Unnerving encounter with a random man today

[Ebok1990]

I was out walking the dog. Daylight. Quiet ish residential road. I was walking along minding my own business. Man came round the corner on his bike, saw me and swerved straight across the road to me. My dog gets lots of attention, so I'm pretty used to people stopping and talking but he immediately put me on edge. He made some random small talk. I responded and went to move on. As I did, he lurched his bike forward to block me. I jumped out of my skin. He laughed at me. I felt so trapped and on edge. I was definitely in freeze and fawn mode. I grabbed the dog and abruptly turned around and walked back the way I'd come. So ultimately it's a non-story. Nothing happened, he didn't follow me. I looked round and he was cycling off but it's made me realise that I'm totally unprepared if anything were to have happened. I wouldn't have been able to shout, scream, run away, fight, anything. I was so shaky afterwards and so cross that he'd forced himself into my day.

Having a dog can benefit you here. You can train it to e.g. bark at a raised fist, which might scare off a lot of men.

Yes it might be one of those situations where yo get a call in 4 months asking to do an ID parade or for more details.

something similar happened to a friend (someone snatched her bag while
she was cycling) and months later they found her card with other stolen stuff, she then got asked to ID him.

I've got a dog. He's not the type you can train to be aggressive. In fact, whilst all this was going on, the he was leaning affectionately up against the man's legs and I was trying to pull him away. I've had dogs my whole life. I used to work border collies. I've been considering getting a big dog I can train up for a while, so I can go for walks and feel safe. I resent it so much that I don't feel safe and that men restrict my life.

Its definitely not a non story @Ebok1990 , I would guess 99 out of 100 women have had similar experiences, I certainly have. Its intimidation pure and simple.

Probably a good idea. A nice big Doberman, Rottweiler or Alsatian would be a good plan.

The man is an insensitive arsehole.

Have you mentioned it to any locals? Like via social media or whatever - somebody might know who he is

I would report it. The action with the bike, he was showing very clearly that he wanted to be a threat. A smiling threat.

Sorry this has happened to you. This brought back an awful memory of something similar when I was younger walking home from school. I was cornered by a man on a bike, pushed against a fence and then he started to try to grab my hand, putting his arms all over me saying he wanted to be my boyfriend 🤮 Thankfully some people came around the corner and I managed to shove him with my back pack and run off. I was terrified for ages he would be there each day when I left school. I never told anyone as I felt so embarrassed!

My daughter bought me a small pepper spray that's attached to my dogs lead it's red and I think men seeing it puts them off but I would not be frightened to use it despite it being illegal !
It's also illegal to attack or harass people so in my view it's justified!
Maybe get one and use it as a deterrent and don't be afraid to stand strong and be vocal !

That's awful and I'd definitely report to 101. I used to live in a nice part of suburbia-think decent demographic, old disused railway line, parks, huge houses with large, dark driveways. My own modest semi had a gate - like many others - opening onto the disused railway line and periodically we had issues with men in bushes (my mother caught a flasher outside our house one day and gave him a real dressing down in the only way my mum could - fearless and furious - but over a period of 50 years in that area we have had a few attacks including rapes - largely around the train stations that link us up here. It has made me SO hyper aware of men. I don't trust any man who is walking a rural path without proper walking gear and/or a dog. I've met some real oddities walking my own dogs but now I've upgraded to Newfoundland I feel safe for the first time. She wouldn't bite, but she'd block and jump. My little Labrador would get roused by her energy and probably jump, scream at him and hopefully I'd get away. She's a handful but not guardy. I feel I'd like German Shepherd by my side for the rest of my life these days, but sadly I don't think my health could deal with bringing one up now.

I've just reported it to 101. She couldn't have been any nicer or professional. She took it seriously, asked loads of questions and said I'd definitely done the right thing in ringing them. Hearing myself describe it out loud made me realise that it wasn't nothing.

I walk my dogs on my own, and I make sure I have a personal alarm. They are very cheap on Amazon. I attach it to my bag that contains my phone and poo bags. I also bought some pepper type spray. Apparently the one I bought isn't illegal, but I wouldn't care if it was. It is there for my safety. I would deal with the police later.

I live alone, and I have a spray in my bedside table too.

Glad you reported, OP, being harassed and intimidated by a man is not a non story.
If he tries this again his next victim may be able, along with your description, to get some action taken against him.

I had a scary experience in a forest walking my dog, and luckily got away by knowing a hidden path (yes, potentially a VERY dangerous move to have made!) my dog would also have been useless. Big lump of a golden retriever.

As I said upthread, I do carry spray and always felt somewhat more confident having it on me. Yesterday relieved me of that false sense of security though. If he'd have made a move to actually attack or assault me, there'd have been no time to grab it. Plus, at what point do you use it. There's still a chance I misjudged the situation and he was just a plonker who had no ill intent towards me and he gets a face full of spray for no reason. I also wouldn't be able to run away, as my dog can't run and is too heavy to pick up, so then I'd be dealing with an angry guy who I've just assaulted.

I'm getting more and more cautious about where I walk my dogs, in my younger days I'd have been confident that I could kick a man and run, but I'm old and knackered.
Recently I was walking in some woods, lovely wide paths, autumn so crunchy leaves underfoot.
Dogs off leads. I always put my dogs on the lead if people are about, and check my surroundings frequently because one of my dogs loves people and he's a nuisance following them for a fuss.
And suddenly I was aware of a man about 3' behind me, scared the life out of me.
The only way he could have got that close without me or my dogs hearing him was if he was literally walking in my footsteps.
I told him that he'd made me jump, he just ignored me and walked past.

@Ebok1990 glad you have reported it

My concern with certain sprays is that it might be used against me. If I was going to carry something, I think the identifier spray directed at clothes might be okay. I imagine it would make somebody run off. I don't know what happens if they get hold of it and try to spray it in your eyes.

I don't carry anything like that. I have a personal alarm but I actually don't have it on me all the time. if I'm coming home on a late train, I have it.