Is this a suspicious incident?
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98777
Posts: 108 Member
Hey everyone,
I need to ask a question about something that happened the other day that is sort of not-so-fitness related. It's a little strange and random, but here it goes. It's a very long story so bear with me.
Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there. We have been doing this for a few weeks now and a few days ago, we had supper late so we went to walk at 7:20, a rare occurrence.
As we were walking up the graveyard path to go to the lot, we noticed a white truck parked in the upper corner of the lot, backed into a parking space and facing our direction. We stopped and stared at the truck in the distance and no more than thirty seconds to a minute after we waited there, looking at it and deciding what to do, slightly annoyed that we couldn't walk yet and may have to just walk the gravel path, the truck pulled out, almost as if they were waiting for us and left upon seeing us.
At the time, I was slightly apprehensive but didn't think anything of it. I figured it was probably just someone stopping to adjust something or to look at a map or anything of that sort and that it was just a random occurrence. So we went over and started walking as usual. About 30 minutes into the walk, my mom told me to run because the white truck was back. We were rounding another lap and were right near the road leading to the graveyard path and back to our house. I looked behind and saw the large white truck pulling into the lot in an arc-shape, seemingly coming toward us. It was very near us and had a very oppressive and ominous presence. Despite being very near to us, neither of us could see the driver at all because the windows/windshield were very darkly tinted. We were in too much of a rush to get the license plate.
Although my mom often overreacts to things like this, I also felt an innate fear, intuition, and urge to run on this occasion; it felt like i was in danger, like something wasn't right. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to be near the road and not deep in the lot. We ran across the road and through the graveyard back home. The truck stayed there for about 15 or 20 minutes but no one ever got out or anything. I have tried to think of all the reasons why someone would need to be there, like a student driver, a workman of some sort, or even someone who just wanted privacy for some reason, but nothing seems to add up. Why did this person really need to return to this quiet, uneventful parking lot after 30 minutes? I can't help but to feel that someone was trying to prey on us and their plan was foiled when we somehow knew or were creeped out and ran.
I was on alert mode and ran because the same truck returned for reasons I don't know, reasons that have the possibility of being malicious and involving me. Why did the truck return? Was he initially parked because he was waiting for us and we just happened to be late for this particular day, which foiled his plans? Did he stay for awhile after returning just because he saw us watching him and he knew that if he pulled out, it would confirm our suspicions that he indeed was there just for us? If he did have some legitimate reason for being there, why was there no evidence of him doing that, like a student driving around trying to learn or anything else? I keep asking myself these questions but my mind keeps returning to the frightening conclusion that he was likely a predator.
By the way, I am an 18 year old female, so I am at a high risk for some kind of incident like that. Additionally, I am now extremely paranoid because I checked online and there is a sex offender who lives on the same road as me. Also, he has to pass the church parking lot and then my house to get from his work to his house every day....
After thinking about this for so long, I don't know what to believe. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Do you think i"m over-reacting to a random or benign incident, or is this really a suspicious incident or some kind of offender? We haven't gone back to the parking lot to walk since. We just walk in our yard. Now I am worried that someone is going to start stalking us. Any thoughts? I hope you don't think I'm crazy.....
I need to ask a question about something that happened the other day that is sort of not-so-fitness related. It's a little strange and random, but here it goes. It's a very long story so bear with me.
Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there. We have been doing this for a few weeks now and a few days ago, we had supper late so we went to walk at 7:20, a rare occurrence.
As we were walking up the graveyard path to go to the lot, we noticed a white truck parked in the upper corner of the lot, backed into a parking space and facing our direction. We stopped and stared at the truck in the distance and no more than thirty seconds to a minute after we waited there, looking at it and deciding what to do, slightly annoyed that we couldn't walk yet and may have to just walk the gravel path, the truck pulled out, almost as if they were waiting for us and left upon seeing us.
At the time, I was slightly apprehensive but didn't think anything of it. I figured it was probably just someone stopping to adjust something or to look at a map or anything of that sort and that it was just a random occurrence. So we went over and started walking as usual. About 30 minutes into the walk, my mom told me to run because the white truck was back. We were rounding another lap and were right near the road leading to the graveyard path and back to our house. I looked behind and saw the large white truck pulling into the lot in an arc-shape, seemingly coming toward us. It was very near us and had a very oppressive and ominous presence. Despite being very near to us, neither of us could see the driver at all because the windows/windshield were very darkly tinted. We were in too much of a rush to get the license plate.
