To get the chills from someone I barely know at all?

[bloopingbleeping]

Had my hackles rise and a strong feeling someone I hardly know is not someone to be trusted.

(I do experience anxiety to some degree already, but it’s more of a “overthink and worry” type, not being physically cold and shaky like this). I don’t believe this person is a danger to my physical safety, but I’ve hardly ever felt this unsafe even around people I know I couldn't trust.

Please tell me about times your intuition reacted to someone and whether you were wrong or right. Preferably more mundane, everyday relationships, not the rare cases of someone encountering a serial killer.

Why are some posters so dismissive about people's reaction to Jimmy saville? I had no idea who he was as was watching the top of the pops 2 as a child. Just felt he was creepy and got bad vibes. Some people are more tuned in than others. 🤷. They sound so sneery saying cool story bro. It's not a cool just very sad actually. Power corrupts and all that.

Was it Jack Monroe?

My auntie had a rescue dog that absolutely hated my grandad. My grandad was a lovely man, never harmed anyone.

It turns out the dog’s previous owner was violent to the dog, and he had a very similar height, build, and look to my grandad. Clearly my grandad very much reminded the dog of its previous owner, and triggered it.

It’s why I don’t but the whole “dog’s know when someone is bad” thing. It’s not always accurate. They react to things and people who remind them of past trauma, just like we do.

The last time I got a truly bad vibe from someone to the point I hated being in the same room, I later found out he has attempted to kill his parents…

I had that feeling when I met Jacob Rees Mogg.

I've never met him or his wife - but I agree they're an odd couple.

Jimmy saville loathed him BUT for good reason.

Early 70s radio 1 roadshow came to our area. I was 14 not allowed to go but my friend was with other friends of varying ages that we all knew. She went to the caravan to get his autograph , pretty blonde admitted immediately. She came out screaming my brother said. Sexual assault had occurred. The lads went to tackle him BBC security stopped them .

The BBC knew and enabled in 1970

Friend was out on her motorbike, two guys on their bikes were behind her and she got a horrible sense they were following her. When she reached a roundabout one came to the side and the other behind. She was suddenly quite scared. Next roundabout they did the same and she got the distinct impression they were trying to herd her. Left turn was a factory, straight on was an industrial estate (quiet, out of hours) and right was turning to town. She suddenly feared they were going to force her into the industrial estate so she quickly nipped left into the factory and when she approached the gate, told the guard. Of course there was no sign of the bikers. Luckily the security guard was diligent and let her in. He went to the cameras and there they were, two bikers now joined by a quad bike with two other people, sitting at the side of the road in the industrial estate watching the entrance to the factory. Police were called and could not have been less interested, did not come our or indeed ever call friend back. Security guard said there was a spate of motorbike thefts where groups of bikers were harrassing riders, or knocking them off the bike and the spare rider on the quad was able to steal the bike.

Friend would not normally have been freaked out by other riders around her or in her vicinity but something about their look or behaviour triggered her fear which enabled her to plan an escape.

I know this isn't an answer to your question OP, but, pragmatically, there's unlikely to be any downside whatsoever from preserving enough distance to keep yourself safe.

If there is (e.g. you have to be completely alone with him for work and it's hard to change jobs), but you want to ask for advice discreetly, name change and post in "30 days only"?

No I don’t think his wife knew she was lovely. She had a breakdown at some point

my nan always said she found him creepy but I don’t think for one minute she thought he was a danger it was different times

Years ago I worked with a bloke who totally gave me the creeps. He had never done anything untoward to me and I never heard of anyone else saying anything concerning about him but I literally could barely bring myself to be civil to him. Have absolutely no idea if this feeling was ever warranted and I feel quite bad for the poor bloke if it wasn't but I couldn't stand to be around him. Have never had that feeling before or since and through work I've knowingly met some very unhealthy people.

I'm not someone who is overly imaginative or nervous but ..

I was working in market research; we held evening events when a group of people would be paid to come and discuss eg a new design of car. They got drinks and sandwiches and were paid for their time.

