tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043218774901097459.post5523451837173703634..comments2015-04-09T00:29:55.561-07:00Comments on Lucid Parenting: Casa del ViejoSane Momhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11600133896398188870noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043218774901097459.post-21704383506326526412011-11-11T02:58:13.011-08:002011-11-11T02:58:13.011-08:00@Sarah P.H.: I think that as women we're socia...@Sarah P.H.: I think that as women we're socialized to be polite, which can make it even more difficult to tell a creep to get lost. Being pregnant would make that even more difficult, since provoking a confrontation is the last thing you want to do when you're that vulnerable. I'm glad your creep disappeared -- what a relief that must have been!Sane Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11600133896398188870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043218774901097459.post-87775636911117280452011-11-10T21:49:33.482-08:002011-11-10T21:49:33.482-08:00I had kind of a similar experience one time, when ...I had kind of a similar experience one time, when this strange (possibly homeless) man at the train station insisted on walking me home. I'm pretty sure he meant well -- in his mind, he was probably just protecting a heavily-pregnant woman after dark -- but it went way beyond my comfort zone, and it didn't help when he made some weird and vaguely sexist remarks along the way. He was there loitering the next few evenings trying to strike up a conversation, and bizarrely accused me of "cheating on him" one time. <br /><br />My strategy became to just smile and nod and keep on walking, largely ignoring him. I didn't feel safe around the guy, and I had a similar reaction in terms of adjusting my walking route and feeling resentful that one person could change how I felt about my own neighborhood. Thankfully it never came to a confrontation, and he sort of just disappeared after a while, but I probably would have done exactly what you did (call the police to report someone harrassing me) if it came to that.Sarah P.H.http://freestylehomelife.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043218774901097459.post-63085455013018782642011-11-10T11:25:18.735-08:002011-11-10T11:25:18.735-08:00@misshum22: I'm glad you agree that avoidance ...@misshum22: I'm glad you agree that avoidance is the best policy, even if it feels like defeat. It's hard to know what the "right" thing to do is sometimes, but as soon as the cop said "emotionally disturbed," the game changed for me. This wasn't just a battle of wills, it was a potentially volatile situation. There's no way to predict what a mentally ill person will do or how far they will go. The best I can hope for is that he'll move away eventually. Until then I'll just swallow my pride and try to enjoy my walk.<br /><br />Thanks for the feedback!Sane Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11600133896398188870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5043218774901097459.post-43071553313165396582011-11-10T09:41:40.653-08:002011-11-10T09:41:40.653-08:00I would have done the same thing. Including step o...I would have done the same thing. Including step one: be obliging and awkward for the sake of not hurting a strangers feelings. <br /><br />It's one thing to have control, but it's not worth it if the guy goes berserk or pulls a weapon with Han there, waving away in his stroller. If the man is mentally unstable, you need to be "invisible" to him, so I would avoid him altogether.<br /><br />I am not a paranoid person, but I grew up in the city of Chicago and have had run-ins with unstable people. The types that are prone to violent outbursts are the same folks who do weird, delusional things like what you are describing. The best thing to do (since you can't lock someone up for being creepy) is to try not to be on their radar. Let him focus his angry fantasies on someone else. You have to protect your son.EM Humhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01971835153997691761noreply@blogger.com