Although my mom often overreacts to things like this, I also felt an innate fear, intuition, and urge to run on this occasion; it felt like i was in danger, like something wasn't right. Thankfully, we were lucky enough to be near the road and not deep in the lot. We ran across the road and through the graveyard back home. The truck stayed there for about 15 or 20 minutes but no one ever got out or anything. I have tried to think of all the reasons why someone would need to be there, like a student driver, a workman of some sort, or even someone who just wanted privacy for some reason, but nothing seems to add up. Why did this person really need to return to this quiet, uneventful parking lot after 30 minutes? I can't help but to feel that someone was trying to prey on us and their plan was foiled when we somehow knew or were creeped out and ran.
I was on alert mode and ran because the same truck returned for reasons I don't know, reasons that have the possibility of being malicious and involving me. Why did the truck return? Was he initially parked because he was waiting for us and we just happened to be late for this particular day, which foiled his plans? Did he stay for awhile after returning just because he saw us watching him and he knew that if he pulled out, it would confirm our suspicions that he indeed was there just for us? If he did have some legitimate reason for being there, why was there no evidence of him doing that, like a student driving around trying to learn or anything else? I keep asking myself these questions but my mind keeps returning to the frightening conclusion that he was likely a predator.
By the way, I am an 18 year old female, so I am at a high risk for some kind of incident like that. Additionally, I am now extremely paranoid because I checked online and there is a sex offender who lives on the same road as me. Also, he has to pass the church parking lot and then my house to get from his work to his house every day....
After thinking about this for so long, I don't know what to believe. Has this ever happened to anyone else? Do you think i"m over-reacting to a random or benign incident, or is this really a suspicious incident or some kind of offender? We haven't gone back to the parking lot to walk since. We just walk in our yard. Now I am worried that someone is going to start stalking us. Any thoughts? I hope you don't think I'm crazy.....
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Replies
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You have fear for a reason. It is to protect yourself. It may be nothing at all, but again it may not be. If you feel unsafe then your best bet is to let the police know what happened. If you are over reacting then at least they can be aware that you had a creepy feeling. Unfortunately there are a LOT of disturbed people on the streets do what you can to keep yourself safe.0
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Women should always always always listen to their instincts. If you are concerned about it, and it sounds like you are, don't walk alone, take your cell with you, and don't walk at night. If you see the truck again you could call your local police non-emergency line and tell them what you saw.0
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I always listen to my gut if ever in a bad situation. You had every reason to run, I know I would. That is just creepy! I agree with hidensee that you should al least inform the authorities.
I had a weird situation when I was in jr high. I was walking home from school and a whited out uhaul looking truck pulled up the the stop sign at the corner where my friends and I would split up. The passenger jumped out and we all freaked and ran to my house which was right around the corner. My mom and I went to the cops and while we were sitting there, a call came in for the same discription truck and passenger who pulled a kid out of a car parked in a parking lot with the kids mom in the car with her.
Always go with your gut even if you may think you are overreacting, because you just never know!0 -
I say if you had fear there was a reason for it. It's what instincts are for. The few times I ignored my instincts I ended up getting myself into a tought spot to get out of. So, it sounds like you did the right thing.0
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So you take a stroll through a graveyard after dinner? I don't know how you don't expect this to eventually end up being creepy. It could have been anything really. The person in the truck probably wanted to get out and visit a grave but was afraid of the strangers walking around in the graveyard.Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there.
Here's a perfectly good example of how this wasn't as creepy as you thought. My wife and her father were taking a shortcut past a graveyard one evening and they see someone struggling at one of the grave sites. This person was buried up to their waist in the ground and looking around. They got a little closer and saw it was an older woman. Somehow this lady was buried up to her waist and she was trying to pull herself out of the ground by holding on to a tombstone. This lady finally sees them and starts moaning and making cries for help.
From their point of view it was some sort of zombie lady trying to escape her grave. There were no cars around or any sign of how the lady had arrived. It turned out that she had parked on the other side of a building and walked over there. The poor lady had two artificial legs and stepped in a small hole and went down losing both of her legs a few feet away. She was too weak to get up on something to sit down and reattach her legs.
Of course it looked strange. Everything looks strange in a graveyard. If they would have been in a grocery store it would have seemed obvious to help the lady. At the cemetery they barely had the courage to even approach an old lady.
Your mind is racing from all the movies you've watched. I think you're worried about nothing.0 -
So you take a stroll through a graveyard after dinner? I don't know how you don't expect this to eventually end up being creepy. It could have been anything really. The person in the truck probably wanted to get out and visit a grave but was afraid of the strangers walking around in the graveyard.Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there.
