A man walked up to me, and began walking toward my office building beside me, literally standing shoulder-to-shoulder with me, his face only inches from mine.
He turned his head to the side, starring at my face, close enough that I could practically feel his breath.
“You are a beautiful and delicious chick,” he said. “Can I sit with you for a while?”
Delicious?
“I’m sorry, I’m married,” I said, upping my stride.
He continued to walk beside me, making me very uncomfortable. I tried to just ignore him, despite the fact that he was so close to me that I could literally blow into his face and he would need to blink.
I was clearly on edge, but I work in a very populated part of downtown Orlando and knew people were around, so I wasn’t completely freaking out. When I was about six feet from the door of my building, he turned around, finally leaving my side as I walked into the building.
I exhaled immediately, quickly heading toward the elevators and into my cubicle to ask the other women I work with if they saw this strange man and if they experienced anything similar on their way into work.
They hadn’t seen him or experienced his unnerving personality… thankfully. Freaky deaky.
It was definitely an odd thing to experience so early in the morning and I am grateful nothing else occurred… other than the fact that two of the guys I work with are now calling me “Delicious.”
Lunch
Lunch was slightly mundane compared with the drama from this morning.
Mundane but, dare I say, delicious?
Thursday Lunch
Lunch today included one toasted everything-flavored bagel thin, a large, sliced green pepper and leftover chicken soup from Tuesday night’s dinner.
Peppa
Doughy
I used the bagel for dippin’ into the soup which was fantastic. I only wish I had some oyster crackers, too!
Question of the Afternoon
What is the oddest thing a stranger has called you or said to you?
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Hmm, well my 60 yr old coworker asked me if he could thank my husband because I look hot today..err yeah
Love that! Can you believe it’s a woman who plays ‘Darell’ haha
I’ve been asked by a stranger “can i holler atcha?” I’m unsure of that meaning…. but it reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUdDk6rCbX0
Is ryan going to freak out? When things like that happen my boyfriend goes nuts
Sounds like you need a new bf then – one that is secure.
Ditto what Jessica said!
Maybe I wrote that wrong…? I meant he freaks out if someone makes me feel uncomfortable.. We’ve been together for 7 years.. He is very secure with himself and our relationship.. Any good man would get upset at a creep that makes his woman feel uncomfortable.
That is rather freaky.. When I used to work in downtown Orlando we would get some weirdos in our office and I was the asst office manager so I had to deal with them. Let me just say talking to someone who is mentally unstable and staring at you because they think you are “delicious” aka beautiful is not fun. Hope your day brightens up. 🙂
I lived in Mexico for a summer, and usually cat-calls were rare if men assumed I was Mexican…but when it was obvious I was a gringa, they were OFTEN and in terribly broken English. My favorite was getting yelled at from across the street:
“I like your sizzzzze” (insert sleazy Spanish accent here)
I’m not sure I’ve ever been complimented on my “size” before, but it was a pretty funny one! I prefer to think he meant my short height, but I’m pretty sure he was referring to my ghetto booty 🙂
That’s really unnerving. Although I did get my blog name from something a stranger said, haha.
When I was walking along the board walk at Venice Beach with my brother, a man came up and said I had interesting feet and asked if he could photograph them. So glad my brother was there and within after a little bit the guy gave up but it sure made me nervous.
eeee that is super strange!
That is totally scary. I’m so sorry that happened to you! I’m glad he didn’t bother anyone else, but I’m sure it felt awful at the time.
One time, an elderly couple came up to me suddenly on the sidewalk and started talking to me very quickly in Russian. I only speak one sentence of Russian–“I don’t speak Russian!”–so I blurted it out, but the couple just went on yammering away until I apologized and left. Strange thing!
Oooh, that guy did sound freaky!
I had a stranger once tell me he liked my “strong profile” — which was basically saying he liked my big nose. I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Is that even a compliment?
that literally made me laugh out loud. 🙂 i’m sure you have a perfectly beautiful profile!
I have a perfectly beautiful — but large — nose! 🙂 I’ve just NEVER had anyone compliment me on it, if that was a compliment, other than my dad from whom I inherited my “strong profile”!
OH DEAR!
That’s super super super freaky…
UHM
Okay, so one time in the grocery store, this man told me that I was beautiful and that he loved me, and this other time, I was just walking on the street and I smiled at this guy, and when we walked past each other he said “you’re beautiful”.
IDK It’s a little weird, and I normally get a little freaked!
Hope you don’t see that guy any time soon!
