Creepy Encounters: Reddit Stories That Don’t Add Up

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Anne Genduso: An Uber driver knows
your name and tells you to get in,
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but it isn't the vehicle you ordered.
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When ordinary situations start to feel
wrong, would you listen to your intuition?
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A stranger asks you for help,
but their story doesn't add up.
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Was it a scam, a lie, or
something more sinister?
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These creepy Reddit stories will leave
you wondering what was really going on.
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It's the start of spooky season,
and I've always thought that the
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creepiest stories aren't about
ghosts, witches, or even UFOs.
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It's those everyday situations
with people that just feel off.
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But here's the question: when
your gut tells you something isn't
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right, are you spotting a scam, a
lie, or something more sinister?
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Or are you just getting creeped out?
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Welcome to Nothing Felt Wrong, where we
share stories about scams, deception,
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and manipulation, and how ordinary people
get pulled into situations that feel
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believable until suddenly they don't.
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I'm Anne Genduso, and if you're fascinated
by deception and human behavior, come take
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a seat next to me at the Side Eye Society.
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Today, we're diving into some
Reddit stories of weird personal
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encounters that leave you wondering
exactly what is going on here.
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Let's dive in.
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So this first story is entitled, " US:
Man asked me to help charge his car.
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Seemed off." " I was charging
my car at a Tesla Supercharger
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when a man knocks on my window.
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His car is in front of a charging
spot, and he asks if I could reverse
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his car into a charging spot for him.
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He said he couldn't do it himself.
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The entire thing seemed off, so I
said no, and he just drove away.
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There were multiple open spots, so
anyone could reverse themselves without
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hitting another car next to him, and
he didn't even ask anyone for help,
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just drove away after asking me.
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I've been trying to figure
out, what was the scam there?
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Has anyone seen this before?" So this
one's disturbing because it could
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either be completely innocuous or the
start of something really sinister.
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So one commenter had said that
they've seen this play out before
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as part of an insurance scam.
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The scammer will ask you to park your car,
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park their car, and then they
claim you damaged it afterwards,
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collecting on insurance money.
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Another theory is that the man was trying
to get the original poster, OP, away from
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their car so then they could steal it.
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Or it could really have been
someone who's really bad at
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backing up in a straight line.
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I don't know.
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What do you think?
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Personally, I'm glad the OP listened
to their intuition because the
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man's behavior after the encounter
seems really super suspicious.
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If he needed help and he really
needed to charge his car,
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why would he just drive away?
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The next story also involves a vehicle
with somebody supposedly asking
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for help So story number two is
entitled What Scam Did I Fall For?
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A while back, driving down a fairly
major road in San Diego, I was waved
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down by a young woman standing near a
car pulled over to the side of the road.
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She seemed pretty frantic,
dressed in a hijab and traditional
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Sub-Saharan African attire.
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I, 64, female, know better than to pick
up randos on the road, but she was alone
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and seemed genuinely very distressed.
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So something came over
me, and I pulled over.
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She was very soft-spoken with
a strong West African accent.
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She said she had run out of gas and asked
if I could take her to a gas station.
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Okay.
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There were several at an
intersection about a mile away.
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On the way, she's very jittery
and won't put on a seatbelt.
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She said she was a college student.
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We pulled into the Chevron,
and she says she'd rather go
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to the Shell across the street.
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Okay, this is really weird.
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She goes inside for maybe a
minute and comes back out and
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tells me she just remembered
there was a gas can in the trunk.
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She gets back in my car, we loop back
around, and I pull up behind her car.
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She jumps out, runs directly
to the driver's side, and
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peels out, tires squealing.
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I'm kinda shook and wondering what kind
of idiot am I. Was she conducting some
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sort of business where she didn't want to
be in a vehicle that could be identified?
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I had her plate number and called
the police non-emergency line,
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which referred me to their website
to fill out an online form.
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Once complete, it basically said,
"Don't bother hitting the Submit
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button unless there was property damage
or threat of a personal injury." I
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monitored my bank and credit card
closely for unauthorized activity
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in the event she had an RF reader.
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What was going on, and
did I escape a scam?
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Wow.
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Honestly, Side Eyers, this one was weird,
and it creeps me out to wonder if the
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woman may have been trying to scam her
or make her an accessory to some sort of
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illicit activity at the Shell station.
