Member- Stephefanie
- 4 years ago
- Wedding: September 2013 - Outdoor
My fiance and I have lived in our apartment for a little over a year. It’s near downtown in a large suburb, and one of the reasons why we chose it is that my place of work is actually in the shopping center that’s right across the street. I’ve spent the last year walking to and from work, shopping, riding my bike, and hanging out, never having any issues with feeling safe or not wanting to be out and about on my own.
Well, that has changed over the last week, with two separate incidents that on their own are not a huge deal but to me are adding up to some discomfort with the neighborhood.
First, I was walking to work one day (very short walk- down the street past the bank, cross two streets, and walk through the parking lot to the shopping center) and while I was walking in the parking lot, a man came up behind me riding a bike, and as he passed he reached out and touched my butt. It wasn’t really a grab or a slap, it was more like a poke, and since he was on a bike and passed me so fast that by the time I even registered what had happend he was already way in front of me, and my indignant yelling didn’t even reach him becuase he just kept going. So for a couple days after that I was feeling insecure and looking over my shoulder while walking to work.
So I’m just getting over that when the second incident happened- I walk into my apartment building- It’s an open building- and go to check my mail. There happens to be a man standing outside the door I was going in, and as I don’t know every single person who lives here I figured he was a neighbor and said hey back to him when he said hello. I didn’t think anything of it until he calls after me while I am down the hall “Your name is “Stephefanie,” isn’t it?” So I turn and I’m like yeah? He starts coming down the hall and asks me if I work in the shopping center and if we’re hiring. I say we’re not, and asked if he lives here, and he says, “Aw, yeah I stay around here, not too far” So I asked him how he knew my name, since I don’t know him and he still hasn’t told me his name. He just says everyone is friendly. I’m checking my mail and he asks if I live alone. I was pretty creeped out at this point, I said I live with my fiance, I have to get home now, he’s waiting for me. I went upstairs and he didn’t follow me, but I was freaked out. A complete stranger knows my name, where I live, and where I work, and won’t tell me anything about himself or how he knows me.
I talked with my fiance about how I’m feeling. Nothing like this has happened in the whole year we’ve been here, but now I am really nervous. I don’t know if I should talk to my apartment manager or maybe the security guys at work. I just don’t want to ignore my gut feelings and have something bad happen becuase I wasn’t paying attention and protecting myself. I just don’t know what to do. Any thoughts?
