To think this was very scary?

[Eggsforb]

Was out walking my dog at around 11.30am on a grassy area away from the road, my dog stopped to sniff and so as i waited i happened to look around me and there was a man kind of half jogging behind me towards me. I looked right at him and he stopped and started walking. There was no one else around. I immedietly dipped out the side onto a side road that links to a main road and started walking very fast. My dog wouldnt budge though and was staring back and sure enough he had also come out after us and stopped walking towards us again when i turned around and almost acted like he was lost or confused but i immedietly crossed over and continued onto the busy main road.

AIBU to think he was running up behind me for shady reasons? 😦

The likelihood is that was probably out and minding his own business wondering why you were giving him weird looks

Think your over thinking it to be honest, he was just speed walking/jogging, maybe he doesn't like crowded places or was scared himself. As for your dog who knows their funny things.

Doesn't mean you weren't right to go to a safe place, if ever something feel even slightly wrong better to be safe than sorry. Rape alarms are cheap and easy to carry in future

I have no idea what motivated him or if he was a threat. He wasn't very subtle if he was creepy. Trust your gut though. You felt uneasy, you got out of there. Better to be wrong and have avoided a situation you didn't feel safe in unnecessarily, than to ignore your gut and regret it.

He was running up towards me, and stopped when i turned around. It was a bit unnerving with no one else around. If he was power walking why did he follow me out onto the side road and not carry on his path? I did not give him a funny looks for gods sake.

I feel the first part may have been innocent and he stopped coming towards me as it may have seemed odd. The second part was definately off though. He then walked back the way he came which also makes no sense

There's a certain type of man who enjoys intimidating women in this way. They post about it online, and clearly get a lot of enjoyment from it.

Similar happened to a 15 year old girl yesterday in my area. Same response as you've had "poor men, they can't even look at a woman nowadays" etc etc.

The likelihood is that it was nothing. Dogs stare sometimes, my dog stares and won’t budge if he sees an unfamiliar car parked on the road.

So for context he jogged up behind me, stopped when i seen him. Followed me out onto the side road and then went back the way he came when i seen him again.

It was also very obvious he wasnt out jogging for exercise based on how he was dressed.

How is anybody supposed to know?

Yeah whether it was threatening i dont know but it was very off, if he was confused or something i dont know.

My dog does that all the time so i didnt mean she picked up on bad vibes or anything, just that im glad she made me aware he was behind me

Couldn't that be the response to every post on this forum? I was merely looking for opinions on the experience.

I agree, that does sound scary OP.

I believe you, sounds dodgy as.

That does sound off. Dog thefts are very high at the moment so I'd wonder about that as well as him coming after you. On the other hand, it might be that he realised he was scaring you and that was why he turned back the other way. I was out walking my dog at dusk once (many years ago when I was young) and a guy behind me, also with a dog, called out 'I'm so sorry, I've just realised that it looks as if I'm following you. I'm not, and I'm going the other way now'. I hadn't even realised he was there but I was very grateful, and kept my wits about me a bit more thereafter.

Trust your gut feelings - yes he sounds like a weirdo.

No one can possibly know what he was doing but better to be safe than sorry.

That would worry me too. I've been followed a couple of times and it's so so frightening. Just be aware next time, be aware of your surroundings. But to be honest I don't think I'd go back there for a bit, I'd be too scared.

It could quite easily be someone jogging along minding there own business who recognised you were feeling uncomfortable what with all your turning around so decided to go in a different direction to you

Not everyone's out to harm you and many men recognise that women might feel uncomfortable so will cross the road or go a different way

That does sound abit unnerving, but you did the right thing by walking out towards the main road. It's best to trust your gut in these type of situations.

Op I would report this to the police It is not normal behaviour and the next person may not be so lucky.

@stepuporshutup
report it and say what?!

This

If you felt scared then it was scary no matter his intentions. Hope you feel OK now.

Whetheryouthinkyoucan
Tell the police op was afraid and that his behaviour was bizarre. If only more people reported odd behaviour maybe there would be less assaults or worse.
Sorry if you have a different view to me but it does not mean either of us or right or wrong