Upsetting encounter with mentally ill man, he spat on me

[Ldnmum276]

I've just had an upsetting encounter with a local well known character in the town centre. He has mental ill health and substance abuse issues.

The reception you get when you pass him varies depending on how he is on any given day, he's either chirpy and saying hello to everybody / stopping traffic so women with prams can cross the road.. or behaving aggressively to passers by.

I've just been for my daily cycle and stopped at a shop for a drink. When I came out to unlock my bicycle he approached me shouting and got right into my personal space, because he was so close to me he actually spat directly into my eye.

I'm not sure that the spit was intentional (though he was being deliberately aggressive) but that would be no comfort to me if he gave me covid or god knows what else.

I'm a small woman with a very obvious pregnant bump and must have looked terrified but people (men!) just glanced and walked on by.

I managed to get on my bicycle and make a hasty exit when he turned his attention to another person walking past.

I'm home now and my eye feels a bit sore but that could be because I've rubbed it that much

Not an AIBU as such but I'm feeling a bit shaken up and wanted to get it out somewhere.

Nothing can be done really can it?

I'm going to be on edge whenever I see him now which is fairly often. He's never targeted me before today, infact I've actually bought him food a few times as harmless as I thought he was.

Ah - I see from a previous post that this is the same person from Catford!

That’s not true

If his mh is declining there maybe a build up of instances and they could become more aggressive. Op may have not been the only person he has been aggressive to today and other have reported

If he is forensic his team will certainly very quickly be involved. I am quite sure I know who you mean he is often very friendly but last week I saw him at the bust stop shouting at cars I avoided eye contact he went straight towards the man that was staring at him

Many times he has just says hello and will be friendly towards children (if it’s the same guy he isn’t a big guy) another unwell man around is a much bigger man when I have seen him I have always felt wary of

It’s so sad and I’m sorry you experienced this

And ring 111 just to put hour mind at rest. I know often staff get checked out when they have been spat at (irrelevant if it’s intentional or not) I’m sure be fine though but understandably you are worried (and when pregnant we few more vulnerable)

Unfortunately things appear to be really bad in the area at the moment

they can do blood tests for hep and other things and i really would advise getting a covid test

@Dazedandconfused28

I live in Catford and it's 'F'

I don't mind saying where I am as I name changed before I posted and will do again before I post anything else identifying.

Sorry to hear you've had similar experiences with him, it's good to know you called it in to 101 too though. The more people who do this the better. I bet plenty have too.

@OhWhyNot

Yep that'll be him, F.

I regularly see him when I'm out getting my shopping at least twice a week. The last time he was in a great mood and helped us across the road (not that we needed it mind) and said hello to the children. He was really upbeat and polite.

Totally different person today unfortunately.

Another unwell man around is a much bigger man when I have seen him I have always felt wary of

I think I might know who you're referring to there too, does he have a grey/black beard and always has a carrier bag with him?

He frightens me and I've always crossed the road when I see him coming as I've seen him screaming in so many people's faces. I haven't had a direct encounter with him thankfully but what I have seen is very scary. It's so sad.

Ironically I was never scared of 'F' until today.

Oh I thought it was Fritz when I read this before I even seen where you were! Sounded exactly like him, I’m in se London as well and he is well known in the area.

This is what happens when a person who is so obviously unwell is treated as a local “legend” (two seconds on local FB groups will tell you all you need to know).

OP you’ve done nothing wrong - but it is a good idea to be wary and keep away. He’s not a colourful character - he’s a very unwell man

Hello fellow locals.

Yes I've seen the Facebook groups. I did some searches when I got home to see whether anybody else had experienced the same from him but all I could see were dozens of post lauding him as exactly that, a local legend.

I'm going to avoid him at all costs from now on, especially as I usually have my children with me when I see him. I'm just pleased i was on my own today. My eldest (who he often waves to in his pram) is autistic and would have been terrified today.

Oh sorry this has happened to you op.
I'v also been spat on by a homeless man when I didn't have any change, I would of been beside myself with worry had I been pregnant at the time.
I'v also had a woman scream in the face of my DC who was a toddler in a pram at the time. DH had to physically remove them.

So sorry you went through that Mabel, it's a real worry when these things happen isn't it. Your poor DD too.

Well I've woken up today with a god awful sore throat. Coincidence?

I have my 20 week scan today aswell ffs

Spot in your eye isn't a GP job, it's A and E for prophylactic medicine (if assessed as appropriate/safe for you). I would suggest you prioritise this over calling the police at the moment. I hope you are ok, it must have been frightening for you

Oh no @Ldnmum276 I really feel for you, could you speak to the midwife on the phone before you Go?

I'm not sure I'd be able to wait around in A&E as my DS will need picking up. I'll speak to the chemist and my midwife and see what they say. I'm really pissed off

How are you @Ldnmum276 did you get the scan OK?

Oh OP I'm so cross on your behalf.
The system is letting a lot of people down it seems.
My advice would be to report it everything you see him acting in a bizarre or threatening manner. MDT meetings usually only happen when enough services are receiving an outlandish amount of complaints.
And fwiw I was so frightened by a patient the other night that I walked off and cried, even though I had back up with me and was in no danger of a real attack.

Poor you @Ldnmum276 that sounds very upsetting, hope you're ok. I've just googled him and I see what you mean by 'celebrity' he has quite a history.

Poor you OP. Hopefully all will be well.

DP and I had a horrible experience where a local man threatened to kill him for “looking at him the wrong way”. He absolutely lost the plot and chased us down the road! Before long someone posted about him on our Facebook community page with a similar story and a few others said the same had happened to them. Turns out he has a problem with men in particular.

Loads of women stuck up for him on the page saying they know him and he’s lovely (to them!) and how mean everyone is and isn’t it awful no one is helping him. Someone else then said actually he’s refusing all help, won’t accept supported accommodation as it’s not in the block he wants. Not easy is it.

Thanks ladies

It's all a bit bonkers isn't it. Somebody in urgent need of intervention being hailed as a legend because of his unstable mental health.

I did get to have my scan, but I'm not well at all. My throat is incredibly sore, my neck hurts and I feel really rubbish.

I don't know whether it's the original virus/illness I had for a week (and seemingly recovered from) coming back with new symptoms, or whether I've caught something from his spit.

I can't get a doctor's appointment for the life of me.

You need to be quite dramatic with the GP surgery. Tell them you are pregnant and have been exposed to bodily fluids from a high risk individual putting the health of yourself and the unborn child at risk, have been feeling unwell since, and therefore require urgent appointment with the GP. Either that or attend an NHS walk in (but I don’t know if you need to have phoned 111 to be seen there at the moment).

@Ldnmum276

Thanks ladies

It's all a bit bonkers isn't it. Somebody in urgent need of intervention being hailed as a legend because of his unstable mental health.

I did get to have my scan, but I'm not well at all. My throat is incredibly sore, my neck hurts and I feel really rubbish.

I don't know whether it's the original virus/illness I had for a week (and seemingly recovered from) coming back with new symptoms, or whether I've caught something from his spit.

I can't get a doctor's appointment for the life of me.

The social media stuff does have a bit of the Bedlam sideshow about it. And it doesn't help the poor person - like in the example I know, when the guy was seen with a knife one day so someone hit him with a metal pipe and now he's brain injured. It need never have come to that. I hope you manage to get an appointment OP, you will probably have to be quite pushy at the moment.