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Your opinion....

MaggieD said:
I took out my cellphone and just held it -- he talked a couple more minutes, then walked away toward his car...parked about 50 feet away.

Was I being paranoid? That's my question. We both got into our cars and left. The guy left by another exit.

Would you have been concerned?
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I would have reacted exactly the same way. Any stranger who approaches you (male stranger, 2 or 3 women) would concern me greatly, specifically at night. In the daytime, I probably wouldn't have been alarmed, but to me, his behavior is odd enough to warrant a little suspicion. He could have been completely harmless, or just a little goofy/crazy, but either way, his actions (imo) are not those of a *normal* guy.
 
Maggie, in my opinion, had you not been there on high alert, your cousin might have been abducted. That's a classic opportunistic play to get people to open up to you. It works for kids all the time. A guy shows them a cute puppy and all of a sudden, they are in the back of a panel van. :(
 
Sarcogito said:
He may not, and likely didn't, have any ill intent. But the odds aren't so remote as to invalidate your concern. I think you were right in being wary.

I personally think it was rude of him to approach a strange woman in those circumstances. I am a big guy and I would never approach a woman I didn't know in those circumstances. I have no desire to create an anxiety laden situation. It is why if I am walking at night and I approach a lone woman walking, I will cross to the other side of the road. If I am waiting on an elevator in an empty parking garage late at night and it opens and there is a lone woman in the elevator, I will wait for the next elevator. I fully realize I don't have to do that nor am I obligated to do it. But it helps avoid a nervous situation for her and an awkward situation for me.
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Your empty parking garage story reminds me of a time I was at a singles' dance, having parked me car in an inside garage...which I absolutely hate on general principle. When it came time to leave, probably Midnight, I walked into the garage (it was a hotel garage) and felt uneasy thinking about walking to my car. I saw a guy walking toward the entrance all dressed up in a suit, walking with a purpose toward the door, and asked him if he'd walk me to my car. He said, "You bet. And you picked the right guy. I'm in security for the hotel reporting for my shift." I laughed, and we walked on to my car. When I got there, he said, "Ya' know, ma'am, just so you think it about next time...I really am in security here..".he pulled out his i.d....and then he said, "But if I wasn't, wouldn't it have been the exact perfect thing to say to you??" He smiled. I was chagrined. Yikes. As I thought about it later, I thought, "Well, I picked him; he didn't pick me." But he had a point, didn't he?
 
Puppies are a great babe and even buddy magnet and this would just seem like cuteness but not so at 10:30 PM.

Pessimists and Paranoids always win. You handled it correctly.
 
grip said:
In today's world I'm on alert, non stop with every stranger. Too many News stories about wackos doing violence for no reason.

If they continue to exhibit normal behavior it lessens my concern but doesn't cause me to drop my guard. As long as you didn't pull out a pistol and holler, "freeze punk!" I think you were justified.
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I'm sorry, but I just snorted ice water out my nose when I read that!! Too damned funny! What's worse, I can picture Maggie doing exactly that if the guy had taken another step closer!! :lol:


But to answer Maggie's question, any time a strange male approaches females late at night in a darkened, deserted area, my spidy sense begins tingling almost immediately. I too would have had my phone in my hand and 911 on speed dial. The puppy thing could have been innocent, "would you like to adopt a puppy", or a ruse to get a closer look at who/how many people were in the car for potential victimization. Show him the phone, stare him down, and be on alert... that's my motto.
 
DiAnna said:
I'm sorry, but I just snorted ice water out my nose when I read that!! Too damned funny! What's worse, I can picture Maggie doing exactly that if the guy had taken another step closer!! :lol:


But to answer Maggie's question, any time a strange male approaches females late at night in a darkened, deserted area, my spidy sense begins tingling almost immediately. I too would have had my phone in my hand and 911 on speed dial. The puppy thing could have been innocent, "would you like to adopt a puppy", or a ruse to get a closer look at who/how many people were in the car for potential victimization. Show him the phone, stare him down, and be on alert... that's my motto.
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:rofl !!! Prolly not too far off, either. Ha!!
 
MaggieD said:
Your empty parking garage story reminds me of a time I was at a singles' dance, having parked me car in an inside garage...which I absolutely hate on general principle. When it came time to leave, probably Midnight, I walked into the garage (it was a hotel garage) and felt uneasy thinking about walking to my car. I saw a guy walking toward the entrance all dressed up in a suit, walking with a purpose toward the door, and asked him if he'd walk me to my car. He said, "You bet. And you picked the right guy. I'm in security for the hotel reporting for my shift." I laughed, and we walked on to my car. When I got there, he said, "Ya' know, ma'am, just so you think it about next time...I really am in security here..".he pulled out his i.d....and then he said, "But if I wasn't, wouldn't it have been the exact perfect thing to say to you??" He smiled. I was chagrined. Yikes. As I thought about it later, I thought, "Well, I picked him; he didn't pick me." But he had a point, didn't he?
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I am sure you learned a valuble lesson too. His point was spot on.
 