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Like, was she dropping off drugs or
meeting someone briefly and didn't
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want her car to be recorded there?
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But why did she lie?
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I have no idea what happened,
but it definitely wasn't normal.
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So let's move on to another story
where a driver wasn't all that
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they seemed Story number three is
entitled What Was This Uber Scam?
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" I'm trying to figure out this Uber scam.
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I was in a European city late last week
after I left a bar and called an Uber.
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Got assigned a Tesla Model
3, which I thought was cool.
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He got close and then canceled,
so Uber reassigned another driver.
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It's about 10 minutes away, no problem.
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Then after about a minute, some random
car pulled up claiming to be my Uber.
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He knew my name, which is an
unusual name for that country.
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The license plate make and model,
though, didn't match either the
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original Tesla or the newly assigned
driver, so I refused to get in.
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He started shouting at me about
canceling and eventually drove
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off after shouting some more.
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After a few minutes, the second Uber
arrived and took me home without issues.
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So what was the scam?
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I don't get it.
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The original ride was canceled.
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The scammer could not
have gotten paid via Uber.
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Would he have tried to charge
me some exorbitant fare?
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How did he get my name?" Oh, okay.
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This one gives me chills all up
and down my spine, 'cause the fake
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Uber driver was obviously lying.
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But how?
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How did he get their name, and why?
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Was the second driver sending a
buddy a fare to pick up off the Uber
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platform so they could pocket the
money and without sending it to Uber?
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Did the man hack into Uber
somehow and try to get a fare
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before the actual driver arrived?
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Or was this the beginning of an abduction?
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So the biggest question I'm left
with is what would have happened
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if OP had gotten into that car?
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Let me know what you think.
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In this next story, someone did decide
to help a stranger, even though his
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gut was already telling him not to
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Okay, so moving on to story number four.
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It's entitled Pair on Nature Trail.
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Several years ago, I, male 25, probably
21 at the time, was taking an afternoon
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walk down the nature trail just
outside the subdivision where I lived.
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Note that this trail was right next to
a moderately busy two-lane road with
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some houses on the opposite side of
the road, so the area wasn't desolate.
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However, there was a line of trees
and foliage that stood between the
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trail and the road, obscuring the
view of one side from the other.
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So passing cars would not have had a clear
view of what transpired on the trail.
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At some point, I spotted a woman,
late 20s I'd guess, standing
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alone in the middle of the trail.
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She stood there and watched me
as I made my way down the trail
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towards her, and once I got close,
she asked me if she could borrow
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my cell phone to call someone.
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Now, I had already read enough scary
stories on subreddits like r/let'snotmeet
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to know about tactics like this.
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I'd heard the stories about how a woman
would ask for aid, get people in a
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vulnerable position, and then a man would
swoop in and hit the mark by surprise.
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I hesitated, but I still gave in
to the social pressure and desire
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to help another person in need.
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I gave her my phone
against my better judgment.
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I was, however, on edge.
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I tensed up and began looking
around the place to see if anyone
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would pop out from somewhere, ready
to react should someone show up.
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I also made a point to remain
standing in arm's reach of the woman.
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Then I hear rustling from the brush.
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I instantaneously turned towards the
sound and watch as a man, who looked
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around the same age as the woman,
notably quite short, probably around
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five foot five, emerges from the foliage.
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I was probably glaring at him with
very obvious suspicion as he made
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his way over to the woman, standing
at her side without saying a word.
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The woman handed me my phone back,
saying they didn't pick up, not
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even reacting to the man's presence.
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I took my phone and left What I
assume happened is that they were
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planning to mug me, but ended
up bailing for whatever reason.
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Maybe it's because I was visibly
on edge and they figured it wasn't
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worth trying to get the drop on me.
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Maybe the guy figured there was too
much of a size difference between us,
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or maybe he'd already put his plan into
action, made a little too much noise,
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and bailed while keeping a completely
cool face as he made his way over
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to his presumed significant other.
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For my part, I was ready to grab
the woman and use her as a human
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shield, maybe push her on him.
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Glad it didn't come to that, especially
given the outside possibility that there's
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some non-mugging explanation for this.
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Okay, so for me, none of this feels right.
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It had deception written all
over it from the very beginning.
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A woman just standing there
waiting with no phone of her own?
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A man rustling in the bushes?
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No, thank you.
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Nothing good could come from that.
