Yet another creepy stalker story....

[AvsGirl41]

This is a long post, so beware.

This guy...60 years old at least comes in asking for information on our program. He's handicapped. He's icky. But, I am trying not to be judgemental. (Last time, that lost me my wallet...) So I give him the usual pamphlets and spiel. I should have known when I said "Well, the first step is an information session" and he said "No, the first step is..." and insisted on a proper, handshaking introduction. And then, "Oh, I love your hair. You have the prettiest red hair."

Well, I let that slide. Old men love the red hair. But then it just keeps going. First, it's just friendly, lonely old man convesation. And then he starts hitting on me, slipping things in between legitimate academic questions. Until it gets down to:

"Are you unattached?"
"Yes."
"Oh my. Well, can I have your e-mail?"
"Uhhh...I never check my e-mail."
"Ok. Hey, where can I find disability services? Yeah, write that down. And financial aid, where can I find that? Oh, and put your name on there."
*I write Elisabeth, now feeling very creeped out*
"Your last name too."

Oh, the hell with that!! Time to pull out a fake name, only my mind just goes blank. I begin to write Forsberg...then I realize I just mentioned Peter Forsberg casually in conversation. That won't work. I think, Skoula. And then I realize I left my Martin Skoula notebook out in plain view. So my signature now reads

Elisabeth F *crossed out* MacLaren
And I now feel the need to explain the F. "I uh accidetally...wrote my middle initial."
"What's your middle name?"
"Umm...it's...Frances."
"Put that on there too. Do you ever get coffee breaks? We could go out sometime."

I should have done so many things. I should have called campus security. I should have refused to write anything at all. And as I'm locking up, he came in again and my boss had to tell him we're closed, go away. He was still in the hallway when we left, pestering another girl--I ended up going to the farthest train station so I wouldn't run into him.

How did I get caught so off guard? I just feel so stupid and sick--it's like my wallet all over again. And this is not the first creep I've had problems with--it happened last semester too and that time, my boss had to take care of the guy. I bet they are thnking "Why can't you just take care of yourself? This just keeps happening to you."

And it's true. I attract nothing but stalkers. It's never the cute guy next door. I'm just exhausted by it--and yet, I fail to spot them every time and fail to deal with it properly. Why are normal guys intimidated by me and creeps aren't?

Anyway, if you read all the way to here--thanks.

 

[AvsGirl41]

The ironic bit is, Mr. Writer of my last confessional knows where I work--and peeked his head in to see if I was there, long before this fun bit of horror.

And I thought, "Oh man, now I have another creep to deal with."

 

[Angela Harlem]

You want to make a false name up, use an email address you get from spam, random little bits (you might want to be 'engaged' to a college footballer or someone equally beefy). Use this fake ID for every weirdo who harrasses you. If any get too weird, you can calmly give out false ID (without having to think of something on the spot) so they don't get all crazy on you right then and there.

Be careful!

 

[Laura M]

My mum gave my dad a flase name when she first met him in a taxi


But really though - stalkers are creepy

There is one who gets my bus and you feel him mentally undressing you - he sweats too much and sits behind you and its horrible he just STARES and STARES

He used to work at my Dads work and my Dad knew who the "weirdo" on the bus was one day without me even describing him that well - apparently all the women at his work refused to work with/ near him

Yesterday I was about to stand up and he got up right behind me I stayed in my seat until he went down the stairs (it was a doubledeacker) before me - my top was quite low and I thought he'd try and look down it - I missed my bus stop but I felt better missing my stop than getting of fwith that weirdo


[/end spiel]

 

[EPandAmerica]

You should have called campus security, or at least told him if he didn't leave that you would.

 

[Bbug]

I, too, am a creep magnet. I like the idea about giving them a false name. Sometimes I say my name is Mary and give them my dead grandparents' phone number when they ask. Sometimes I just run into the nearest crowded coffee shop without saying anything.

Anyway, again and be safe!

 

[bonosloveslave]

Yeah, definitely if a creepy guy asks if you have a boyfriend or are married, just say yes! Usually it will save you a lot of hassle - but hey, hindsight is 20/20....

 

[oliveu2cm]

Let someone at work know that this guy bothers you. That way there is another set of eyes keeping a watch on things. Also, i would alert campus security. Tell them you get a weird feeling from him-we should listen to our gut reactions!!! It seems he is harassing a lot of girls... it reminds me of a thief who will try random doorknobs, and whichever one is unlocked he'll enter.. so be careful and don't feel guilty about putting your foot down.



oh yeah and i don't think it's really YOU attracting these stalkers rather than nice guys.. first off, men like this are mentally messed up, and don't follow the normal social-rules (hello, 60 years old hitting on you? making someone obviously uncomfortable and still continuing?) whereas a nice guy wouldn't do these same behaviors- he'll come along in a different, more normal, way. But there are a lot of whackos out there, and they'll go up to anyone and everyone, so I don't think it's you!!

