Followed home at 3AM by tinted windows

[loumeinhart 0]

So I'm inbound to Akron at 3AM last night, exit the freeway - I notice the same headlamps behind me as I'm twisting through the hospital/downtown section to get to my street, but no cause for alarm.

I pull into my drive, this thing PULLS IN BEHIND ME and onto the grass next to my drive. I lock the doors and sit (adrenaline pumping). I look at the car and the windows are pitch black. It's an older model slightly tricked-out Nissan Sentra I think.

After about 15seconds I realized they had control of the situation. I'm unarmed, alone, and outside of my house - the neigborhood doesn't really help either. I don't know if this is some kid or 4 thugs with weapons.

I back out with the intent of shining my brights on them, they peel out behind me, so I head downtown toward city hall. They turned off back towards the freeway.

I circled back, parked on a side street and approached my property on foot from the side lot. I watched and listened for about an hour. Nothing.

What do you think?

[futuredivot 0]

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What do you think?

I think that if I answered this-it would go directly to speakers corner

You are only as strong as the prey you devour

[Beerlight 0]

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What do you think?

I think they know where you live.

Edit to add:

[quade 4]

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What do you think?

I think they know where you live.

No kiddin! If you are being followed do not stop at your own house to deal with it.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[loumeinhart 0]

I know that. I had no idea they were following me. I mean it was just a set of headlights. - WTF is wrong with people. I should have manned up, grabbed the floor jack off my back seat and smashed their windshield

[quade 4]

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I know that. I had no idea they were following me. I mean it was just a set of headlights. - WTF is wrong with people. I should have manned up, grabbed the floor jack off my back seat and smashed their windshield

No. That would have been foolish.

What you should have done was noticed somebody was following you. I realize it's not something people think about all the time, but you stated you had noticed the headlights following you earlier in your drive, so the most prudent thing to do was to make sure you were clean before heading home.

I can guarantee that any set of headlights following a person at 3 am is a bad sign and all it really takes is to pull up at a well lit local donut cop stop to check it out. I'm not saying get the cops involved, but it would take a pretty ballsy dude to start a fight under those conditions and at least you'd have some back up if things went south.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[nanook 1]

I don't know the shape of your drive, but it looks like they weren't trying to block you in for a mugging. Probably what happened is they probably thought that you had slighted them in one way or another (cut them off?) and they were playing with you.

_____________________________

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln

[quade 4]

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I don't know the shape of your drive, but it looks like they weren't trying to block you in for a mugging. Probably what happened is they probably thought that you had slighted them in one way or another (cut them off?) and they were playing with you.

"Playing with you"!? At 3 am!?

Any sort of road rage incident is bad enough to have to deal with in the light of day, but at 3 am it's a sure sign you're dealing with a crazy person.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[nanook 1]

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"Playing with you"!? At 3 am!?

Yup, it's the best time to. After party when the bars close. . . .

_____________________________

"The trouble with quotes on the internet is that you can never know if they are genuine" - Abraham Lincoln

[TriGirl 318]

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I notice the same headlamps behind me as I'm twisting through the hospital/downtown section to get to my street, but no cause for alarm.

Hospitals are also good safe zones. Pull up to the ER -- you know there are people on duty, probably security, and possibly video cameras.

See the upside, and always wear your parachute! -- Christopher Titus

Shut Up & Jump!

[Lastchance 0]

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I know that. I had no idea they were following me. I mean it was just a set of headlights. - WTF is wrong with people. I should have manned up, grabbed the floor jack off my back seat and smashed their windshield

Don't take a floor jack to a gun fight. Seriously though, there are some scary people out there. You just don't know what some people are capable of. Manning up and getting out of your car could've got you killed.

I may be getting old but I got to see all the cool bands.

[theonlyski 8]

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I know that. I had no idea they were following me. I mean it was just a set of headlights. - WTF is wrong with people. I should have manned up, grabbed the floor jack off my back seat and smashed their windshield

It pays to stay alert.