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It's lucky that the OP had heard of
this mugging tactic before, so he
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was on guard from the very beginning.
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Because if that was what was happening,
being on guard might have been
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what made them change their minds.
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Maybe it really was a setup for mugging.
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Maybe the guy came out too soon,
realized OP was already watching
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for him, and they abandoned it.
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Or maybe there really is some sort
of completely innocent explanation
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for why a woman needed a stranger's
phone while a man she apparently
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knew was hanging out in the bushes.
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I just can't think of one.
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And if you thought that decision to
help a stranger was questionable,
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wait until you hear the next one.
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Story number five, the rescued
woman and the odd circumstances.
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So the quick backstory is that it's
about twenty thirteen to twenty fourteen,
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and I'm living in San Jose, California.
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I'm quite the weed smoker, and this was
before recreational cannabis passed.
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So I and my friend were downtown
going to one of the cheaper
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places to get me a cannabis card.
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Nothing was remarkable.
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The day was fine, completely unmemorable,
aside from what happens next.
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Upon walking to my car with my friend
from the clinic, a woman rushes to us
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and frantically begins pleading for help.
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She claims a small group of men tried to
rob her for her purse, and she claims she
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just escaped, but is also fearful they're
looking for her, so she begged for a ride.
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My friend implored me to help, and the
woman was by herself in broad daylight.
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She didn't seem to be a threat.
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Now, at the moment, I'm caught by
her little story, and with the sort
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of rush of the situation, I quickly
gave her the benefit of the doubt.
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I simply let her in the car
and decided to drive off.
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On the drive, my friend is
making small talk with her.
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I then start more actively
assessing the situation.
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This woman is suddenly calm as a cucumber
and pleasantly engaging in small talk.
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Something seems off.
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I bring up the notion
of informing the police.
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After all, it is broad daylight,
and if there's ever a chance to
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catch them, it would be right then.
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She's safe in my moving car.
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But no, she shrugs off the notion with
a degree of passivity that is striking.
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She's in a good mood.
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She is far from withdrawn.
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She is talking about all sorts of random
stuff with a smile, like the vibes of any
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common sociable person on a pleasant day.
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We decide then that we will
drop her off at home, and she
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will reward me with some weed.
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I didn't really need the weed, but she
said she already had it on her, and
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she wanted to reward me for the help.
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She insists.
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I start remembering the
moment she ran to us.
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She must not have been running for more
than 15 seconds because she never had
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to catch her breath in the slightest.
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I'm no fitness expert, but it doesn't
take a doctor to know when someone is
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in fear for their safety and running
for their life, there is a heavy
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demand that gets put on the body.
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00:13:16,515 --> 00:13:19,836
I may as well have just picked
her up from a leisurely stroll.
229
00:13:20,432 --> 00:13:24,395
Out of nowhere, she rolls down my
window and lights up a cigarette.
230
00:13:24,921 --> 00:13:29,663
Now, I actually smoke cigarettes too,
but it is the most basic respect to
231
00:13:29,681 --> 00:13:31,641
ask before you even light up in a car.
232
00:13:32,158 --> 00:13:34,810
I wasn't even smoking
one myself in the car.
233
00:13:34,810 --> 00:13:37,321
I tell her that I did not
give her permission to smoke.
234
00:13:37,672 --> 00:13:42,285
She says, "It's okay, I'll ash
out the window." Like, WTF?
235
00:13:42,775 --> 00:13:45,514
I tell her clearly to put it out now.
236
00:13:45,936 --> 00:13:49,475
She then just quietly
and shamelessly refuses.
237
00:13:49,987 --> 00:13:52,019
In my mind, I just say F it.
238
00:13:52,471 --> 00:13:55,653
Something is up with her, and I
just wanna get her to where she
239
00:13:55,653 --> 00:13:57,419
has to be and move on with my day.
240
00:13:57,748 --> 00:14:00,078
We then approach where
she says her home is.
241
00:14:00,220 --> 00:14:03,682
She says it's in this apartment complex
on the street we're driving down.
242
00:14:04,335 --> 00:14:08,022
I am feeling glad I can drop her
off and rid myself of the feeling
243
00:14:08,030 --> 00:14:09,542
of creepiness lingering in me.
244
00:14:10,182 --> 00:14:13,811
The next part, though, is where
I have my biggest questions.
