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AIBU?

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Frightened

366 replies

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 11:01

Just been into the local cemetery walking my dog, and felt uneasy about a man who seemed to be watching me.
He went to one grave down the bottom of the hill, went to another all while watching me, he didn't have any flowers or nothing for anyones grave. He appeared to be talking to himself.
He slowly made his way up towards the hill towards me, at this point my back where to him. I felt really uneasy, so faced towards him and he was staring at me and I felt really intimidated he stopped at another grave and then faced me again staring. I felt is was not quite right and my gut instincted was going, so I decided to abandon my walk with the dog and run back to the car. Got in the car and locked myself in and come back home.

OP posts:
Suzuki70 · 01/10/2024 12:17

ExhaustedHousewife · 01/10/2024 12:15

To visit you? Since 11am this morning? Wow,that's incredible 😲

I'm fairly sure she means round to the cemetery...

Ilovemyshed · 01/10/2024 12:16

For those rolling eyes and saying don't report it.... this guy made the OP feel threatened and frightened.

There MAY be something odd or sinister, there may not.

Reporting it to 101 flags an incident onto the police database. If someone else reports the same at another time, it flags again, creating patterns.

Police might do a check and speak. May have already done and the OP would find out.

Maybe it COULD prevent an attack on someone.

Basic precaution isn't a bad thing. What happened to sisterhood?!

ExhaustedHousewife · 01/10/2024 12:15

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:13

@ExhaustedHousewife they were very understanding and have sent a patrol round.

To visit you? Since 11am this morning? Wow,that's incredible 😲

notacooldad · 01/10/2024 12:14

Just because you think it's ok to dog walk through the cemetery, doesn't mean that it is.
Why is not OK?
Our cemetery has dog poo bins in several places and a sign reminding people to pick the dog poo up.
They are not banned.

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:13

@ExhaustedHousewife they were very understanding and have sent a patrol round.

OP posts:
IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:12

@InferiorDesign thank you.

OP posts:
ExhaustedHousewife · 01/10/2024 12:12

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:04

@ExhaustedHousewife I have logged it with 101. Felt a bit daft explaining that I was unnearved by a man in the cemetary.
They was very understanding & are going to do a patrol round.

I bet they were laughing up their sleeves!

hotpotlover · 01/10/2024 12:12

Isn't it horrible how men can make us feel so scared?

SallyWD · 01/10/2024 12:11

If he was talking to himself I'd imagine he was mentally ill. Whether he was dangerous or not, you'll never know.

ItWasOnAStarryNight · 01/10/2024 12:11

"I'm not going to stop walking my dog in the cemetary just because some people like yourself find it disrespectul.
Its not, its perfectly normal."

And there we have it. I am going to do what I want because I can. Even though you have told me that it upsets you and other bereaved people and I know this, I will continue to do so because I don't care.

Selfish and entitled.

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:10

@yousexybugger i'm going back with my friend tomorrow.
Also I had the dogs muzzle with me, my dog most likley wound not bite any one. I just take the muzzle as a precaution. My dog hasen't bit anyone for over 9yrs it was an isolated incident.

OP posts:
Feelinadequate23 · 01/10/2024 12:10

definitely trust your gut. He's clearly a weirdo. Maybe avoid that location for a couple of months in case he comes back.

Sorry OP, men are sh1t! (yes, NAMLT etc, not my Nigel, yawn)

ItWasOnAStarryNight · 01/10/2024 12:08

Just because you think it's ok to dog walk through the cemetery, doesn't mean that it is.

Entitled dog walkers taking up paths (and sometimes leaving dog shit or flicking it into bushes) walking where my loved ones are buried seems thoughtless and unnecessary.

I'd be thinking "is she going to a grave or just walking her mutt here because she can? And why on earth is she staring at me like that?"

InferiorDesign · 01/10/2024 12:08

I had something similar once, not in a cemetery but in a quiet walking spot while out with my young teen son and my dog.

it was a very strong sense of “wrong”, he didn’t do anything other than stare and I have never been more relieved to see another dog walker.

it felt so wrong I reported it to the online equivalent of 101, and was astonished to get a call back immediately and then a visit.

they said they were checking some background and it may have tied in to something else.

a few months down the line our local paper ran a court case where he was found guilty of sexually assaulting a young teen boy.

clearly my description of him and his behaviour rang very loud alarm bells with an active case which they couldn’t tell me about.

moral of the story, trust your gift of fear.

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:07

@alexdgr8 you are entitled to your opinion on weather dogs should be walk in cemetaries and I am entitled to mine. I'm not going to stop walking my dog in the cemetary just because some people like yourself find it disrespectul.
Its not, its perfectly normal.

OP posts:
yousexybugger · 01/10/2024 12:07

What do you want people to say? This man, who you believe was exhibiting signs of MH issues had the intent of causing you harm?

He didn't do anything wrong. You felt uncomfortable and left. great. You were staring at him too. Maybe he felt uncomfortable. People with MH issues (if indeed that's what he has) aren't usually a risk to others.

If you don't feel safe going back, don't go back but stop pushing for someone to agree 'yes, the man in the cemetery was talking to himself. He was probably a murderer. You had a lucky escape. What a dramatic story '.

You're the one going around with a known biting dog without a muzzle.

notacooldad · 01/10/2024 12:06

I would have done the same.
It could have been nothing but it's not worth hanging round to find out.
If you feel uneasy in a situation it's best to remove yourself.

If it's innocent, there's no harm done.

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:04

@ExhaustedHousewife I have logged it with 101. Felt a bit daft explaining that I was unnearved by a man in the cemetary.
They was very understanding & are going to do a patrol round.

OP posts:
Giggorata · 01/10/2024 12:04

I think: always trust your instincts.

Also don't think there's anything disrespectful about walking a dog in a cemetery, so long as cleaning up happens. Some of my friends' dogs have attended funerals of their owners or friends.

alexdgr8 · 01/10/2024 12:03

because other people do something does not make it right.
and surely you have your own standards, bye laws are a very low bar as to personal behaviour.
there is no bye-law about being kind or considerate either.
or respectful probably.
do you just ignore all those concepts because there is no bye-law.

XDownwiththissortofthingX · 01/10/2024 12:03

Ilovemyshed · 01/10/2024 11:19

Report to 101 so it is logged for future reference.

Future reference to what? The National "people seen in cemeteries" police database?

IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:02

@DramaAlpaca thank you.

OP posts:
IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:01

@Chocolatebuttonsandprosseco I don't know, I felt very unnearved. Just glad I went on my gut instinct.

OP posts:
IveGotToGoToMeDads · 01/10/2024 12:00

@alexdgr8 I am going to contine to walk in the cemetary, but I am going to be taking my friend who as agreed to come with me tomorrow.
There is nothing disrespectful about taking my dog for a walk in the cemetary. Loads of people go in there, and like I say there is no bylaw in place at present.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 01/10/2024 11:59

You did the right thing in trusting your instincts.

Hope you're OK.

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