One evening I was clearing up after the session, alone in the building as I'd been many times before. I suddenly had a real deep sense of dread; not logical at all. I was due to leave the building alone to walk to my car about twenty minutes later.

DH was at home with three young children in bed so I couldn't ask him to come out. I phoned my friend's husband and asked it he'd drive round to stay with me until I'd finished work, which he kindly did.

We were chatting in the kitchen when the front door bell rang, and one of the men who'd taken part in the discussion group was on the doorstep, saying he'd left something behind and could he come in and look for it. Nothing was there though. My friend's husband appeared in the doorway as he came into the meeting room. I'm not sure what would have happened if he hadn't been there. The guy had a quick look round and left.

So what made me so anxious that night? I'm not aware of noticing anything creepy about that man but did I subconsciously sense he was dangerous? If indeed he was. Very strange.

I used to get the creeps by this guy I’d see walking around my neighbourhood then one day when I was out with our dog the dog stopped about 10 metres away from him and was barking like mad (very unlike the dog to do this) nothing has been confirmed about this man but he looked at me and I looked at him when the dog was barking and it was like it was unspoken that he knew I knew something was off about him. I get that some people will rubbish claims of instinct but I would urge you to connect with your body, instincts and gut as it is the best guide.

References to dogs, and trusting them...

Happened to me as a child. We were looking after my Uncles German Shepherd dog. Very placid, she was about 8 years old and I'd never heard her growl, ever.
2 blokes working in next doors garden. She wouldn't take her eyes off them and was growling and barking like mad. Mum eventually got the dog inside (which was unusual as the dog was normally really obidient). When mum eventually went back outside, one of them had hopped the fence and was trying to break into the shed.
Not the crime of the century, but the dog knew they were "wrong 'uns"...

A relative (not by blood) took me out for by birthday for lunch with a few others . It was an 18th so I had my first drinks. I obviously had very little tolerance and was very drunk, very quickly. As we got home, the same relative followed me into my bedroom and straight away, despite being drunk I knew that something was wrong. I walked over to the stairs to remove myself from the situation and I became completely sober, just like that. I didn't even know that was possible but I feel like my body and brain saved me from something else.

I found out six months later that they regularly raped and physically abused their partner.

When I was younger aged 20ish, I got on the wrong bus after a few drinks. The bus driver offered to drop me home at the end of the bus route. I got in his car out of politeness because at that age I didn’t question authority... He went to get something and my whole body just screamed at me to run. So I did. No idea what would have happened otherwise…

My psychologist friend told me about "presenting". Humans are very sensitive. You only have to hold eye contact for half a second too long to make someone uncomfortable. They include information on how people present in their assessments.

Trust your instincts. Use politeness and civility as a cover, not a shield.

@Myhorseishoarse

TheDogthatDug
I've only ever met one person who made the hairs raise on the back of my neck and that told me that I needed to get away from them. Thing is they were extremely high profile and it eventually came out that they were a wrong'un. I know I'm not going to be believed but it was Jimmy Savile. Trust your instincts.

As a child he gave me the creeps. Yes I never met him, but I never understood why my friends loved his programme. My best friend wrote to him, asking if he could fix it for us to meet Danny la rue. I prayed that would not happen.

^^^^

THIS

I liked the show but he gave me the creeps
As a young child I thought's wouldn't let him put his arm round me , the way he did with the kids on the show - ugh

Always trust your instincts of course if you're in any kind of potentially dangerous situation - but there can be a million things that you could pick up on that mean nothing.

Someone standing too close to you to talk? Someone with 'shifty' eyes that doesn't look at you? - more likely to be autistic no matter what 'dodgy' signs you're picking up.

I got very uncomfortable vibes off a couple of my uncles. Neither ever did anything at all to me and there was never anything to suggest they were bad. They just weren't my sort of people. The more you hear about paedophiles and other bad people the more you start looking at everyone and wondering about them.

I think also when it comes out that someone was bad, most people will say they knew it and actually believe they knew it even if they'd never thought it before. It's just how people's brains work.