245
00:14:14,302 --> 00:14:17,932
Instead of just waiting on that
street, she adamantly requests that
246
00:14:17,933 --> 00:14:22,586
we pull into this shady little motel
right next to the apartment complex.
247
00:14:23,321 --> 00:14:26,301
At this point, I'm wondering why
she's requesting the motel when
248
00:14:26,302 --> 00:14:30,474
there is clearly room on the street,
but I feel I can get her out of
249
00:14:30,474 --> 00:14:32,238
the car if I surrender that much.
250
00:14:32,611 --> 00:14:33,901
So I pull in.
251
00:14:34,325 --> 00:14:38,440
The lot is small, and the spaces
are all full as much as I can tell.
252
00:14:38,891 --> 00:14:40,082
There's no place to park.
253
00:14:40,725 --> 00:14:45,172
As I drive down the lot, I see a group
of men standing in a circle talking
254
00:14:45,172 --> 00:14:47,392
to each other by a huge, nice truck.
255
00:14:47,808 --> 00:14:51,310
They are all well-dressed, not too
formal, but certainly professional.
256
00:14:51,747 --> 00:14:55,478
One of them turns around to make
eye contact with me as I drive past.
257
00:14:55,896 --> 00:14:59,675
He stares me down the entire
time I drive past the group.
258
00:15:00,197 --> 00:15:03,706
The only way to make exit at
that point is to flip a U-turn
259
00:15:03,730 --> 00:15:05,238
at a spacious corner in the lot.
260
00:15:05,610 --> 00:15:11,021
Upon flipping it, I drive back to where I
was entering, and the truck is gone, and
261
00:15:11,045 --> 00:15:12,823
all the men are no longer there either.
262
00:15:13,426 --> 00:15:16,413
I didn't take long at all
to spin my car around.
263
00:15:16,555 --> 00:15:19,668
In fact, I made deliberate
effort to flip around quickly.
264
00:15:20,172 --> 00:15:24,087
They literally all up and vanished
within the span of, like, one to two
265
00:15:24,088 --> 00:15:28,399
minutes at the absolute most They had
to book it out of there with urgency
266
00:15:28,404 --> 00:15:31,573
to have vanished like that, and there
were too many men for one truck.
267
00:15:31,621 --> 00:15:34,253
Like, seven to 10 people
were in that original group.
268
00:15:35,077 --> 00:15:38,134
Then the woman said to park
in the spot that the truck
269
00:15:38,137 --> 00:15:39,948
had just been at previously.
270
00:15:40,370 --> 00:15:43,818
She told me her weed was in her
room and she would go in and get it.
271
00:15:44,307 --> 00:15:47,325
This was actually different
than her original story.
272
00:15:47,365 --> 00:15:50,060
She was clear about having
the weed already on her.
273
00:15:50,466 --> 00:15:55,015
At this point, I'm just trying
to get her out and leave myself.
274
00:15:55,590 --> 00:15:57,229
So I tell her it was fine.
275
00:15:57,494 --> 00:16:00,197
I insist that I do not need
any compensation and she is
276
00:16:00,207 --> 00:16:01,711
free to just go to her home.
277
00:16:02,328 --> 00:16:05,814
She insists a few more times,
and I politely tell her it
278
00:16:05,815 --> 00:16:07,979
is fine over and over again.
279
00:16:08,575 --> 00:16:12,347
She gets more frustrated trying to
get me to park in that damn spot,
280
00:16:12,741 --> 00:16:17,031
and eventually she raises to a more
aggressive tone and says, " You are
281
00:16:17,031 --> 00:16:22,983
stupid." And I reply, "No, I just try
to be nice." That was the last thing
282
00:16:22,983 --> 00:16:24,848
she said as she walked out of the car.
283
00:16:25,395 --> 00:16:27,466
She left the cigarette
butt in the car, too.
284
00:16:28,266 --> 00:16:32,860
Truthfully, I don't know for sure she had
any sinister plans for me and my friend.
285
00:16:33,651 --> 00:16:38,143
My mind tells me that the men may
have tried to rob me of my car had I
286
00:16:38,146 --> 00:16:40,238
parked, but I can't say for certain.
287
00:16:40,428 --> 00:16:41,447
Maybe I'm paranoid.
288
00:16:41,912 --> 00:16:46,728
All I know is that she behaved in a
manner that felt very unsettling to me.