I use to live in a bad area of Brooklyn and I had to go out to do my laundry. When I was wallking back with my clothes a man goes: “Hey Laundry, I got a load for you!” I DIED LITTERLY DIED!
Ewwww that is nasty!
HmmmI had some random guy come up and talk with me and ask if I wanted to go somewhere with him. I was walking to school…and I saw him every day that week, needless to say, I was pretty freaked out!!!!
Yikes! I hope someone can walk you to your car. That kind of thing always freaks me out a bit.
I had a guy say to me once, “Blonde hair, blue eyes . . . yellow plus blue makes green!” in a very creepy, suggestive voice. Ew. Oh, and my hair is brown. Yeah . . .
I have a curvy rear end and part of my commute to work involves a walk. I have twice had guys pull their car over to the curb and ask if they could take me and my behind on a date. Do guys really pick up women this way?!?! I don’t know any woman who would have said yes.
I’m glad you are o.k. and the creep got the hint and disappeared.
That is scary julie, you should walk out of work with some co workers just in case, since he knows where you work!
definitely planning on that!
Omg, thats so SCARY. Make sure your careful over these next few days and make sure hes not following you home or anything since he knows where you work now!
Oh God, I work at a restaurant/bar and one time I was bringing food back from the kitchen. A guy in the dining room looked at me and the plate of food and said “Yummy.” I obviously thought he meant the food, and said “Yeah!” And he smirked and said “I wasn’t talking about the food.”
I SHUDDERED.
ewwwwwwww
Ugh that sounds awful Julie, I’m sorry!
Reminds me though, there is this old man in my neighborhood who walks around and he seriously dresses like a straight up pimp, gold, all-white, a cane…anyway he walks aruond and will stop dead in his tracks and will say things like “you are a blonde bombshell.” hahah it would be creepy (well, it is) except I know I can outrun him by a long shot, ha! 😉
omg, what a character!
um, CREEPY! i’m so glad you’re ok, that would freak me out. i hate it when people (guys) honk at you on the street…so disrespectful and LAME!
I love the pink flowery background of the pictures!
Don’t you get nervous! You are pretty, posted your last name, and general vicinity of where you live and work…..just be careful ok girl! We hate to see anything bad happen to you!!!
it’s definitely a good reminder to be VERY aware.
Yikes, freaky! Hopefully, he is no reader of your blog and decided to become a stalker! Be careful, you never know what weirdos are out on the internet….
I was told by a freaky cellphone kiask guy that I had beautiful eyelashes as he popped out from behind the dangley cell phone charms…uh no thanks. side note- i was walking past, not browsing, he must have had really awesome eyes…WEIRD
Yikes- I’m sorry that happened! It’s such a creepy feeling.
I had one man come up to me in the dog park while I was standing ten feet from my husband and tell me I had pretty toes. I thought that was strange, so I moved away from him to go get some water for my dog (whom my husband was playing with). The stranger literally ran across the park toward me, which is when my husband starts heading in my direction. Before he got there, he told me that he wanted to show me why your toes are the most sexual part of the body. EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!
what is WITH these freaky feet men???
I have a lot of stories…but I’ll tell you the strangiest/scariest!
I work as a reporter/anchor for Canadian Television (CTV) and so I get recognized when I’m out and about. I also find that people think they “know” me when they see me. Anyway, one guy started calling work and leaving messages for me every morning. At first, they started out “innocent” things like “I love watching you on tv…you’re beautiful….etc” but they slowly started to scare me. One day I arrived to work to find a message from him saying he had purchased us a house and he had it painted my favourite colours. He said he knew we would have a great life together and he’d be waiting after work to quote “steal me away.” Needless to say I was terrified! I immediately filled in management and called the police. I left work that day and saw a guy sitting on the front steps of my house (keep in mind, I had NO idea what this guy looked like as he’d only left messages) I had a really bad feeling though so I called police again and they arrested him, found out he’d been leaving me the messages, charged him and I now have a restraining order. I tend to be “overly nice” to people but I’m definitely a lot more careful after that experience. On a fun note (b/c who wants to leave on that note lol) I’m trying your Oreo recipe out for a potluck Christmas party Saturday night…thanks for the yummy idea!!)
that is beyond scary. 🙁 i’m so sorry you had to go through that. i hope he stays FAR away from you!
There’s a guy who works in my building and everytime I walk past him, he tells me that my hair looks really pretty that day. But my favorite thing a stranger has said to me is when a panhandler asked me if I had “a part of a sandwich” I could spare.
