Has anybody else been followed by a random stranger?

had that a few times as an even younger teenager, "Oh, I don't mind" when telling them I was only 13, 14 etc

Yeah that.

"I'm underage"

"Oh, I don't mind"

"Well clearly I do or I wouldn't have told you so why don't you take a hint you predatory creep?"

Oh and that comment was from a female police officer

Sorry, meant to say 20 / 21

Yes, on my way home from school aged 10 I was followed by a man on a bike who made sexually inappropriate comments to me. I ran into a house that belonged to a friend of my Mum’s and lucking she was home and let me in. Again when I was 21 /21 a man would park outside my house and look up at my window every night. He would masturbate some nights. The police were useless “ maybe he’s just a taxi waiting for someone”. I ended up having to move and lose my rental deposit because I was so scared

Me too. Quite a few times and like others on this thread, mostly in my teens.

I was followed down a country lane as I walked from my house to a friends when I was 13. To get to theirs I had to climb over a gate with a private property sign in and walk across their back field. He followed, and as I quickened my pace he did too. I turned to look at him, he stopped but when I started to run he ran too. I did make it to my friends house, she was gone alone so we rang my dad to come over. The man stood outside staring at the house for some minutes until we heard my dads car pull up, then the man turned and walked quickly away.

My dad was raging, bundled me and my friend into the car, and we went off looking for the man. We found him outside a neighbours house. Dad had him pinned against the wall, bellowing at him about following teenage girls and what the hell did he think he was doing. He had some feeble excuse about wanting to see where I was going. Dad told him in no uncertain terms it was none of his fucking business where I went, but he’s certainly make it his business if that man ever did something so stupid again. I can remember being in awe of my dad; for believing me and sticking up for me, and also putting the fear of god into that man and making him feel the way I did when I was being followed.

Yep. Was walking the dog along the very busy riverbank at my mum's and realised this guy was following me, looked behind a couple of times to confirm it and he backed off. Took a route away from the riverbank to head back which loops back down onto the riverbank further back and coming down onto it I could see this guy hiding in the bushes presumably waiting for me to make a return trip along my previous route.

Ddog would have been bog all use as a protector, he was as soft as anything that guy!

Yes, several times when I was a teenager. One guy when I was 15 trailed me all through the shopping centre, until finally coming up to me and asking to go get a drink with him. I said no, I'm only 15, he said oh that's ok, I don't mind (had that a few times as an even younger teenager, "Oh, I don't mind" when telling them I was only 13, 14 etc). He then proceeded to continue to follow me closely all through 're shops, and only stopped when I went up to a woman with a pushchair and asked her if She could pretend to know me.

Followed on my way home from a night out in a busy city centre. Got to the point where I approached a young couple waiting for a taxi and asked if I could stand with them until the weirdo fucked off. They were really nice and the weirdo did indeed bugger off when he saw I had company.

I would report it to the police OP, someone else may have reported someone with a similar description doing the same.

I politely told a young man not to litter. (I was following him down the road and he was literally unwrapping stuff and dropping it on the ground). I work with teenagers so tbh I am used to speaking to them and telling them off!) He came up really close to my face and didn't say a word. He was young but a lot bigger and stronger than me. He then followed me close at my heels for 10 minutes until I went into a business to lose him. It really shook me up even though it wasn't half as bad as some of these. It was the realisation that he was determined to intimidate me. Of course I told dh and he said it was my fault.

Many times, as well as to every woman I know.

Since I moved to Korea, it has happened often, presumably because I'm a very visible minority.

Yes, was followed by a man on the tube last year. He followed me along the platform and then I changed carriages and so did he. We got on parallel escalators and I saw him whisper to his mate who turned round to look at me. Original guy then walked off and mate stayed. I lost him in the (very busy) tube station and ended up hiding in a phone shop next to the station for ten minutes before getting on with my journey.

Many, many times, starting at about age 10. The last time I was already in a bad mood so I turned around and said "what the fuck do you think you're doing?", which probably wasn't my best idea ever but luckily he was so startled he froze for long enough for me to vanish into the crowd.

The best ones are when you turn around and look, the look back and stop, and then you start moving again and they keep following, and they do that multiple times, each time looking right back at you like "what are you going to do about it?"

It's not an attempt at a pickup, they just enjoy scaring us and reminding us that we exist in public only for as long as men allow us to.