289
00:16:47,336 --> 00:16:47,628
Whoo.
290
00:16:48,387 --> 00:16:55,765
Okay, so this one was weird with a
capital W. So it seems to me like the
291
00:16:55,766 --> 00:16:59,569
woman was definitely lying because
after she got into the car, her
292
00:16:59,569 --> 00:17:04,400
behavior did not match up with someone
who had just narrowly escaped danger.
293
00:17:05,221 --> 00:17:08,573
Not to mention she was just plain
rude, lighting up a cigarette in
294
00:17:08,573 --> 00:17:10,809
his car and refusing to put it out.
295
00:17:11,609 --> 00:17:14,953
And then the story kept
changing on where to take her.
296
00:17:15,623 --> 00:17:20,903
So by the time they see a truck full
of men who suddenly disappear, it's
297
00:17:20,904 --> 00:17:22,968
no wonder alarm bells are going off.
298
00:17:23,384 --> 00:17:26,601
I can tell you one thing, I definitely
wouldn't have parked in the spot
299
00:17:26,602 --> 00:17:28,983
she insisted on, but what about you?
300
00:17:29,793 --> 00:17:35,337
Okay, and I have one last story for you,
and this one didn't come from Reddit.
301
00:17:36,261 --> 00:17:40,169
This is a clip with my friend
Lyssa, who had her own odd
302
00:17:40,184 --> 00:17:41,635
encounter in a parking lot.
303
00:17:42,187 --> 00:17:45,617
Lyssa: Can I share my story with
you on how your- Yes … podcast
304
00:17:45,627 --> 00:17:47,837
has changed the way I think?
305
00:17:48,587 --> 00:17:48,857
Um- Oh,
306
00:17:48,877 --> 00:17:49,317
Speaker 3: my goodness.
307
00:17:49,357 --> 00:17:49,737
Okay.
308
00:17:50,407 --> 00:17:53,457
Lyssa: So you know that I have,
uh, we have both been under
309
00:17:53,457 --> 00:17:54,737
the weather this past week.
310
00:17:54,777 --> 00:17:54,797
Mm-hmm.
311
00:17:54,797 --> 00:17:54,817
Yeah.
312
00:17:54,817 --> 00:17:57,197
And I finally… Oh, both of us.
313
00:17:57,367 --> 00:18:00,287
Um, so I finally got out of the
house yesterday because I went
314
00:18:00,287 --> 00:18:01,797
to go see Practical Magic 2.
315
00:18:02,607 --> 00:18:02,947
Speaker 3: Um- Oh,
316
00:18:03,277 --> 00:18:06,217
Lyssa: nice … podcast
sponsored by Practical Magic 2.
317
00:18:06,217 --> 00:18:06,502
Right.
318
00:18:06,502 --> 00:18:06,787
Speaker 3: Yeah.
319
00:18:06,787 --> 00:18:13,197
Lyssa: Um, and I go to the local outdoor
sho- You know what I'm talking about.
320
00:18:13,197 --> 00:18:13,957
There's a movie theater.
321
00:18:13,957 --> 00:18:15,257
There's an outdoor shopping area.
322
00:18:15,277 --> 00:18:17,557
So I'm walking down the… buy my ticket.
323
00:18:17,877 --> 00:18:19,857
I walk down the street.
324
00:18:20,107 --> 00:18:22,277
I, like, took off pajamas.
325
00:18:22,307 --> 00:18:29,117
I put on this, like, like literal grandma
s- mesh, grandma, uh, blanket sweater.
326
00:18:29,137 --> 00:18:29,907
You know what I'm talking about.
327
00:18:29,907 --> 00:18:30,037
Okay.
328
00:18:30,047 --> 00:18:30,197
Yeah.
329
00:18:30,247 --> 00:18:32,537
The Roseanne- Yeah … Show s-
330
00:18:32,577 --> 00:18:32,827
Speaker 3: Yeah
331
00:18:32,827 --> 00:18:33,697
…
Lyssa: but on a shirt.
332
00:18:34,677 --> 00:18:35,877
And, um- Yeah, the
333
00:18:35,877 --> 00:18:36,747
Speaker 3: patch, the squares.
334
00:18:36,757 --> 00:18:37,017
Lyssa: That.
335
00:18:37,027 --> 00:18:37,477
Speaker 3: The square quilt.
