How about you learn to READ?!

[AdvancedFlea]

It's probably wise not to anyway, you don't need a complaint of stalking - which
...

it would have been fun though...to get out my car and BEAT the asshole XD

Yeah, Not condoning violence,... I've seen the thing, it looks pretty vicious.

I have an aluminium baseball bat in my car boot too. It's actually for plasying baseball but useful for keeping unwated people away...not that I condone violence ^^

Let me get this right: This guy followed you in his car after uttering threats against you? And he's not in jail or a shallow unmarked grave? You have more patience than I do.

At the very least I would have phoned the cops and had them pull him over, and followed that up with an utterance and stalking charges.

I have a hell of a lot of patience, probibly more than I should do

the trouble is, in this country, it is illegal to drive and talk on a hand-held mobile phone. I had my hands-free kit but it wasn't paired with my phone.

[wynjara]

In my state (NJ) it's illegal to drive while using a handheld phone unless

"the operator has reason to fear for his /her life or safety or believes that a criminal act may be perpetrated against him/herself or another person, or the operator is using this device to report to appropriate authorities a fire, a traffic crash, serious road hazard, medical or hazardous material emergency, or another motorist who is driving in a reckless, careless or otherwise unsafe manner or who appears to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs." (quoted from a press release from our senator/assemblymen)

Wonder if there's something like that in your laws too?

[AmericanZero8503]

In my state (NJ) it's illegal to drive while using a handheld phone unless

"the operator has reason to fear for his /her life or safety or believes that a criminal act may be perpetrated against him/herself or another person, or the operator is using this device to report to appropriate authorities a fire, a traffic crash, serious road hazard, medical or hazardous material emergency, or another motorist who is driving in a reckless, careless or otherwise unsafe manner or who appears to be driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs." (quoted from a press release from our senator/assemblymen)

Wonder if there's something like that in your laws too?

Where, oh WHERE is that law in Indiana? I got behind a swerving slow moving ditz the other day, when I go to pass her...the bitch was TEXTING! WTF?!?

Pull over for that.

[Mark Healey]

No, see, Petrol costs too much and with the fuel protests, I have about a weeks supply of fuel in my car (full tank) then thats it, no more. so I am not wasting petrol stalking a guy ^^;

What is this fuel protest of which you speak? Some kind of boycott?

I'm fortunate. My commute is 40 paces.

[xaenon]

it would have been fun though...to get out my car and BEAT the asshole XD



I have an aluminium baseball bat in my car boot too. It's actually for plasying baseball but useful for keeping unwated people away...not that I condone violence ^^

I have a hell of a lot of patience, probibly more than I should do

the trouble is, in this country, it is illegal to drive and talk on a hand-held mobile phone. I had my hands-free kit but it wasn't paired with my phone.

Under the circumstances, I believe the law would make allowances for your use
of a cell phone while driving. Legislators and judges have to realize that there
are conditions where using a phone to summon help is a necessary thing.

I don't mean to threadjack this discussion, but this hits a little close to home for
me, and I'd like to offer a few tips for those who feel they are being followed:

1. REMAIN CALM AND RATIONAL.
In most cases, if someone's following you, he's only out to rattle you. If he
can't rattle you, he'll lose interest. In any instance, you need to be able to think
clearly.

2. 'TEST' TO SEE IF YOU ARE REALLY BEING FOLLOWED.
Detour through a loop of a few city blocks, returning back to your original route.
If the suspected stalker follows you through this loop, it's time to take action.

3. CONTACT THE AUTHORITIES IMMEDIATELY.
Provide as much information as you can gather - license plate number, description
of vehicle, description of driver if possible, your location and direction, ANYTHING.
Stay on the phone and update the dispatchers with your location and direction frequently.

4. CONFINE THE CHASE.
If at all possible, keep the chase to a small area, ideally to a few city blocks. It
will make it easier for help to find you. If that's not possible, head for a public,
well-lighted location where there are lots of people. Stalkers HATE witnesses
and will probably abandon the chase. NEVER NEVER NEVER lead a stalker to
your home, workplace, or any place you frequent. You don't want to make it
easy for them to find you again.

5. AVOID HIGH SPEEDS
This is where it gets dangerous. Attempting to outrun someone who's following
you exposes you to all manner of risk. Tensions are high, and you might be
tempted to try maneuvers that you'd never attempt normally - and the higher
the speed, the greater the chance you'll lose control. Also, the higher the speeds,
the harder it is for help to find you. Unless he's trying to force you off the road,
don't try to outrun.