DiAnna said:
I'm sorry, but I just snorted ice water out my nose when I read that!! Too damned funny! What's worse, I can picture Maggie doing exactly that if the guy had taken another step closer!! :lol:


But to answer Maggie's question, any time a strange male approaches females late at night in a darkened, deserted area, my spidy sense begins tingling almost immediately. I too would have had my phone in my hand and 911 on speed dial. The puppy thing could have been innocent, "would you like to adopt a puppy", or a ruse to get a closer look at who/how many people were in the car for potential victimization. Show him the phone, stare him down, and be on alert... that's my motto.
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In my old neighborhood there was a young woman (looked like a porn star) soliciting at our door one day. She had a thick Russian accent and too coy a manner, which made the whole scene unrealistic. I looked out the window and saw a van with some scruffy dudes in it waiting down the road. Less than 30 minutes later the neighborhood wives came running over and said that the woman was with a group of home invaders that were sizing up the houses. Someone called the police on them with a description and the cops said not to answer the door and had a unit on the way.

Point is it seemed like a strange setup and turned out was a potentially life threatening one. You never know who's sizing you up for a violent attack and need your guard up.

And yes, Maggie seems sweet as pie but I bet she'd pull a .44mag on your ass and blow a hole in your johnson if you got to hinky with her.
 
Maybe I've just grown soft since moving down to the good-ol'-boy area, but I probably wouldn't have panicked too much. Now I haven't changed as much as starting convos with total strangers, but when it happens to me, generally I'll give some back and forth instead of just shunning them. Of course, when it's alone at night and some dude is talking about his puppies, all bets are off.
 
MaggieD said:
Last night, my cousin, mom and I went to a play. We started off at a restaurant where both my cousin and I drove. Then after dinner, I hopped in Sue's car with my mom, and we went to the play. After it was over, Sue drove me back to my car (mom was staying overnight with Sue). The restaurant was closed and the parking lot was about empty. It was about 10:30 PM. Mom wanted something out of my car, so Sue pulled up close to it and I jumped out...ran around my car and grabbed what she wanted out of my back seat. When I rose up, I saw this guy standing in Sue's "space" holding out two puppies to her asking her to pet them...The guy was in his 40's, making general conversation about his dogs.

I instantly went into high alert. He was standing too close to her. WTF was he doing there at 10:30 at night with two puppies trying to socialize them??? I walked around my car, stood back from both of them and just watched him. Never said a word to him, nor he to me. Sue wasn't at all concerned. I was very concerned.

I took out my cellphone and just held it -- he talked a couple more minutes, then walked away toward his car...parked about 50 feet away.

Was I being paranoid? That's my question. We both got into our cars and left. The guy left by another exit.

Would you have been concerned?
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Wow talk about random... I would have also been concerned, that's just weird
 
Gipper said:
It makes sense. Otherwise we'd have more men getting assaulted and maced when they approach a woman for directions or wondering what time it is. And God forbid if he wants to go out on a date...
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If a guy is asking for directions, that should be a huge red flag right there.
 
trouba said:
Wow talk about random... I would have also been concerned, that's just weird
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Maybe he was just trying to sell you a puppy???
 
MaggieD said:
Last night, my cousin, mom and I went to a play. We started off at a restaurant where both my cousin and I drove. Then after dinner, I hopped in Sue's car with my mom, and we went to the play. After it was over, Sue drove me back to my car (mom was staying overnight with Sue). The restaurant was closed and the parking lot was about empty. It was about 10:30 PM. Mom wanted something out of my car, so Sue pulled up close to it and I jumped out...ran around my car and grabbed what she wanted out of my back seat. When I rose up, I saw this guy standing in Sue's "space" holding out two puppies to her asking her to pet them...The guy was in his 40's, making general conversation about his dogs.

I instantly went into high alert. He was standing too close to her. WTF was he doing there at 10:30 at night with two puppies trying to socialize them??? I walked around my car, stood back from both of them and just watched him. Never said a word to him, nor he to me. Sue wasn't at all concerned. I was very concerned.

I took out my cellphone and just held it -- he talked a couple more minutes, then walked away toward his car...parked about 50 feet away.

Was I being paranoid? That's my question. We both got into our cars and left. The guy left by another exit.

Would you have been concerned?
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How did the guy end up near your car? Was he walking to his car and your cousin said "Ohhh, look at the cute puppies!".
 
spanky said:
How did the guy end up near your car? Was he walking to his car and your cousin said "Ohhh, look at the cute puppies!".
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No. He was walking to his car after walking up to a couple coming out of the closed restaurant. When we pulled up, he walked over to my cousin.
 
MaggieD said:
No. He was walking to his car after walking up to a couple coming out of the closed restaurant. When we pulled up, he walked over to my cousin.
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Was he looking for homes for the puppies? Was Sue in her car?
 
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spanky said:
Was he looking for homes for the puppies? Was Sue in her car?
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He said he was "socializing them." Sue had gotten out of her car to go around my car to me and get what I was retrieving for my mom.
 
MaggieD said:
He said he was "socializing them." Sue had gotten out of her car to go around my car to me and get what I was retrieving for my mom.
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Don't you think it's sad..when a guy with 2 puppies gives us the heebie-jeebies??
 
wolfie said:
Don't you think it's sad..when a guy with 2 puppies gives us the heebie-jeebies??
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Had it been during the day, I wouldn't have thought one thing about it. It was the fact that it was happening in a deserted parking lot at 10:30 at night.

If you aren't encouraging heebie-jeebies in your kids by a stranger with two puppies in the park, you aren't doing your job.

But yes, I think it's sad.
 
Ya, that's creepy.
 
Absolutely Did the right thing.. better safe than sorry..... Maggie if you don't have a carry permit or mace- how about wasp spray.. in your car and by your bed_ its some bad stuff, cheap and shoots 22 feet' ...... I carry in My car All the time'''''''''':)
 
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