336
00:18:37,477 --> 00:18:37,857
Lyssa: That.
337
00:18:37,867 --> 00:18:37,887
Yeah.
338
00:18:38,077 --> 00:18:41,677
So I get out of the movie
theater and needed to run a few
339
00:18:41,677 --> 00:18:43,607
errands, so I, on my way to Ulta.
340
00:18:44,517 --> 00:18:45,697
Podcast sponsored by Ulta.
341
00:18:47,057 --> 00:18:56,807
Uh, and right behind me, some guy
comes directly, like rushes me, and
342
00:18:56,817 --> 00:18:58,277
starts walking right next to me.
343
00:18:58,287 --> 00:18:58,297
Oh.
344
00:18:59,427 --> 00:19:01,927
And my purse was on this side.
345
00:19:01,927 --> 00:19:05,247
I have, like, a side body bag purse-
Mm-hmm … whatever that's called.
346
00:19:05,707 --> 00:19:06,067
And- Crossbody?
347
00:19:06,567 --> 00:19:06,907
That's it.
348
00:19:07,287 --> 00:19:09,007
I have a body bag that-
Body bag … I carry in
349
00:19:10,837 --> 00:19:10,877
Speaker 3: the body.
350
00:19:10,877 --> 00:19:12,557
I hate my side body bag.
351
00:19:12,557 --> 00:19:13,577
I hate it when it does that.
352
00:19:13,627 --> 00:19:13,797
Like…
353
00:19:15,337 --> 00:19:18,887
Lyssa: My body bag that I carry of
all my enemies- Woo … inside of it.
354
00:19:19,817 --> 00:19:20,237
So-
355
00:19:20,277 --> 00:19:23,477
Speaker 3: Well, that, that would
ward off whoever this guy is- It 100%
356
00:19:23,477 --> 00:19:24,287
if he's in your body bag.
357
00:19:24,537 --> 00:19:28,567
Lyssa: So this, this young man, like 20s.
358
00:19:28,883 --> 00:19:29,663
I'm 43.
359
00:19:31,010 --> 00:19:34,170
and he's like, "Hey," like real quick.
360
00:19:34,340 --> 00:19:38,660
And I sa- I was, I, I, like, was
like, "Whoa." And I said, "You, you
361
00:19:38,660 --> 00:19:41,740
better be careful when you approach
a woman like that from the side.
362
00:19:41,750 --> 00:19:42,490
Like, you-
363
00:19:42,490 --> 00:19:42,800
Speaker 3: Yeah
364
00:19:42,810 --> 00:19:44,800
…
Lyssa: that was very alarming."
He goes, "Oh, I'm sorry.
365
00:19:44,800 --> 00:19:47,950
I do it all the time." I was like,
"Okay." And he's like- Great … "I
366
00:19:47,950 --> 00:19:50,910
love, I love your outfit." And
he's, like, walking with me.
367
00:19:51,350 --> 00:19:52,170
And I'm like, "Oh, okay.
368
00:19:52,170 --> 00:19:54,760
Thank you." And he's like,
"What's your name?" And I'm like-
369
00:19:55,137 --> 00:19:57,400
W- w- Is he trying to convert
370
00:19:57,400 --> 00:19:57,560
Speaker 3: you?
371
00:19:57,840 --> 00:19:58,010
Like,
372
00:19:58,010 --> 00:19:58,325
Lyssa: what's going on?
373
00:19:58,325 --> 00:19:59,270
Well, this is the thing.
374
00:19:59,270 --> 00:20:02,340
So then he was like, "I just
really like your outfit.
375
00:20:02,340 --> 00:20:05,140
Can I get your number?" And I was like-
376
00:20:07,656 --> 00:20:09,046
What? And
377
00:20:11,774 --> 00:20:16,204
And I was like, like seeing that he
had such a fresh face with no wrinkles-
378
00:20:16,214 --> 00:20:19,444
Mm-hmm … no gray hair, I was like,
"No, thank you." Like, "I'm married
379
00:20:19,444 --> 00:20:22,884
and have a kid. Like, but, have a nice
day." So like, kept walking to Ulta.
380
00:20:22,924 --> 00:20:23,244
Speaker 3: I could,
381
00:20:23,884 --> 00:20:24,474
Lyssa: I could be your mom.
382
00:20:24,474 --> 00:20:24,934
I could be your mom.