 

[HeartlandGirl]

You live and learn. I'm sure many of us have been in similar situations where we could have handled it better but were caught off guard. If he comes by again, you could say that you're not allowed to have personal conversations while you're working, and that if he doesn't have a business-related question, you'll have to ask him to leave. I hope you'll never have to see him again.

at Forsberg and Skoula.

Fellow Puck Bunny

 

[MrBrau1]

Kick him in the ding ding!!!

 

[mad1]

Kick him in the ding ding!!!

But it might swing and ring a lot and loudly enough to wake up the neighbourhood Bra!

 

[MrBrau1]

Ding Dong,

The dick is dead,

The creepy dick, the stalker dick, kick him in the dick!

 

[nbcrusader]

I would report the situation to campus security and a supervisor. You should not be placed in a situation where any personal information is given (anything beyond a first name). You are probably not the only one who could be placed in this situation.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

I've had my share of creepy guys like that, so I can kind of understand how you feel. It's not that you attract guys like that or whatever, it's something wrong with *them* that they have no idea how to behave appropriately with people.

I think it's definitely a good idea to tell your boss and someone you work with about him, so if you ever see him again they'll be aware of how he's acted this time. If he does call again then be ready to tell him something like "I'm only able to help people with information about [whatever your job is] - I can't have personal conversations during work time" or if you can then ask someone else to speak with him so you don't have to.

I'm not exactly the best qualified person to say anything on this subject though, given that I currently have to walk to a bus stop fifteen minutes from my house to avoid a creepy old guy at the bus stop I normally wait at.

 

[AvsGirl41]

Colby (one of the professors) did see the guy--and he was busy, so he hadn't realized what was going on.

Today, Tara called me at home and said that she and Colby insisted to our boss that we should not stay open until 6:00 anymore. He was really concerned, since we are all girls and we are frequently alone in the office.

We have been pushing for closing early for awhile--we stay open for evening students, no students ever come in, only weirdos. But she kept insisting that we stay open until 6:00--turns out there was pressure from administration. So, now we only have to stay open until 5:30. That is a *very* good thing to come out of the mess.

Dad also wants me to call campus police. I am going to become one of their most frequent callers.

I should probably have mentioned that he only got my first name--I made the middle and last names up. And there wasn't much I could do about the first name, since he had insisted on introductions before he started hitting on me.

Thanks, guys. Who knew working on campus would be such a freak show.

 

[zonelistener]

Do they have campus escorts?

I remember our campus had an "escort" service (and not the type MrBrau1 is thinking of as he reads this post). You would call them, and they (a male and female student) would escort you from, say, the library to your car...or something like that. All the students were volunteers too.

 

[Pinball Wizard]

You should purchase a life-size cardboard cut-out of Martin Skoula, and place him beside your desk. If Dirty Old Man pursues you to your car, make sure you have a spare cut-out in the passenger seat.

Sure fire plan indeed.

 

[FizzingWhizzbees]

Do they have campus escorts?

I remember our campus had an "escort" service (and not the type MrBrau1 is thinking of as he reads this post). You would call them, and they (a male and female student) would escort you from, say, the library to your car...or something like that. All the students were volunteers too.

That would be a great idea. I wish we'd had something like that at my college.

The only kind of escorts we had were the kind who escorted drunks from the bars when they'd been "asked" to leave.

 

[AvsGirl41]

You should purchase a life-size cardboard cut-out of Martin Skoula, and place him beside your desk. If Dirty Old Man pursues you to your car, make sure you have a spare cut-out in the passenger seat.

Sure fire plan indeed.

I like it!

Do you think I can get one with a motion activated talkbox? With five action phrases? It would be confusing to have two though, but one can't exactly carry him around.

Perhaps it would be easier to simply purchase Martin Skoula.

 

[AvsGirl41]

Do they have campus escorts?

I remember our campus had an "escort" service (and not the type MrBrau1 is thinking of as he reads this post). You would call them, and they (a male and female student) would escort you from, say, the library to your car...or something like that. All the students were volunteers too.

I just found out that yes, they do offer an escort service. Campus police runs it, so I think you get escorted by a cop.

Their relentless pursuit of campus crime is a bit of a joke, but at least they have a gun.

 

[Mr. BAW]

That's what the campus police is there for,,use them at will; they love the challenge and pursuit of those wicked old farts!

Next time anyone asks anything of a personal nature, just look 'em straight in the eye, with a wry smile, and ask "do you speak Spanish...No way Jose'"

 

[AvsGirl41]

I like that one...now hopefully these clever retorts will remember to pop out at the right moments!!

 

[LarryMullen's POPAngel]

Too spooky, stay safe girl!