6. DO NOT CONFRONT.
A confrontation can easily spiral completely out of control, leaving you in an even
worse situation. The fact that the stalker is even doing this is a good sign that
he's not quite stable, and there is no telling what that person might try to do, or
what weapons he might have. Better to let the authorities deal with him.

These are just the high points - the most important thing is to THINK and THINK
CLEARLY, and to get to safety.

[AdvancedFlea]

In my state (NJ) it's illegal to drive while using a handheld phone unless....

No, our laws state that it is illegal to drive while using a hand-held mobile phone, PERIOD. Many cars are now coming with a bluetooth system in the car radio so you can pair your phone with the car and use the car radio for handsfree calling.

What is this fuel protest of which you speak? Some kind of boycott?

I'm fortunate. My commute is 40 paces.

basically, every so often we have "fuel protests" the first one we had was in the year 2000 where lorry drivers barracaded the refineries, stopping the lorries getting in and out. People went out and "panic" bought petrol ,casuing the petrol stations to run dry AND there was an organised "go-slow" on the motorways

the next fuel protest we had was 2004, an organised go-slow on the main motorways, where the protestors deliberatly went to the media and said "we are going to recreate the chaos of the year 2000 protests" so ofcourse, the media repeat that and everyone assumes that they are barracadeing the refineries again...not the case. everyone goes out and buys as much petrol as they can legally store, causeing even the petrol station I worked at at the time, which was having deliveries every day, to run out.

Now the drivers who drive the lorries that deliver the fuel to the stations are on strike. less people are panic buying but, 3 days before the strike and the petrol station down the road from where I live has NOTHING. The operators words to me were "We have what's in the pipes, then thats it. the pumps can't pump that though"

Under the circumstances, I believe the law would make allowances for your use
of a cell phone while driving. Legislators and judges have to realize that there
are conditions where using a phone to summon help is a necessary thing.

I don't mean to threadjack this discussion, but this hits a little close to home for
me, and I'd like to offer a few tips for those who feel they are being followed:

....

yes, all this I knew. the thing is, I am one of those people who is VERY good at thinking on his toes. when faced with a situation like this, I know to only have a go at the person if I am sure I can take them, I know to remain calm and not drive like a maniac...well...any more than I usually do. anyway, the situation is over now.

[smileyeagle1021]

To add to Xaenon... another good trick is if you have confirmed that the person is following you, if at all possible stick to as crowded area as possible, most crazies are still smart enough to know that they don't want to try something somewhere where there is a good chance of there being a good samaritan (though sociological studies have shown that people are more likely to be a good samaritan when there isn't a crowd, something to do with crowd mentalilty but anyway....) another trick that I've heard is to pull into the nearest police station, and if that isn't possible pull into the nearest high traffic place with survielence cameras (gas stations work well), once again they may be crazy but they have no desire to be caught.

[AdvancedFlea]

To add to Xaenon... they may be crazy but they have no desire to be caught.

it's the old "safty in numbers" way of thinking. Hence why I pulled onto the fly-over. it's busy.

[Ill_Used_Heroine]

I wonder what would happen if, after explaining x amount of times that "I don't work here," you tell them:

Hmm ... if I did actually work here, I'd be making about $8 bucks an hour, so how about you give me some money, and I'll help you? And, since I don't actually work here, even though you absolutely refuse to believe me, there's no guarantee that I can help you and you definitely can't have your money back. How about it?

I bet they'd leave you alone after that. Probably forever

[AdvancedFlea]

I wonder what would happen if, after explaining x amount of times that "I don't work here," you tell them:

...

I bet they'd leave you alone after that. Probably forever

I'm gonna try that one the next time I'm acosted in Comet XD

[protege]

My friend carries a metal baseball wrapped in barbed wire in his trunk. He's never used it, it's mostly for show. When he has pulled it out, his attackers usually think "oh shit, you gotta be completely psycho to carry a barbed-wire wrapped bat", so they tend to leave him alone.

I have something similar in my workshop. This is an 18" piece of pipe with a 4 or 5 inch spike welded across the top. Not sure what it was originally made for, but it's great for beating the shit out of equipment. Crude, and to quote my father "pretty fucking scary-looking"

But seriously, I had someone attempt to follow me home from school once. He wasn't successful--I knew the territory very well, and got him pretty lost. Oh, and I'm sure his car took quite a beating on the old mining roads. Ended up losing him in the shadows somewhere near the PA-WV border

[AdvancedFlea]

But seriously, I had someone attempt to follow me home from school once. He wasn't successful--I knew the territory very well, and got him pretty lost. Oh, and I'm sure his car took quite a beating on the old mining roads. Ended up losing him in the shadows somewhere near the PA-WV border

