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So, the escapades from last night:
Okay, so last night I gave myself a manicure and a pedicure and did some stuff around the apartment. About 10:30 I decide I want to go out for a drink, but don't feel like getting especially dressed up. So I throw on a black t-shirt, jeans, and my black and white Vans, and a hat - my "I'm not looking for Mr. Right, just a nice big drink" look. I leave my apartment and head down the street to the end of my block. I walk right on Halstead, and out of the corner of my eye I can see someone running across the intersection. The guy, I notice by glancing quickly at him, is about in his early 50's, white hair, glasses, about 6' tall and dressed in a denim shirt and jeans and white sneakers. So for about half a block he walks next to me, but doesn't say anything. Then all of a sudden he runs to the corner and leans against a pole. I walk past him, not acknowleging or even looking at him, and suddenly I hear him run up to me again. He walks beside me a minute, and runs to the next corner. By then, I'd gotten to the bar i had planned on going to, but it looked empty, so I figured I'd go to Charlies instead, which is about another 6 blocks away down Broadway. So I go to the corner where the guy is still standing, and turn down Roscoe. I can feel someone watching at me (I HATE that feeling), and I glance back, and it's the guy again, pretty much blatantly following me at this point because he's staring straight at me. So I wig out a little, and decide to just get home or back to a populated place as fast as possible, and I turn down an alley (yes, I know. I yell at the chicks in the movie for doing the same thing, but for whatever reason, it seemed like a wise decision at the time) to cross back over so I can back onto Halstead where at least there were other people around. And because I'm a little wigged, and I've realized how stupid it was to walk down an alley, I start walking faster to get through the other end. I risk a glance back, and he's walking faster - staying about 20 feet behind me, but walking the same speed that I am. Finally I come back out on Halstead, and I cross the street so I can go into the first bar possible so that I can lose him or get help or something. The first bar I see is Gentry, which is packed with people. So I walk in, sit down at a table, turn around and see the guy from the other night who wanted to buy me. And he's making his way towards me. I decide I'd rather risk getting gutted like a fish than have to deal with Mr. Creepo, and my place is only a block away from Gentry, so I get out of there as fast as possible. The guy that was following me is gone, so I breath in relief. Still wigged, though, I take the keys out of my pocket and put them between my knuckles (you never know). And I head down my street. I'm about 20 feet away from my building's doors, when I feel that watching again. So I get inside as fast as I can (the doors are locked, can't get in without a key), and as soon as I close the door behind me, I see the guy walk by, staring in straight at me. And so I went up to my apartment, locked and chained the door, and didn't leave until this afternoon.
I mean, it's not like *he* was that scary, and I'm not exactly a tiny guy. I probably could have defended myself if I had to. But you never know what the person might have on them, a gun, a knife, a needle, a trained attack squirrel, who knows? What it boils down to is that now I'm a little frightened to go out at night, which really sucks. And I feel kind of stupid, because what if it was just some harmless old guy wanted to just talk. But at the same time, I do live in Chicago for chrissakes - murder capital of the USA. And you really never know about someone. So now, everytime I leave my apartment, I'm going to all paranoid and looking around to make sure I don't get dead.
Just as a comparison and to put you in my shoes a little, the last violent crime I heard about from my hometown was a girl who got killed by wild dogs. Just a little perspective.
Okay, so last night I gave myself a manicure and a pedicure and did some stuff around the apartment. About 10:30 I decide I want to go out for a drink, but don't feel like getting especially dressed up. So I throw on a black t-shirt, jeans, and my black and white Vans, and a hat - my "I'm not looking for Mr. Right, just a nice big drink" look. I leave my apartment and head down the street to the end of my block. I walk right on Halstead, and out of the corner of my eye I can see someone running across the intersection. The guy, I notice by glancing quickly at him, is about in his early 50's, white hair, glasses, about 6' tall and dressed in a denim shirt and jeans and white sneakers. So for about half a block he walks next to me, but doesn't say anything. Then all of a sudden he runs to the corner and leans against a pole. I walk past him, not acknowleging or even looking at him, and suddenly I hear him run up to me again. He walks beside me a minute, and runs to the next corner. By then, I'd gotten to the bar i had planned on going to, but it looked empty, so I figured I'd go to Charlies instead, which is about another 6 blocks away down Broadway. So I go to the corner where the guy is still standing, and turn down Roscoe. I can feel someone watching at me (I HATE that feeling), and I glance back, and it's the guy again, pretty much blatantly following me at this point because he's staring straight at me. So I wig out a little, and decide to just get home or back to a populated place as fast as possible, and I turn down an alley (yes, I know. I yell at the chicks in the movie for doing the same thing, but for whatever reason, it seemed like a wise decision at the time) to cross back over so I can back onto Halstead where at least there were other people around. And because I'm a little wigged, and I've realized how stupid it was to walk down an alley, I start walking faster to get through the other end. I risk a glance back, and he's walking faster - staying about 20 feet behind me, but walking the same speed that I am. Finally I come back out on Halstead, and I cross the street so I can go into the first bar possible so that I can lose him or get help or something. The first bar I see is Gentry, which is packed with people. So I walk in, sit down at a table, turn around and see the guy from the other night who wanted to buy me. And he's making his way towards me. I decide I'd rather risk getting gutted like a fish than have to deal with Mr. Creepo, and my place is only a block away from Gentry, so I get out of there as fast as possible. The guy that was following me is gone, so I breath in relief. Still wigged, though, I take the keys out of my pocket and put them between my knuckles (you never know). And I head down my street. I'm about 20 feet away from my building's doors, when I feel that watching again. So I get inside as fast as I can (the doors are locked, can't get in without a key), and as soon as I close the door behind me, I see the guy walk by, staring in straight at me. And so I went up to my apartment, locked and chained the door, and didn't leave until this afternoon.
I mean, it's not like *he* was that scary, and I'm not exactly a tiny guy. I probably could have defended myself if I had to. But you never know what the person might have on them, a gun, a knife, a needle, a trained attack squirrel, who knows? What it boils down to is that now I'm a little frightened to go out at night, which really sucks. And I feel kind of stupid, because what if it was just some harmless old guy wanted to just talk. But at the same time, I do live in Chicago for chrissakes - murder capital of the USA. And you really never know about someone. So now, everytime I leave my apartment, I'm going to all paranoid and looking around to make sure I don't get dead.
Just as a comparison and to put you in my shoes a little, the last violent crime I heard about from my hometown was a girl who got killed by wild dogs. Just a little perspective.
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and trained attack squirrels are very scary.
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It's what I'd do.
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If he doesn't mean you any harm, there's no need to do anything.
If he does, you should definitely avoid looking like you're scared of him.
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