Bit freaked out after being followed by a random in car. What was that all about??

[BlakeCarrington]

I’ve just got home after a bit of a scary experience and am a bit freaked out so would value your opinions.

I live rurally and I live alone for sad reasons I won’t go into. Well I say alone, I have a lovely and massive ddog so it just me and him.

I just drove out to the nearest open shop which is about 15 mins way. I take the windy and isolated country lanes route because it’s beautiful round here and if I’m lucky I might see an owl, pheasant or deer.

As I was coming back through the lanes just now, fully in the dark and barely any other cars usually, there was a car following behind me. I went on for a while then pulled over into a passing spot to let them through so I could go on at lowish speed (30mph) without lights up my backside and keep an eye out for wildlife. The other car passed me.

I carried on then 100m later on the same car was pulled over into the next passing spot in the lane so I drove past and carried on. Other car then pulled out and followed behind me.

This is starting to freak me out as I’m in the middle of nowhere without ddog and they seem to be playing silly buggers. So I put my foot down along a straight stretch, and so do they, so I think they’re definitely following me.

I decide I’m not having it and not being intimidated by an arsehole behind me, so I pull over at the next passing spot for them to go past. And they stop in the road and wait about 50m behind me. I wait 5 mins and so do they

I’m a bit scared now. Why the hell are they following and then loitering behind in this isolated spot?? I pull out abruptly and do a straight stretch, they bloody well follow, so I do to a do a v sharp u turn/ reverse at the next turning so I am then back turning right towards them at the little junction iyswim (no I cannot do a diagram I’m afraid, don’t know how that all works!!)

Anyway, when I did my almost handbrake turn and was going to turn back towards them they drove up to me at the junction to block my right hand turn. I wound my window down a bit and said what the f is your problem? I am thoroughly freaked out at this point. It’s a bearded guy alone in the car who says through his wound down window “wait there, I want word with you”.

I am not bloody well waiting there. I immediately pull forward and round him, scraping the he’ll out of my car in the hedge I drove into to do o, and then I sped off down the lane fr too fast me terrified of see his headlights behind me.

WHAT THE HELL??!! Did I over-react? I was really scared. Surely if it was police or something and they’d had a legitimate reason they’d have said so?? (It was a dark escort type car, one driver with mobile on a mount).

What do you think that was all about? Usually I feel confident and secure, but I like I said I live alone and this happened not far from my house so I’m a bit perturbed. Am I just being paranoid or is a bit scary?

This happened to me many years ago and the other driver followed me very many miles and I eventually drove to a friend’s place. Sadly friend was not home and creepy driver parked in the car park of the block of flats a few cars over. I waited till he got out and then drove away as fast as I could. Go somewhere busy if it happens again @BlakeCarrington

How terrifying. You did really well op.

I got a front and back dashcam last year and it definitely gives peace of mind. Not just for creeps but also for reckless driving that seems to be on the rise.

Please report it, he will highly likely do it again.

Looking into buying a dash-cam they're very confusing!
Some don't have a SD card so you have to buy that as well?
Halfords will fit one for a minimal £55 price. Argos have a 20% sale on them.
I guess buy one with excellent reviews and ask Halfords or my garage to fit it?

@Lurkingandlearning This is a really good reminder re the Police. I'm the type who would do what I was told if the police pulled me over so it's good to keep it fresh in my mind re driving to the nearest station x

He thought you were weaving & drunk?
who knows.

I was followed for ages by a man on a motorbike, my eldest who was only 3 months old at the time was in the back, it was really scary as I had been lent the car by my Dad and it was quite a big Saab and I couldn't drive it very well so hats off to you as you sound skilled in doing that. I was in a fairly rural area, pulled over for him to pass but he didn't, in that moment I quickly rang DH at work and he told me to drive to the station near where he worked and he'd meet me there. So I did and the bike man followed me all the way into the city. It was only at the station he drove off. My DH met me and his boss had come with him. His boss said to me to drive to the police station if it ever happened again but that advice is probably not going to be applicable to you by the sounds of it as very rural.

Oh sorry, see this advice has been given

Christ OP that sounds so frightening and I imagine you probably still feel unsettled this am.

I’d also like to add to the small number of posters suggesting your driving may have triggered road rage or that he probably wouldn’t have hurt you … I’ve been driving for almost 30 years and have often been irritated by what I perceive to be too slow driving.

I would never use that as an excuse to choose, at night on a desolate road especially, to spend time driving in a way to deliberately frighten another driver. Not ever. This choice in itself tells you this man could easily switch from harmless to dangerous. It’s highly nasty behaviour and especially to a lone woman, I think indicates a potentially very dangerous man.

Apologies OP as still catching up on thread so may have missed this but please please report.

Abso fucking loutly.

Sounds like you perhaps upset him at the shops somehow. Doesn't excuse his behaviour. Put it behind you and forget it now.
If it happens again then drive straight to a police station.