Here's a perfectly good example of how this wasn't as creepy as you thought. My wife and her father were taking a shortcut past a graveyard one evening and they see someone struggling at one of the grave sites. This person was buried up to their waist in the ground and looking around. They got a little closer and saw it was an older woman. Somehow this lady was buried up to her waist and she was trying to pull herself out of the ground by holding on to a tombstone. This lady finally sees them and starts moaning and making cries for help.
From their point of view it was some sort of zombie lady trying to escape her grave. There were no cars around or any sign of how the lady had arrived. It turned out that she had parked on the other side of a building and walked over there. The poor lady had two artificial legs and stepped in a small hole and went down losing both of her legs a few feet away. She was too weak to get up on something to sit down and reattach her legs.
Of course it looked strange. Everything looks strange in a graveyard. If they would have been in a grocery store it would have seemed obvious to help the lady. At the cemetery they barely had the courage to even approach an old lady.
Your mind is racing from all the movies you've watched. I think you're worried about nothing.
Oh Waffle *LMAO*0 -
I've been followed before running. Luckily I was able to lose them by cutting through some houses. You are doing the right thing by staying aware of your surroundings.
I'd suggest maybe looking for some new routes. I try to mix it up, because anytime you are routine it's very easy for anyone else to follow your pattern. Look for a local HS or community college with a lit track you can go to. Carry mace with you every time you run or walk, and make sure you can get to it. Don't wear headphones so you can be aware of what's going on. This is the #1 mistake I see many young women making. Also make sure to also tell someone when you are going, when you should return, and where are you going.
Also, if you notice someone following you, or you suspect they are, make sure to look at them. Make sure they know you are aware of their presence.0 -
Did it say "free candy" on the side of it?0
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So you take a stroll through a graveyard after dinner? I don't know how you don't expect this to eventually end up being creepy. It could have been anything really. The person in the truck probably wanted to get out and visit a grave but was afraid of the strangers walking around in the graveyard.Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there.
Here's a perfectly good example of how this wasn't as creepy as you thought. My wife and her father were taking a shortcut past a graveyard one evening and they see someone struggling at one of the grave sites. This person was buried up to their waist in the ground and looking around. They got a little closer and saw it was an older woman. Somehow this lady was buried up to her waist and she was trying to pull herself out of the ground by holding on to a tombstone. This lady finally sees them and starts moaning and making cries for help.
From their point of view it was some sort of zombie lady trying to escape her grave. There were no cars around or any sign of how the lady had arrived. It turned out that she had parked on the other side of a building and walked over there. The poor lady had two artificial legs and stepped in a small hole and went down losing both of her legs a few feet away. She was too weak to get up on something to sit down and reattach her legs.
Of course it looked strange. Everything looks strange in a graveyard. If they would have been in a grocery store it would have seemed obvious to help the lady. At the cemetery they barely had the courage to even approach an old lady.
Your mind is racing from all the movies you've watched. I think you're worried about nothing.
lol
finally, a redeeming post!0 -
So you take a stroll through a graveyard after dinner? I don't know how you don't expect this to eventually end up being creepy. It could have been anything really. The person in the truck probably wanted to get out and visit a grave but was afraid of the strangers walking around in the graveyard.Every night my Mom and I go walking for exercise around the same time after supper, around 6:30-7:30. We go to a small back parking lot behind a church near our house. We walk through the graveyard to get there.
Here's a perfectly good example of how this wasn't as creepy as you thought. My wife and her father were taking a shortcut past a graveyard one evening and they see someone struggling at one of the grave sites. This person was buried up to their waist in the ground and looking around. They got a little closer and saw it was an older woman. Somehow this lady was buried up to her waist and she was trying to pull herself out of the ground by holding on to a tombstone. This lady finally sees them and starts moaning and making cries for help.
From their point of view it was some sort of zombie lady trying to escape her grave. There were no cars around or any sign of how the lady had arrived. It turned out that she had parked on the other side of a building and walked over there. The poor lady had two artificial legs and stepped in a small hole and went down losing both of her legs a few feet away. She was too weak to get up on something to sit down and reattach her legs.
Of course it looked strange. Everything looks strange in a graveyard. If they would have been in a grocery store it would have seemed obvious to help the lady. At the cemetery they barely had the courage to even approach an old lady.
Your mind is racing from all the movies you've watched. I think you're worried about nothing.