That is so scary and creepy! I cannot stand when things like that happen! Something like that happened to me a couple of weeks ago. There is a creepy guy that does maintenance here every couple of months/weeks. I cannot stand when he appears. He will wait in the parking lot for me to get out of my car. He will say creepy things to not only me but other people I work with. Ick!
Be really careful! You should have a co-worker walk you out tonight.
that is so scary!! I’m so glad your okay!!
I work seasonally at a store in my local mall, and while in the front of the store one day I had a man walk right in and ask “Would you like to get coffee sometime?” I had never seen this guy before in my life and he was probably 10 years older than me. I wonder how may other stores he walked in that day trying to pick up girls?!
Wow, that’s so creepy! I’ve never had something like that happen, but once I was walking with a few friends in the park and a guy started calling us “mommies”. So weird!
Ugh! What a creeper! Although it might be a little apropos to call you delicious, considering you have this blog. 😉
The weirdest thing a stranger has even done to me actually happened a few weeks ago. Some guy called my university requesting my contact information, saying he was my Uncle Russ from California who needed to speak to me about a family emergency.
I don’t have an Uncle Russ.
None of my family lives in California.
There was no emergency.
Uh. Huh.
Eff That! YUCK!
Consider getting the book, “The Gift of Fear.” It’s about how you feel fear for a reason – like, as a primitive emotional resource. I think Amazon lets you read the forward, which (as it should) sets the pace and tone perfectly!
http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Fear-Gavin-Becker/dp/0440226198
BTW, girls, there’s nothing wrong with saying, “You’re being inappropriate. Please stop.” =)
Oh my gosh, scary!! Glad nothing bad happened though!
I’ve had an old man stroke my back before and say “so soft”. I ran. Urgh I hate creeps 🙁
Oh my gah, that would freak me out. I once had a homeless person stare at my dog and call him from across the street while my husband and I were eating at an outside table for 30 minutes! Our waitress called the police because this guy was totally off his rocker and bothering us but they couldn’t do anything b/c he was across the street and not on their property. It totally freaked us out.
OMG, please be careful, always!
Of all the weird things I’ve had said to me, the scariest was actually when I was on an escalator and the man behind me actually started touching my hair. It freaked me out so bad, I was speechless and all I could think about was the novel, “Of Mice & Men.” Once I got to the top, I took off so fast!
Eek, be careful! There’s this weird (but harmless) guy on my train … I sometimes do the crossword puzzle in the paper and one morning he walked by and said “Wassup crossword girl?” under his breath. So funny and now my boyfriend likes to call me crossword girl hahaha.
How freaky!!! There are some strange birds out there!
I have had some strange looks and comments..not sure if I blocked them out but I can’t think of them right now!
That is so creepy! Glad he eventually turned away! I have these safety tips written by a cop that one of my co-workers sent me in an email, its worth reading and sending to any female friends or family, too!
1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do :
The elbow is the strongest point
on your body.
If you are close enough to use it, do!
2.. Learned this from a tourist guide.
If a robber asks for your wallet and/or purse,
DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM.
Toss it away from you….
Chances are that he is more interested
in your wallet and/or purse than you,
and he will go for the wallet/purse.
RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!
3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car,
kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole
and start waving like crazy..
The driver won’t see you, but everybody else will
This has saved lives.
4. Women have a tendency to get into their cars
after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just sit
(doing their chequebook, or making a list, etc.
DON’T DO THIS!)
The predator will be watching you, and this
is the perfect opportunity for him to get in
on the passenger side, put a gun to your head,
and tell you where to go.
AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR CAR ,
LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE..
If someone
is in the car
with a gun
to your head
DO NOT DRIVE OFF,
Repeat:
DO NOT DRIVE OFF!
Instead gun the engine
and speed into anything, wrecking the car.
Your Air Bag will save you.
If the person is in the back seat
they will get the worst of it .
As soon as the car crashes
bail out and run.
It is better than having them find your body
in a remote location.
5. A few notes about getting
into your car in a parking lot,
or parking garage:
A.) Be aware:
look around you,
look into your car,
at the passenger side floor ,
and in the back seat.
B.) If you are parked next to a big van,
enter your car from the passenger door.
Most serial killers attack their victims
by pulling them into their vans while the women
are attempting to get into their cars.
C.) Look at the car
parked on the driver’s side of your vehicle,
and the passenger side… If a male is sitting alone
in the seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back
into the mall, or work, and get a
guard/policeman to walk you back out.