There was this girl (Vicky) I went to college and worked with. She and her boyfriend (allthough she's now a lesbian) were...shall we say "fucked up" ? (Boyfriend: Chris)

I was at the petrol station one evening, just putting some in the car before driving down to the halesfield industrial estate, Telford Halesfield is about 20 miles away from my house) I know halesfield well, but I have got lost around there a few times, and at that time, it wasn't mapped on any satnav. Anywho, I ran into vicky. it was the usual "how're you, what you doing now" etc (this was after I had left college and quit from supermart) we parted ways, I told her I was off home. No idea why I lied, but I did.

anyway, I got in my car and started to drive down the cannock road towards the M54 and noticed their car in my rearview mirror. I thought to myself "They're following me....Nah, I'm paranoid." so I turn off up a small side road hardly ever used "...Nope. They're following me" so, I turn back onto the cannock road and head to the motorway thinking that no one in their right mind is going to follow me once I get onto the slip-on road for the motorway...i was wrong. they followed me all the way there.

Thing is, when I was followed there, that kinda gave me an advantage because I know halesfield isn't very well mapped, I know it like the back of my hand and I happen to know that it's full of little back roads that are not obvious. They follow me into the middle industrial esate at which point I really open up the throttle as I go around a bend. I got around that bend and litterally two-wheeled it around another, between 2 industrial units, then around the back of them. I switched off the engine and lights, then waited and listend. I heard vicky whineing that they were now lost, so I pushed my car out the other way, up to the main road, and drove away

by all accounts, they were stuck in telford for 2 hours xD

[Jester]

...is it possible for a guy like that to call up YOUR company and complain how you treated him while still in their(your company's) uniform?

Well, the SC in question did not know the OP's name, as the OP's nametag was not on by his own accounting. All he knew was the company name and what the OP looked like. And, frankly, the SC was being an ass, insisting that the OP help him at a place the OP did not work at. The OP's company would have to be pretty fucked up to get the OP in trouble for THAT.

I'm not talking about customers who actually try to look for something and then ask for help. I'm talking about the ones who walk in the door, walk up to the first employee they see, thrust their shopping list in the employee's face and expect the employee to walk them around the store to every item on their list.

I actually DID do something like that once, though not quite with the attitude you describe.

I was in Seattle during my tour of the country in '98-99. It was July of '99, and my sister's wedding was in NY in September of '99. I wanted to get a jump on other wedding guests for gifts, and had a printed copy of their registry from a particular store. I saw this particular store in downtown Seattle, and decided to take care of things then and there.

So I strolled in, knowing full well that it would take me forever and a day to find all this specific stuff, and also knowing that the staff would be far better at it than I would. (Some of it, frankly, I had no idea what it was.) So I walked up to the nearest staff member and said, "Hi. I'm an idiot. I need some help." They laughed, and asked what I needed. I showed them the registry, and said I needed some stuff on it for the wedding, and also needed it shipped to NY. (Space in the Jestermobile was at a premium, and I didn't want to haul all this crap around the country, especially since some of it was fragile.) They asked what specifically I needed. I indicated one of the categories within the registry. They asked what within the category I wanted. "All of it. I want the whole darn category. I'm wiping it out!" And that is when they understood why I needed their help. They were kind of amused.

As I was friendly and polite and patient, they seemed to have no problem helping me in my quest, and I was out of the store (with my wallet somewhat lighter) in a timely fashion, knowing I had just done a good thing, AND wouldn't have to worry that someone else had beaten me to the punch. Though I would have liked to seen the look on someone's face who had been planning to buy something from that category, had seen it all unpurchased one day online, and the next day, all gone!

But yeah, generally lazy people suck.

[AdvancedFlea]

Well, the SC in question did not know the OP's name, as the OP's nametag was not on by his own accounting. All he knew was the company name and what the OP looked like. And, frankly, the SC was being an ass, insisting that the OP help him at a place the OP did not work at. The OP's company would have to be pretty fucked up to get the OP in trouble for THAT.

The trick to that one would have been to gamble on the fact I was lieing. if he had have NOT followed me, just driven up to the nearest store with my uniform (which was only about 3 minutes drive away) found me, name tag and all, THEN complained, makin up some bollocks about me being rude or somthing like that...that would have probibly worked.

[MoonChild2007]

Haha, while it IS funny that you told that guy off and eluded him from a rage chase, is it possible for a guy like that to call up YOUR company and complain how you treated him while still in their(your company's) uniform?

I'm just curious, because it would suck to suffer from the repercussions of that, even if you WERE off the clock.

Still giggling , though

To avoid that i would just take off my nametag or company shirt if i go to another a company. Thank god i work at a call center cause then customers can't put my face to a name!