you know is also legal. The idea that he might be trying to use the information for insurance fraud sounds the most plausible. I have a dashcam on my car and they are relatively inexpensive these days. You might consider getting one so you can dispute any claim someone would make with actual video footage. Plus, I've noticed that the dash cam acts as a deterrent when parked because people can see it through the windshield. They don't realize it is only turned on when the key is on; they see the camera and think they are being recorded, and they tend to be on their best behavior.0 -
When you get out of your car or go to your car, keep your keys in your hand, one key between each pair of fingers (3 keys sticking out when you make a fist) and if someone comes at you, go for the throat. One punch, walk away. They won't be following.
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I am 100% behind getting a CCW. That said you have to think about the logistics of storing your firearm in a gym locker that is outside of your control. If you figure that part out you then have to make sure your gym allows it and if you are ok with bringing it anyway.
Leaving it in your car isn't going to help as you walk into the gym either.
Just some food for thought.0 -
AmberSpamber wrote: »That's super creepy. I work in a sketchy part of town, and pepper spray doesn't make me feel safe enough so I carry a taser. They are pretty inexpensive to buy and they just make me feel safer. The sound that thing puts off would be enough to make any would be creep reconsider. So, maybe try that out until you can get a CC permit. You can always ask the staff to walk you out too.
I don't know where you are located, but in my area of Texas, I think you are required to have a CCW to legally carry a taser...0 -
When you get out of your car or go to your car, keep your keys in your hand, one key between each pair of fingers (3 keys sticking out when you make a fist) and if someone comes at you, go for the throat. One punch, walk away. They won't be following.
I do not recommend doing this. Here's why. When you go to attack/punch your attacker those keys are going to go rearward into your hand and will do you as much damage as you do them. Plus the webbings of your fingers are very tender. If you do not strike 100% forward and you push those keys into your webbings you're going go do more damage to yourself than you do them. If you're looking something like that get brass knuckles, or a Brutus keychain....3 -
When you get out of your car or go to your car, keep your keys in your hand, one key between each pair of fingers (3 keys sticking out when you make a fist) and if someone comes at you, go for the throat. One punch, walk away. They won't be following.
I do not recommend doing this. Here's why. When you go to attack/punch your attacker those keys are going to go rearward into your hand and will do you as much damage as you do them. Plus the webbings of your fingers are very tender. If you do not strike 100% forward and you push those keys into your webbings you're going go do more damage to yourself than you do them. If you're looking something like that get brass knuckles, or a Brutus keychain....
Not to mention the whole murdering the guy who was just asking for directions.2 -
broseidonkingofbrocean wrote: »When you get out of your car or go to your car, keep your keys in your hand, one key between each pair of fingers (3 keys sticking out when you make a fist) and if someone comes at you, go for the throat. One punch, walk away. They won't be following.
I do not recommend doing this. Here's why. When you go to attack/punch your attacker those keys are going to go rearward into your hand and will do you as much damage as you do them. Plus the webbings of your fingers are very tender. If you do not strike 100% forward and you push those keys into your webbings you're going go do more damage to yourself than you do them. If you're looking something like that get brass knuckles, or a Brutus keychain....
Not to mention the whole murdering the guy who was just asking for directions.
You're not going to murder someone holding keys like that, barehanded. Go ahead and hold your keys like that, punch something fairly solid... go buy a pound of steak and lay a solid straight on blow to it.... look how much "damage" is done....0 -
When you get out of your car or go to your car, keep your keys in your hand, one key between each pair of fingers (3 keys sticking out when you make a fist) and if someone comes at you, go for the throat. One punch, walk away. They won't be following.
I do not recommend doing this. Here's why. When you go to attack/punch your attacker those keys are going to go rearward into your hand and will do you as much damage as you do them. Plus the webbings of your fingers are very tender. If you do not strike 100% forward and you push those keys into your webbings you're going go do more damage to yourself than you do them. If you're looking something like that get brass knuckles, or a Brutus keychain....
Yeah, this key thing is an older self defense myth. It's better to be trained in self defense knowing how to disable people by getting them in all possible sensitive areas that cause them to reflexively let go and recoil (if they are grabbing you). Better to have your car key in your hand prepared and ready to get into your car as quickly and efficiently as possible and then lock yourself in. First goal is to avoid them grabbing you entirely without causing any harm. But, if someone actually grabs you or tries to then you stab them in a sensitive place with that key (eye for example). Only do that if you are 100% certain he is assaulting you. You don't want to be responsible for harming anyone.
I also agree with taking a photo of them and saying I am taking your photo and calling the police.2 -
If this happened to me, I would do one of three things: Enter and leave with a workout partner; change the time of day I went to the gym as well as days of the week; find a different place to work out0
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What is the deal with all of the post flagging?
Anyway, I keep a vial of pepper gel in my purse for that reason. My gym is also in a creepy area, but luckily there are a lot of people around there at night, too. Park close, preferably under a street light, consider some form of protection, and be alert. Does your gym offer self defense classes?0 -
dragon_girl26 wrote: »What is the deal with all of the post flagging?
Because people are not comfortable with violence. But I would rather be a warrior tending to a garden, then a gardener preparing for battle.5
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