Staying Safe from Creepers?

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MonkeyMel21
MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've heard the best way to not make yourself a target is to mix up your routine (like what time you get to the gym, which days you go, etc), but that's hard to do when I work at the same time every morning and have a limited window of gym time. Some creeper this morning walked behind my car right as I parked and took a pic of my license plate and walked off. When I got inside another girl said that she had seen him walking around the parking lot (in the dark cause it was 5:30am) when she got there. The doors open at 5:15 every weekday morning. I mean, what are the chances that he was waiting for me to get there? But then why would he not at least wait till I got inside so I wouldn't have seen him?! I have a very, very popular car and color too, if that makes any difference. Anyway, what are ways that I can mix it up a bit that maybe I haven't thought about yet? I have pepper spray too, I'm definitely going to start carrying it in my hand to and from the gym and work. I hate this because I only work 2 blocks away from the gym and it's in the downtown area where there's a lot of homeless and low income housing (also a methadone clinic one block away). This has totally ruined my Monday morning :(
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Replies

  • RuNaRoUnDaFiEld
    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld Posts: 5,864 Member
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    What did the gym say when you told them?
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    RuNaRoUnDaFiEld wrote: »
    What did the gym say when you told them?

    Asked what color he was because there was a black man that had been out there several days before that they had to call the cops on. But this man was white. Then he gave me the non emergency police line. And he walked me to my car.

    When the PT got there he told the other employee that there were two cop cars out there talking to someone (not sure who) so at least they responded but that guy was probably gone.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    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.
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
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    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?
  • RachelElser
    RachelElser Posts: 427 Member
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    Also, Have you phone out ready to take a picture of him! Sometime creeps like that will back off if they know you are ready and waiting for them.
  • DetroitDarin
    DetroitDarin Posts: 955 Member
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    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!
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    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.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
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    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 :|
  • z4oslo
    z4oslo Posts: 229 Member
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    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 :|

    What?
    Are they into food waste projects now? :*

    Anyway - Glad I live in a quiet corner of the world!
  • LazSommer
    LazSommer Posts: 1,851 Member
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    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.

    He's unbalanced, be careful.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
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    Get that license to carry!
  • Alishia6606
    Alishia6606 Posts: 140 Member
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    DedinTely carry! Also, check the laws for your area. Here (Washington) we can open carry and as long as it's visible you're ok. I open carry every single day. But the minute you conceal it, you're in trouble. Also, I believe Idaho just passed that you don't need a concealed weapon permit anymore.

    As far as mixing up your routine, I'm not really sure. You have a little time that you can go, maybe take a different vehicle every once in a while?
  • enterdanger
    enterdanger Posts: 2,447 Member
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    A little mace can go a long way. Just saying.
  • broseidonkingofbrocean
    broseidonkingofbrocean Posts: 180 Member
    edited August 2016
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    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.
  • TR0berts
    TR0berts Posts: 7,739 Member
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    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.


    Yeah, put a sticker claiming you have your concealed carry on your car. He doesn't need to know it's not true.
  • Nachise
    Nachise Posts: 395 Member
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    I know that this is after the fact, but it pays to have your phone out, taking a video of the creeper. When I am out in a place like that, I always have my phone in my hand, ready to go. I am so glad that I work out at the gym on a military base.
  • MonkeyMel21
    MonkeyMel21 Posts: 2,388 Member
    edited August 2016
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    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 :#

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