Sounds like you perhaps upset him at the shops somehow.
I would guess thats it's pobably because OP is a woman and driving in front of him on a rural road. That would be a good enough reason for plenty of knobheads.

Thanks all for your answers and concern. I’m ok thanks, ddog kept me company last night. I was scared last night, but this morning I’m puzzled and pretty pissed off at the nob for deliberately intimidating me which I think is what was going on. I’m shocked to hear the other stories, I didn’t realise this was a thing.

I wondered whether it was a road rage thing, but I wasn’t crawling along, I just wasn’t bombing down the lanes like some do. And I pulled over to let him past as soon as could after he first came up behind me, so wasn’t holding him up. I wasn’t driving badly or drunk or weaving or anything.

I also wonder whether it’s someone who knows me or has an axe to grind and who recognised my car. But I haven’t fallen out with anyone, and if they did want to say something why chase me through lanes at night to do it?

So annoying that some stupid damn bloke thinks this is acceptable for any reason. It was probably innocuous but I guess he was getting some sort of jolly by freaking me out. I’m going to have a chat to my neighbour today to see if he’s ever heard of anything like this. I don’t want to be a time waster but I think I might call 111 too, although I didn’t get the reg or anything so probably nothing they can do.

You can report online pretty instantly, you just have to start a web chat, I do it a lot for work and it's much quicker than calling 111.

I'm glad you're not as scared this morning. If I was you I'd be taking my dog on any late night shop trips!

Glad you're ok and have your lovely dog xx

I would suggest letting 111 and your neighbour know, so they have a point of reference if he pops up again with anyone else (you have enough details to identify even if not a reg no).

I wouldn't assume the worst though in terms of worrying yourself. Yes it sounds weird but , he could have got worked up with road rage then though 'oh shit, I need to put this right, she thinks I'm an evil stalker'

Maybe you ran over an animal of his ?

Where we live, you have to do 6 turns from the main road until you reach our street.
I was on way home from nearby city once with DC in car and upon leaving the city, until you arrive in my town, it’s just one road and then you have 6 turns, as I said, from the main road to our street. The entire time from when we left the city, the same vehicle was in front of us. Obviously I kept a generous distance between us and didn’t think anything of it. As I was turning off the main road to head towards our street, the car in front is doing the same. Must live near us. Then as I’m on turn 4 of 6, the car just stops. In the middle of the road, blocking it, and a very angry man comes storming over to my car and shouts angrily, demanding to know why I’m following him! I couldn’t believe it! I calmly told him I live on x street and I’m just on my way home from x (city) and asked what I’ve done wrong? He did not believe me and began calling police! It really was a surreal experience. Thankfully another car arrived behind us, so he was forced to move his car and so I took my chance and drove off to the sound of his shouted expletives. I never did get a police officer at the door but what a waste of police time that would’ve been.
OP, it honestly sounds like he was just angry that you were driving slowly but I can totally see why you were freaked out. I would’ve just given him the run around or driven to the nearest police station but perhaps that wouldn’t occur to me in the moment. We never do know how well react until we’re actually in a situation

That is scary. From the first bit - and I suspect you were thinking the same - are they following or are they just a nervous driver that doesn't like being the frontline in country lanes? I've seen that before.

But obviously his actions after that really show that was not his intention at all. If you haven't, I also think you should report it. It doesn't sound innocuous at all - if it was - when you opened your window he could have just said "your exhaust is hanging off" or whatever it was he thought he needed to tell you. But he didn't.

Hope you're not feeling too shaky today. This reminds me of when a man followed me and SPAT on my car as I didn't let him go at a crossroads - it was my right of way btw. He tailgated me, beeping and swerving until I pulled into a petrol station, terrified and crying (PS I was only 18) and when I came out there was a big gob of snot on my car door. This was 25 years ago so just tells you how upsetting it was.

What did the police say when you reported it?
The next woman might not be so lucky.

Oh don't be silly. If that was the case he would have flashed her, she would have noticed, and crucially - he would have bloody said so when OP opened her window!

Why is there always one person determined to find fault in the person who has been terrorised?

Please report it @BlakeCarrington - it may seem like an isolated incident, but it could also be that he’s done it before, in which case the police need to be able to build their case.

@OldCottageGreenhouse OP, it honestly sounds like he was just angry that you were driving slowly but I can totally see why you were freaked out. I would’ve just given him the run around or driven to the nearest police station but perhaps that wouldn’t occur to me in the moment. We never do know how well react until we’re actually in a situation

She pulled over TWICE for this exact reason.

Even if that did piss him off, it does not justify his reaction AT ALL and quite frankly, particularly given your person story, I am flabbergasted you have written that in defense of his behaviour?

In future do not engage with people like this - I mean the pulling in etc. Drive straight to the nearest public spot. It's not safe to play games with these lunatics. It must have been very scary.

Don't report to 111 - that's the NHS. 101 is the police non-emergency number

Definitely not a over reaction I’d report it to non emergency number

101 I meant!!