IT IS ALWAYS BETTER TO BE SAFE THAN SORRY. (And better paranoid than dead.)
6. ALWAYS take the elevator
instead of the stairs.
Stairwells are horrible places to be alone
and the perfect crime spot.
This is especially true at NIGHT!)
7. If the predator has a gun
and you are not under his control,
ALWAYS RUN!
The predator will only hit you (a running target)
4 in 100 times; and even then,
it most likely WILL NOT be a vital organ..
RUN, Preferably in a zig -zag pattern!
8. As women, we are always trying
to be sympathetic:
STOP
It may get you raped, or killed.
Ted Bundy, the serial killer, was a good-looking,
well educated man, who ALWAYS played
on the sympathies of unsuspecting women.
He walked with a cane, or a limp, and often
asked ‘for help’ into his vehicle or with his vehicle,
which is when he abducted
his next victim.
9. Another Safety Point:
Someone just told me that her friend heard
a crying baby on her porch the night before last,
and she called the police because it was late
and she thought it was weird.. The police told her
‘Whatever you do, DO NOT
open the door..’
The lady then said that it sounded like the baby
had crawled near a window, and she was worried
that it would crawl to the street and get run over.
The policeman said, ‘We already have a unit on the way,
whatever you do, DO NOT open the door.’
He told her that they think a serial killer
has a baby’s cry recorded and uses it to coax
women out of their homes thinking that someone
dropped off a baby… He said they have not verified it,
but have had several calls by women saying that
they hear baby’s cries outside their doors
when they’re home alone at night.
10. Water scam!
If you wake up in the middle
of the night to hear all your taps outside running or what you think is a
burst pipe, DO NOT GO OUT TO INVESTIGATE! These people turn on all your
outside taps full ball so that you will go out to investigate and
then attack.
Stay alert, keep safe, and look out for your neighbours!
Please pass this on
This e-mail should probably be taken seriously because
the Crying Baby Theory was mentioned on
America ‘s Most Wanted when they profiled
the serial killer in Louisiana
Sorry that just dominated the comment board but I thought it might be worth a read!
no apologies needed. definitely worth reading!
That is a little freaky!
That is super creepy. I would have been freaked out too.
AGH! That is creepy! Once, my friend and I were sitting in my (new) car in a parking garage and this guy rolls down his window and said, “you ladies can’t go home yet”. He had this creepy serial killer look on his face.
While using the automatic door lock, I said “who said we were going home?” while giving him a dirty look.
He then drove off, but it was SO weird!
Really really creepy. Oh God, I could fill pages with some of the freaky stuff I’ve encountered since living in NYC…I had a man follow me from the subway back to my dorm last year (like 4 blocks). When I got to the building he stopped at the foot of the stoop and just stared as I walked in…I immediately told the security guard at the front desk and as soon as I started talking the guy outside bolted. I was petrified because he knew where I lived. There are so many scary people out there!!
You are delicious, but that’s just creepy.
Really pay attention to your surroundings from now. You never know if that guy might be watching you1
Me and my dad were at the post office the other night really late and there was only one other car in the parking lot. It was dark and cold outside so we ran into the post office pretty quick, I had a lot of boxes in my hands so I didn’t shut the car door very well and came back out (by myself) to lock the door again. A guy came out of the only other parked car and said something to me and I couldn’t hear what it was so I ignored him but got really shaky so it took me even longer to lock the car. He asked again but this time I heard him, he said “Do you have anything you need help carrying?” I looked up and it was a nice old couple together and they were wondering if they could help me. I was being a little too paranoid!! But it’s better to be safe than sorry!
Wow! Aren’t people bold these days? It’s crazy! Glad he went away though. I was actually working as a receptionist at the time and a man called our main number and was talking to me normal enough, until he said his daughter had asked him a question about something innapropriate I won’t repeat on here, and he wanted my opinion.. He said more gross things and I told him it was innapropriate and for him to please not call this number again. Even though it was over the phone I felt slightly violated! Some people..
I was had a much older man randomly ask me to play tennis, and then find my office number through the receptionist at work to call and ask me out.
I thought I was getting stalked!
Me and my friend call those kind of guys ‘pedophiles’ (even though we are almost 20 now lol).
There are a lotta creepy people in the world. There was a man in our area who would follow women/girls around. He followed me for a looong time.. i had my phone ready to call 999!
Oh Julie that is creepy…maybe you should get someone to walk you to your car when you get off work. I mean he knows where you work now…so I would definitely maybe get a buddy to walk you out. Especially since it is getting dark so much earlier.