383
00:20:24,934 --> 00:20:28,684
But had to go to Ulta
to get my youth serum.
384
00:20:28,914 --> 00:20:29,394
Speaker 3: Yes,
385
00:20:29,474 --> 00:20:29,604
Lyssa: yes.
386
00:20:29,784 --> 00:20:29,884
So
387
00:20:29,904 --> 00:20:30,904
Speaker 3: that- It's working … it's
388
00:20:30,904 --> 00:20:31,894
Lyssa: working clearly … clearly.
389
00:20:31,894 --> 00:20:38,024
So then I started, I was like, was that
a sca- like is there a TikTok challenge
390
00:20:38,024 --> 00:20:40,894
to approach older women happening?
391
00:20:40,894 --> 00:20:44,344
Like, is there, was th- was
that a distraction scam?
392
00:20:44,414 --> 00:20:46,994
You know, like- Oh … when
you like come at someone?
393
00:20:47,004 --> 00:20:47,314
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
394
00:20:47,324 --> 00:20:49,534
And, but I was like, it was only him,
so it wasn't like multiple people.
395
00:20:49,534 --> 00:20:50,514
He was, he was hitting
396
00:20:50,514 --> 00:20:50,874
Speaker 3: on you.
397
00:20:50,884 --> 00:20:54,634
Lyssa: But like, like I will, I did
everything to make se- like was it a
398
00:20:54,634 --> 00:20:59,264
multilevel marketing scheme pitch that
he was about to like pitch me with?
399
00:20:59,624 --> 00:20:59,724
Honestly.
400
00:20:59,724 --> 00:21:01,014
And I Googled it afterwards.
401
00:21:01,014 --> 00:21:03,494
I Googled, I was like, went to Reddit.
402
00:21:03,954 --> 00:21:08,934
Reddit- Yeah … uh, distraction scams
at such and such shopping center and
403
00:21:08,934 --> 00:21:10,574
approaching w- … approaching women.
404
00:21:10,844 --> 00:21:13,864
Anne Genduso: You went that specific
to the specific shopping center even?
405
00:21:13,864 --> 00:21:15,124
Okay, that's hilarious.
406
00:21:16,384 --> 00:21:16,964
Lyssa: Nothing came up.
407
00:21:16,994 --> 00:21:17,054
But yeah.
408
00:21:17,054 --> 00:21:19,834
And then I texted my husband and I
was like, "Is there like a grandma
409
00:21:19,834 --> 00:21:21,534
fetish happening at the moment?"
410
00:21:21,564 --> 00:21:21,664
Definitely.
411
00:21:21,664 --> 00:21:24,544
'Cause he's like, he's on TikTok
and he might know some of these
412
00:21:24,544 --> 00:21:25,284
trends that are happening.
413
00:21:25,284 --> 00:21:25,544
And he was like- He probably
414
00:21:25,854 --> 00:21:27,214
Anne Genduso: didn't even
care about your outfit.
415
00:21:27,214 --> 00:21:31,964
He probably just thought you were cute
and wanted to hit on you, and just used
416
00:21:31,984 --> 00:21:36,154
that as a disarming or he thought it was
disarming when it was really alarming.
417
00:21:36,564 --> 00:21:38,874
Lyssa: It was such a weird,
it's like haunted me because
418
00:21:38,874 --> 00:21:40,334
of like, I'm like there has-
419
00:21:40,714 --> 00:21:40,914
Anne Genduso: Yeah
420
00:21:40,914 --> 00:21:44,224
…
Lyssa: again, your p- this podcast, the
theme, I'm like there has to have been
421
00:21:44,234 --> 00:21:48,684
another reason for him to approach me.
422
00:21:48,714 --> 00:21:51,574
Anne Genduso: Well, I do not
want people to walk away thinking
423
00:21:51,604 --> 00:21:52,734
everybody's out to get them.
424
00:21:54,134 --> 00:21:56,744
And that sometimes it's just a
compliment, Lyssa, 'cause you're
425
00:21:56,744 --> 00:22:00,694
pretty and youthful and yeah.
426
00:22:00,914 --> 00:22:04,524
But that is- It's wild … I, listen,
you should always, you should definitely
427
00:22:04,524 --> 00:22:07,434
have your guard up though when people
are just like running at you though.
