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I live in a nice neighborhood. Really, I do. Both neighborhoods on either side of my apartment complex are filled with lovely, middle-class houses. There is very little crime, and everyone is so friendly on the bike bath that I use to walk Ferguson every evening. There is a small street that you can turn down as soon as you exit our complex. It's a side street with a vacant field to the right and the back wall of a large condo complex along the left. It's not traveled a great deal, so I decided to walk Ferguson down it this morning. It's about half a mile until you get to the next intersecting street.
Anyway, I thought that one would be able to talk a walk at 10:30am on a Saturday morning without being harassed. Apparently not. As I was walking down the street, a truck pulled up alongside me. A man in his 20's was driving. He stuck his head out and began talking to me as I continued down the sidewalk. The very short conversation:
Man: Hey. (garbled words that I can't understand)
Me: I'm sorry, what did you say?
Man: What're you doing?
Me: Walking my dog.
Man: (garbled words)
Me: I don't understand you.
Man: Oh, sorry. I'm kind of drunk.
Me: Oh.
Man: Hey, I just want to talk. Do you want to talk to me?
Me: I can't. I'm walking my dog.
Man: I just want to talk. I don't have anywhere to go.
Me: Sorry about that, but I really can't. I have to walk my dog.
Man: Oh. Sorry.
He proceeds to follow me for several more yards. No conversation, just staring. Finally, he waved at me and sped off. He nearly hit a car at the intersection, but escaped unscathed. I suspect he pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot around the corner because when I turned the corner to go the opposite direction he drove by again and beeped his horn at me.
Ugg. In hindsight, what a stupid asshole. However, at the time, it was a bit disconcerting. I was alone, there was no one else within sight, and I had no way to protect myself if he decided to jump out of his truck. Well, I'd try to kick his ass, but I really didn't want to mess up my day by getting into a scuffle with a drunk.
I relayed the story to Jason when I got home. He's decreed that I have to bring the pepper spray when I go for a walk now.
Anyway, I thought that one would be able to talk a walk at 10:30am on a Saturday morning without being harassed. Apparently not. As I was walking down the street, a truck pulled up alongside me. A man in his 20's was driving. He stuck his head out and began talking to me as I continued down the sidewalk. The very short conversation:
Man: Hey. (garbled words that I can't understand)
Me: I'm sorry, what did you say?
Man: What're you doing?
Me: Walking my dog.
Man: (garbled words)
Me: I don't understand you.
Man: Oh, sorry. I'm kind of drunk.
Me: Oh.
Man: Hey, I just want to talk. Do you want to talk to me?
Me: I can't. I'm walking my dog.
Man: I just want to talk. I don't have anywhere to go.
Me: Sorry about that, but I really can't. I have to walk my dog.
Man: Oh. Sorry.
He proceeds to follow me for several more yards. No conversation, just staring. Finally, he waved at me and sped off. He nearly hit a car at the intersection, but escaped unscathed. I suspect he pulled into the 7-Eleven parking lot around the corner because when I turned the corner to go the opposite direction he drove by again and beeped his horn at me.
Ugg. In hindsight, what a stupid asshole. However, at the time, it was a bit disconcerting. I was alone, there was no one else within sight, and I had no way to protect myself if he decided to jump out of his truck. Well, I'd try to kick his ass, but I really didn't want to mess up my day by getting into a scuffle with a drunk.
I relayed the story to Jason when I got home. He's decreed that I have to bring the pepper spray when I go for a walk now.
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