Unwanted attention.....

Why me?  Why do I attract strange men? 

I don’t know whether I do something unintentionally but I seem to attract the attentions of strange men when I am really not looking to… it’s not a new thing… many years ago I had to resort to taking my dog with me to the laundrette on a Saturday morning as if I didn’t this old man who used to come in at around the same time would insist on sitting next to me, even if it was empty, and try to stroke my leg. 

(Actually, it’s not just strange men either, I also attract the attentions of small children, particularly in supermarkets… but they are easy to deal with… you just walk calmly up to their parents and tell them that they must be so proud of their children’s behaviour)

Whilst these days I tend not to go out to bars, if I go to a straight bar then unfortunately I seem to attract the attentions of those who think that larger person must equal desperate …  no, seriously, not, and if I was, erm, yeah, kind of wouldn’t be looking for anyone male anyway!

I am getting a bit fed up, and not a little freaked out these days though.  In the last twelve months I’ve been stalked around a shop by a security guard (no I wasn’t doing anything illegal, or even looking like I might be… well I didn’t think so), who eventually cornered me and started to ask me where he knew me from, and then moved on to more personal questions such as was I married, did I live alone etc…. 

Then there was the man behind me in the check out queue at the supermarket who by the time I’d finished packing my stuff and got outside was waiting for me and then followed me to the car.  When I stopped to open it and load the shopping he started by telling me he thought I was nice and was I interested in… well I’m not sure, I’ve never dived in the car so fast and slammed the door shut.

I managed to attract another one on Saturday… walking around the shop, minding my own business when this bloke sidles up just behind me and starts looking over my shoulder, I moved away but he followed, again standing just behind me.  I’m afraid to say I wasn’t particularly polite, I don’t like having my personal space invaded without invitation, certainly not by strangers.  So I turned round and stepped forwards towards him, he instinctively stepped backwards…………… and fell over a display unit sending it crashing to the ground.  I didn’t hang about …. good job there was nothing I really wanted from the shop!

I am pretty sure I don’t have some sort of flashing sign above my head stating this sort of thing is fine.  Ok, I’ll admit I do tend to smile or say hello to people who make eye contact, but surely that’s just polite, not an invitation….

I may decide to become a hermit and rely on home delivery……….