To have walked away?

11 replies

PeppaPigBaconButty · 07/12/2017 23:01

(I'm 21 if it's relevant or not)
Today I was waking to my local shopping centre along a busy road. There was an elderly man at the crossing with lots of bags and he had just put them down so I was watching him wondering if he needed help. When I reached the part of the road he was at he said something. I had headphones so took them off. He said to me "hello" so I say hi are you alright back to him. "You've got a gorgeous smile" he said to me, in a very creepy way. Okay not too unusual I thought, could just be a friendly old man. He then asked me "do you want to come to mine and help me take this shopping back". I put my head phones straight back on and walked away.

It wasn't asking for help cause he needed it, it was downright creepy, and uninvited by me a 21 Year old! WIBU to walk away so quickly and judge?

It really made me think that these men accused years later of all these assaults that they could and probably do have the same predatory behaviours as elderly men as they did at 30!

OP posts:

JamPasty · 07/12/2017 23:04

Ew, you were definitely not unreasonable!!

Glumglowworm · 07/12/2017 23:12

Yanbu that sounds creepy

overnightangel · 07/12/2017 23:13

You 100% did the right thing

overnightangel · 07/12/2017 23:14

Just cos folk are elderly doesn't mean they’re not opportunist pervs

Original poster

PeppaPigBaconButty · 07/12/2017 23:15

I'd have never have gone, it really just made me think that these men are always the same. They don't grow into innocent old little men do they?

OP posts:

Thedriftofstars · 07/12/2017 23:17

Doesn't matter if you're 21 or 51, it's still uninvited.

constantlyseekinghappiness · 08/12/2017 06:47

Totally agree with overnightangel !

Some older folk can be just as pervy as younger ones, maybe more so because they think they can get away with it due to age.

If you felt it was creepy, and that was your immediate instinct, you were right to walk away!

BrizzleDrizzle · 08/12/2017 06:54

You weren't wrong, no. I'd have done the same. The chances are that he's probably lonely if he's elderly.

Collaborate · 08/12/2017 07:13

Is it possible that he is suffering a form of dementia? I know frontal temporal dementia can affect people's personality, and may explain his behaviour.

SabineUndine · 08/12/2017 07:26

Last year I was standing on a packed bus and a guy in his 70s was grinning at me from the other end. He manoeuvred his way up to me and grabbed my arm and said ‘can I hold on to you?’ I sort of backed away at which he snapped at me that he had to hold on to something. There was no need for him to grab me though.

No, they don’t grow out of it.

ragged · 08/12/2017 09:23

Yes he was weird.
The only U is that you had to ask here! For heaven't sake, he's not your responsibility.

Flip