I was in a big clothes shop a few days ago - exactly the same experience.

After the whole “is he following me or not” I paid up quickly, left the shop and had to play “ducking into another shop” to avoid him.

It was horrible how vulnerable I felt - he first started staring at me on a floor with both men’s and women’s sections.

After clocking him/feeling uncomfortable, I went down a floor and crossed into the women’s shoe section to avoid him and after five minutes thought I’d lost him and was trying stuff on.

Lo and behold, I look up and he’s looking at women’s shoes in the next aisle

Like pp said, this “type” would quite happily do anything to get into women’s space/female changing rooms etc.

The thing is, this isn’t even an unusual incident or a notable one in being an adult woman (no make up, black tracksuit on - not that it should matter of course).

I actually remember being youngish and in a Marks and Spencer’s ages ago and had taken off my long black boots to try on some shoes (fairly worn ones, clearly not stock) . I walked to look at myself in a mirror and returned to find my boots had disappeared - and I tracked them down to an (elderly) cross dresser who claims he thought they were for sale.

These stories are so disturbing and I fear most women have similar stories. There is no shortage of creepy and entitled men and saying none of them will take advantsge of self ID is beyond stupid. Being unable to challenge a male in a previous safe place will be disastrous for women and girls

Not a stranger, but a former colleague. I was, unfortunately, very non-confrontational at this time, and had recently left the job due to his harassment (inappropriate comments on photots, and then him retrieving my email address from company files to email me an "apology" for his behaviour, before telling me I was "unreasonable" to throw away our friendship.)

He saw me in town, followed me, but also talked at me until I was able to get on a bus home. I still feel a huge wave of discomfort when I see him.

Yes, many times. Followed on foot and in car, flashed at, don't even know how many times starting from 12 years onwards. All of my flashers have been wanking as well, don't know how common that is. I reported a couple when it's happened in parks just because there are kids around but the police couldn't have been less interested.

I'm nearly fifty now so ofc it happens less frequently but the last time was only a couple of months ago. I went into a local shop - it was only streets away from my house - and told the owner I needed to stay in there to get away from the guy.

I agree that it's about scaring women and having power over them. There is no way that this behaviour could be even an inept come on. These guys know exactly what they're doing.

OP I would report but I'd also resign myself to nothing being done about it. It doesn't count as a hate crime either even though you'd have to hate women and girls to act this way towards them.

Yes. A few years ago I was in the queue in Ikea and there was a man in front of me in the queue. He then left the queue and was just hanging about in front of the tills. I paid for my purchases and walked out. He followed and was walking towards the carpark, but when he saw I was walking out of the shop, he changed direction and followed me out of the shop. I then went into the Co-op over the road and suddenly I spotted him hanging about in the supermarket section, not looking at the produce or buying anything. Now I was feeling v uneasy and thought about telling the security guard, but didn't think I'd be taken seriously. I mean, what could I say, really?

So, I scooted upstairs via the escalator and escaped out of the other side of the shop. My suspicions were confirmed when I was quite a way down the road and he came out of the shop looking for me. I managed to turn the corner and escape into the crowd but it really freaked me out! I didn't know if he wanted to rob me or sexually assault me, but he was definitely following me! Shudder...

Indeed, it makes them feel powerful.

A lot of them really seem to enjoy seeing our fear.

I was around 13, and noticed a guy- red, curly hair- following me in my local town. I didn't tell anyone, just walked and walked. Went into an independent store that my parents and I had been in the week before and went straight upstairs to a mezzanine type area. He came in shortly after, and spoke to the owner. I hurried out and decided to get the bus home. Walked about 500 metres to the bus stop. Waited in line. Turned around...there he was. Decided to walk home, and at that point he gave up. I think he just enjoyed seeing my fear. Utter wanker.

Report it to police op, there's bound to be CCTV in the shops and carpark that capture him clearly....and if he is bold enough of follow you so openly, what is to say he won't do it again...he may know where you live but you only noticed him on the shop....I would tell the police

Yes! I have, from age 8, and upwards, experienced being followed by strangers; in slowly driven cars and on foot.
I'd say 'random strangers' but in all honesty, it doesn't feel that way. Not now that I look back and consciously realise, these weren't all different kinds of men and women from various, random demographics: Every weirdo creep who's followed me has been an adult male.
An older, white-looking, adult male.