Creeps on the Loose

I've said many times that when I have a book due, I spend every spare moment working, usually in town. This evening I went to town and sat down at a booth. Two booths in front of me, there was a man sitting there staring at me - and smiling. It wasn't one of those, "Hello," then ignore you smiles. This was an "I want to know you better" look. So anyway, I quickly looked down and paid attention to my food and my book. I kept thinking this guy was still boring his eyes through me so I later looked up again and he had his cell phone pointed at me - with the little camera thing pointed right in my direction. I sat there dumbfounded for a moment thinking that perhaps I was just being particularly paranoid this evening so then I looked back down at my food. Moments later, a lady started walking up from behind the man and she also saw his phone pointed at me. She looked at the image on his screen (because she came from behind him, she and he could see the image that I couldn't see). Anyway, as soon as she looked at it, she immediately jerked her gaze up to me and I KNEW then that my suspicion was correct. That creep had been taking photos of me eating! How strange.

It reminded me of a time a few years ago when my friend was walking through the parking lot at a mall in Chattanooga. As she was walking, a man in a windowless white van called to her and asked if she could help him get something from UNDER the seat. She went over to do it and suddenly she said she had an eerie feeling about the situation. She said she told the guy that she was in a hurry and before he could respond, she ran toward the mall. A week or so later, a woman was kidnapped at the same mall in a white van. I encouraged her to call the police and report everything she remembered about her encounter because it could help find the woman.

These aren't things I've read on e-mail loops. Don't bother checking on Snopes. This is stuff with which I've had first hand experience. I had enough sense to leave the place right away and I don't trust guys paying attention to me. After all, who would want to pay attention to a sickly, tired, slightly overweight, wrinkly, quickly greying 38 year old woman?!? But a beautiful 20-year-old might not have the same apprehensions.

I just encourage you to remind your children and young adults that there are lots of creeps in the world. I don't want to be negative, but this just really freaked me out tonight!

Sonya