IF she only had her RPG with her, all would have been fine.0 -
Why did the truck return? Was he initially parked because he was waiting for us and we just happened to be late for this particular day, which foiled his plans? Did he stay for awhile after returning just because he saw us watching him and he knew that if he pulled out, it would confirm our suspicions that he indeed was there just for us? If he did have some legitimate reason for being there, why was there no evidence of him doing that, like a student driving around trying to learn or anything else? I keep asking myself these questions but my mind keeps returning to the frightening conclusion that he was likely a predator.
Perhaps you were interrupting his ceremony.
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I don't think you'll ever be sorry if you go with your gut regarding things like this. Sure, it might have been nothing. Perhaps the driver of the white truck was supposed to meet somebody there but the other person didn't show up; hard to say.
You may be very sorry if you don't listen to that inner prompting, though. I had the experience once of deciding at the last minute for no particular reason to take a different route to work. Turns out there was a bad wreck on my usual route. I might have been part of it if I had gone that way; who knows.0 -
I have this hobby - geocaching - which is kinda like a scavenger hunt. We use a GPS to find "geocaches" that other people have hidden...they can be anywhere -- in the woods, on walking paths, in parking lots, etc.
The point of the game is to try to find the geocache, and you want to do so without generally alerting the public of its location. Some geocaches are interesting and tricky, so it can be entertaining, as well as frustrating because stealth isn't always easy. Sometimes I'll be ready to search for a geocache, someone walks by...so I kinda hang out, sit in my car, etc. or drive away. I might come back 20-30 minutes later, thinking the person would be gone. I've been to some pretty random/abandoned places where if you saw another person you'd be like, "huh??" but I'm no creeper!
So yeah, it could be completely innocent for this or many other reasons. I think the idea of "big white vans = creepy kidnapping vans" has been so far ingrained into our heads, it's no wonder that this seemed uncomfortable for you. You were probably also feeding off of your mother's anxiety; it's natural for mothers to be overprotective of their children, so when you sensed her worry, of course your worries jumped into overdrive too. The world isn't ALL horrible.
Just trust your instincts, you did the right thing. You can't be too careful.0 -
Why did the truck return? Was he initially parked because he was waiting for us and we just happened to be late for this particular day, which foiled his plans? Did he stay for awhile after returning just because he saw us watching him and he knew that if he pulled out, it would confirm our suspicions that he indeed was there just for us? If he did have some legitimate reason for being there, why was there no evidence of him doing that, like a student driving around trying to learn or anything else? I keep asking myself these questions but my mind keeps returning to the frightening conclusion that he was likely a predator.
Perhaps you were interrupting his ceremony.
giggles
I would think it far more suspicious if he was there at her "normal" time and left.
I think it far more likely that she interupted his "usual" routine!0 -
My quesion is: what was in the back of said pick-up? If it was filled with shovels, rakes, etc. it was probably the landscapers, who usually work evenings when there is less foot traffic.0
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It very good to be cautious and aware of your surroundings, but not to a point to get freaked out and start running out of there. IMO0
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FIrst of all, always trust your instincts. Sometimes they are wrong for sure but normally if you have a bad feeling about something it probably is bad.
Second, try not to always go at the same time or the same route. My mom and I often go for a walk when my husband is working late. We never go at the same time nor do we take the same path and we always walk populated areas. Never walk where there is no one around.
Next time you go, keep an eye out but don't freak yourself out. It could of been harmless. The second truck you saw might not of been the same truck, it could of been someone who was lost, it could of been the landscapers,.. etc. It could of been innocent but it may not of been.
I would suggest not walking through the graveyard and trying a different route or at a different time. Don't jump to conclusions but be careful. Be aware of your surroundings at all times.
I think if it was at your normal time to walk it would be much creepier. If it was this guy you mentioned he would of been there at your normal time. Stop freaking yourself out... you don't want to end up scared to go outside. Just be aware.0 -
you should always be careful and if you don't already carry pepper spray get some. there are some sick people in the world. on the other hand there is a good chance it was teenagers smoking pot, when you stopped and watched them they left, then thinking you were gone they came back. hate to admit it but when I was a stupid teenager we used to smoke pot in the graveyard all the time. never damaged anything and only at night cause there were never any cops. just a thought.
ps thank god my pot smoking days are far behind me lol0 -
Better to be safe then sorry!0
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The Gift of Fear, by Gavin de Becker. Act on your gut, because it's responding to logic that you don't fully have time to process.0
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