I have been to a school that teaches that, and how to tell if you're being followed (as has LouDiamond I believe). Basically, make 3 left or 3 right turns, the chances that the car behind you is going to make the exact same turns are pretty slim... If they're still behind you after the 3rd turn, make a fourth turn somewhere to get back on the same road you were on prior. If they're still following you, you know that they are now, and can act appropriately.

At that point, you can call the police (preferably using hands free so they cant see it) let them know that you are being followed, and ask a cruiser to come have a look.

Another technique is to make sudden turns that would make them following you more obvious... pull into a car wash (the open bays that you can drive in/out of) at 3 am.

Of course, you said you didn't have any form of protection, and THAT is being a victim, plain and simple.



As far as knowing they were following you based on the headlights... I can identify a LOT of cars, based on their headlights (REALLY useful for seeing if its a cop behind me, or just some jackass that wants to ride my ass)



ETA: NEVER DRIVE TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING FOLLOWED!

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[waveoff5500 0]

i live in akron, just across the y bridge from downtown, but i would agree with stopping at the hospitals, because akron is pretty sketch there are usually cops at the hospitals during the night. also, there are a lot of people in akron who are just there to harass people, ive been on the receiving end a few times, but don't stop if you feel like youre being followed, even call the cops and tell them, a lot safer than not knowing whats going on with someone following you. or get your concealed carry license ;) haha

"its just a normal day at the dropzone until its not"

1653

[JerseyShawn 0]

It simply could of been some kids just trying to get a rise out of you.

When my friends and I were bored as shit in winter time when we were 16 or 17 (couldn't skateboard anywhere, no bands playing, no parties to go to, nothing to do), we would just pick someone to follow while driving around stoned. Sometimes for an hour, just to scare someone. Assholish, yes, but bored and young. It would make people nervous which was funny at the time. When we got bored with that we would follow cops around until they pulled us over and we would deny we were following
them just to fuck with them.

But that was 15 years ago, people are a lot crazier nowadays. Maybe it was some gang member initiation thing that they chickened out on murdering you. Be careful, like others said, don't stop at your home or get boxed in.

About 6 years ago in Los Angeles gang members would single out a lone car on the freeway in the early morning hours and shoot it up. I always drove with groups of cars around for about a year at night on those freeways.

[JohnRich 4]

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I realized they had control of the situation. I'm unarmed, alone...

Not to worry. The government tells us that adding a gun to a situation only makes things worse.

[loumeinhart 0]

I see your point John and I don't want this to end across the fence because it will devolve into a debate about taxes.

Honestly If I had my CCW and was armed I'm still not sure I woulnt have done the same thing.

Hey live and learn, nothing good happens at 3am in west Akron.

Go tribe !

[AggieDave 6]

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What do you think?

I think that if I answered this-it would go directly to speakers corner

My full answer would be moved to SC.

The short answer is that the couple of times that I've been followed, I've circled the block and went back out of the neighborhood, went to a different side street at a high speed, spun around, backed into a different drive and blacked out (seatbelt off). Copied the LP and then had a lot of follow up later.

Never pull into your driveway or park in front of your house, never leave yourself in a position where you don't have the upper hand. Situational awareness helps to prevent getting in these sorts of situations in the first place. There are bad people in the world who want nothing more then to make you a victim.

In the digital age it is hard to be connected and keep your identity secret, but there are a lot of things you can do to help keep your home address private.

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[quade 4]

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I realized they had control of the situation. I'm unarmed, alone...

Not to worry. The government tells us that adding a gun to a situation only makes things worse.

And yet, introducing a gun into the scenario changes nothing for the better either.

At that point in time he had no idea how many people were in the other car and how much firepower they had. They held all the cards at that point.

What's he going to do? Step out of the car with the gun and not even get a chance to fire it? That's stupid.

quade -
The World's Most Boring Skydiver

[wsd 0]

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I notice the same headlamps behind me as I'm twisting through the hospital/downtown section to get to my street, but no cause for alarm.

Hospitals are also good safe zones. Pull up to the ER -- you know there are people on duty, probably security, and possibly video cameras.

Hospital Security! Stop or I will yell Stop again!