428
00:22:07,434 --> 00:22:07,854
I, I get it.
429
00:22:07,854 --> 00:22:07,864
That
430
00:22:07,864 --> 00:22:09,724
Lyssa: was so weird
too, and I was like, eh.
431
00:22:10,014 --> 00:22:11,374
Like I like, I like jumped.
432
00:22:11,374 --> 00:22:15,984
I'm like man- Yeah … you, my friend,
you cannot do that to women on their own.
433
00:22:15,994 --> 00:22:16,014
Yeah.
434
00:22:16,024 --> 00:22:19,364
And I purposely never
wear anything on walks.
435
00:22:19,764 --> 00:22:20,034
Like- Yeah.
436
00:22:20,034 --> 00:22:20,074
Yeah,
437
00:22:20,074 --> 00:22:20,364
Speaker 3: yeah
438
00:22:20,364 --> 00:22:23,024
…
Lyssa: no matter where I go I never
have anything in my ear because
439
00:22:23,044 --> 00:22:24,254
I don't want that to happen.
440
00:22:24,294 --> 00:22:24,734
I'm like always on guard.
441
00:22:24,734 --> 00:22:25,474
Oh, you're
442
00:22:25,474 --> 00:22:26,214
Speaker 3: not supposed to.
443
00:22:26,214 --> 00:22:26,229
Yeah.
444
00:22:26,229 --> 00:22:26,244
Yeah,
445
00:22:26,244 --> 00:22:26,704
Lyssa: yeah.
446
00:22:26,764 --> 00:22:30,734
But I see people do that and I'm
like that shocks me because that-
447
00:22:30,734 --> 00:22:33,764
Yeah … my hearing is my first
level of defense of like- Yep
448
00:22:33,764 --> 00:22:36,544
what could, what is happening?
449
00:22:36,554 --> 00:22:36,574
Yeah.
450
00:22:37,234 --> 00:22:39,004
I heard that person coming at me.
451
00:22:39,214 --> 00:22:39,854
Intruder.
452
00:22:39,864 --> 00:22:40,274
Speaker 3: Right.
453
00:22:41,224 --> 00:22:41,414
Intruder.
454
00:22:42,774 --> 00:22:47,304
Well, I, I apologize that, I
am so sorry that this happened
455
00:22:47,304 --> 00:22:49,394
to you, that you were hit on.
456
00:22:52,022 --> 00:22:53,469
Anne Genduso: All right, Side-Eyers.
457
00:22:53,674 --> 00:22:57,242
Thank you so much for joining me
today on these spooky encounters,
458
00:22:57,493 --> 00:23:01,233
Because sometimes the scariest
situations are the ones where we don't
459
00:23:01,242 --> 00:23:03,342
know the real motive behind them.
460
00:23:04,142 --> 00:23:08,496
If you want more stories like these,
please do me a favor and like and
461
00:23:08,496 --> 00:23:12,972
subscribe, or if you're listening on a
podcast app, leave a rating or review.
462
00:23:13,281 --> 00:23:18,794
it tells the fickle algorithm overlords
that we have stories worth hearing, and
463
00:23:18,794 --> 00:23:20,456
it helps more people discover the show.
464
00:23:21,101 --> 00:23:23,113
Let's leave you with this
week's side eye question.
465
00:23:23,645 --> 00:23:28,163
Thinking about these stories, which
do you think was the most suspicious?
466
00:23:28,730 --> 00:23:32,278
Which do you think would have
ended up very badly in the end?
467
00:23:33,131 --> 00:23:36,044
Drop your answer in the
comments and let's discuss.
468
00:23:36,443 --> 00:23:39,718
finally, if you have your own
story of deception, scams, or
469
00:23:39,718 --> 00:23:41,750
manipulation, we wanna hear them.
470
00:23:42,114 --> 00:23:46,068
Email us at stories@nothingfeltwrong.com.
471
00:23:46,648 --> 00:23:50,542
We may feature your story in a future
episode, and we'll keep everything
472
00:23:50,542 --> 00:23:52,336
anonymous for your protection.
473
00:23:52,899 --> 00:23:56,936
Because the more stories we share, the
more we'll know what to look out for.
474
00:23:57,454 --> 00:24:01,334
I'll see you next time, and until
then, keep your side eye sharp.
475
00:24:01,590 --> 00:24:04,584
Because nothing felt wrong until it did.