[wsd 0]

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I know that. I had no idea they were following me. I mean it was just a set of headlights. - WTF is wrong with people. I should have manned up, grabbed the floor jack off my back seat and smashed their windshield

It pays to stay alert.

I have been to a school that teaches that, and how to tell if you're being followed (as has LouDiamond I believe). Basically, make 3 left or 3 right turns, the chances that the car behind you is going to make the exact same turns are pretty slim... If they're still behind you after the 3rd turn, make a fourth turn somewhere to get back on the same road you were on prior. If they're still following you, you know that they are now, and can act appropriately.

At that point, you can call the police (preferably using hands free so they cant see it) let them know that you are being followed, and ask a cruiser to come have a look.

Another technique is to make sudden turns that would make them following you more obvious... pull into a car wash (the open bays that you can drive in/out of) at 3 am.

Of course, you said you didn't have any form of protection, and THAT is being a victim, plain and simple.



As far as knowing they were following you based on the headlights... I can identify a LOT of cars, based on their headlights (REALLY useful for seeing if its a cop behind me, or just some jackass that wants to ride my ass)



ETA: NEVER DRIVE TO YOUR HOUSE IF YOU THINK YOU'RE BEING FOLLOWED!

Did you miss the part where they taught you to use your car to either flee or as a weapon?

The funny thing about them being behind your car is that when you stop at a light, their radiator and engine is right up near your rear bumper...

Always leave room in front of you so that you can pull out of your lane and if needed go into the oncoming lane or the right hand lane.

Being blocked in by traffic gets you shot while still behind the wheel.

[AggieDave 6]

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I notice the same headlamps behind me as I'm twisting through the hospital/downtown section to get to my street, but no cause for alarm.

Hospitals are also good safe zones. Pull up to the ER -- you know there are people on duty, probably security, and possibly video cameras.

Hospital Security! Stop or I will yell Stop again!

A lot of hospitals have off duty police officers working security in the ER. However, persons are typically better served driving to the main entrance of their local police department, if they need that sort of immediate help. Besides, only the most stupid or the most hardcore will follow you into the lobby of a PD!

--"When I die, may I be surrounded by scattered chrome and burning gasoline."

[Bolas 5]

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I realized they had control of the situation. I'm unarmed, alone...

Not to worry. The government tells us that adding a gun to a situation only makes things worse.

And yet, introducing a gun into the scenario changes nothing for the better either.

At that point in time he had no idea how many people were in the other car and how much firepower they had. They held all the cards at that point.

What's he going to do? Step out of the car with the gun and not even get a chance to fire it? That's stupid.

That's whay you've got to comes out with your gun sideways and at eye level.

Stupidity if left untreated is self-correcting
If ya can't be good, look good, if that fails, make 'em laugh.

[wsd 0]

Better yet, phone ahead and have them follow into a welcoming party of your own.


If they were up to nothing but being stupid, the crap in their pants will wash out and the humiliation will fade in time.

If not the rifle rounds penetrating the occupants will take the fight out of them and most likely scratch another few frequent offenders off the list of usual suspects.

[theonlyski 8]

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Did you miss the part where they taught you to use your car to either flee or as a weapon?

Oh, not at all... trust me, I would sure as hell be using my truck as a primary defense if they upped the threat any. Only would pull my firearm if they SOMEHOW managed to disable my truck.

"I may be a dirty pirate hooker...but I'm not about to go stand on the corner." iluvtofly
DPH -7, TDS 578, Muff 5153, SCR 14890
I'm an asshole, and I approve this message

[JohnMitchell 16]

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What's he going to do? Step out of the car with the gun and not even get a chance to fire it? That's stupid.

You're right, that IS stupid. You save the gun for when they get out of THEIR car and come after you. You use in gun in self defense, not a tactical charge. Let SWAT do that.

Even armed, I would have kept driving, phoned the cops, and tried to get a plate number. I actually have had a couple of road rage incidents while armed, and I used my phone, not my firearm, to handle it. Much better.
But the best defenses are multi-layered. It's nice to know I have another card to play if things ever get really ugly. I hope they never do.