El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
hour later.

Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.

Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
either asleep or faking it.

<shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

On Sat 07 Jun 2008 06:32:45p, Terry Pulliam Burd told us...

> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

Positively weird!


--
Wayne Boatwright
-------------------------------------------
Saturday, 06(VI)/07(VII)/08(MMVIII)
-------------------------------------------
-------------------------------------------
Trill: The musical equivalent of an
epileptic seizure.
-------------------------------------------

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote

> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress."

OMG, sounds like he was calling ahead for someone else
to intercept you. How friggin scary is that??

> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.

Damn, this is not the kind of story I like to hear. Thank goodness you
were not in the middle of nowhere and you had a place to hide.

I'm glad you're okay.

nancy

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> --

This was very scary. If I did not know you to be a scrupulously truthful
person, it could also be a great way to tell the world about what sounds
like a perfectly lovely--and expensive--outfit.

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

>El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
>driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday.

snip

>Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
>looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
>happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
>kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
>them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
>either asleep or faking it.
>
><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
>Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd


I am so sorry you had such a rough time of it. That is really spooky.
Thanks goodness for cell phones and Quiznos.

There are nutcases all over, though, I was born and raised in Detroit,
spent a lot of time living in Manhattan and am now in the suburbs.
Crazy stuff happens in the burbs, too, except in the burbs, there
aren't the crowds around to give you any cover.

Boron

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:

> About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers.


Big cities and their street folk are inherently scary. How intelligent
of you to avoid being mugged! I'm glad you survived the experience but
I gotta wonder at the cop whose actions didn't do much to help you. He
should at least have accompanied you to your safe destination.

Good work, lady!

gloria p

Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:

> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.

He must have used his X-Ray vision.

That meth has a way of making people paranoid like that. That
Quiznos is in the opposite direction and further away from City Hall
than where you started.

-sw

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:

> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were driving
> there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was even more
> insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to go 3 blocks -
> turned out one of the studios was filming something - and it looked like
> we were not going to make the appointment. We're, what, at Pershing Square
> and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a Chinese fire drill, the boss
> and clients jump out of the car, I run around and jump into the driver's
> seat while they run like maniacs to City Hall. I parked in the underground
> parking lot beneath LA Mall, and started hoofing it across the street to
> City Hall. About a block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following
> me. "How," you ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say,
> "She's a redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only
> redhead in a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut
> back toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my tail
> and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I call my
> boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he comes to get
> me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown police HQ, the
> LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the street, along with a
> myriad of Social Security offices and state offices, the DEA, the US
> Attorney's office... I collared a cop and explained what was going on.
> Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the Quiznos and can't see the guy) he
> spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't come back in, so I sat there until my
> boss came to get me a freakin' hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels - and
> he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was happening.
> She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then kept me up to
> date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left them a $20 tip when
> the boss and I left. The guy was still there and either asleep or faking
> it.

He's is Quiznos Girl's boyfriend. They've found a way to increase her
tips tenfold.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project --> http://improve-usenet.org
Found 5/08: a free GG-blocking news *feed* --> http://usenet4all.se

Gloria P wrote:

> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
> > About a
>> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you ask
>> yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a redhead
>> in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in a green
>> dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers.
>
>
> Big cities and their street folk are inherently scary. How intelligent of
> you to avoid being mugged! I'm glad you survived the experience but I
> gotta wonder at the cop whose actions didn't do much to help you. He
> should at least have accompanied you to your safe destination.

He was an extra in that movie they were shooting. He had to get back for
his scene.


--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project --> http://improve-usenet.org
Found 5/08: a free GG-blocking news *feed* --> http://usenet4all.se

On Jun 7, 6:32 pm, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> .... I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress."

So he was on his way from the parking garage to City Hall, talking to
a friend on his cell phone, and commenting on what was going on around
him as he walked. Happens all the time.

>Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB).

Nonsense. I've been exactly there many times and your tale makes no
geographical sense. You're saying that you were within steps of your
destination, where there are security officers or cops on every door,
and "cut back" to the mall because you were being followed.

> Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos.

There is a large seating area for the food court there. He was,
unlike you, ahead of time for his meeting, and sat down to take five.

>.... ... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.

Makes no sense either. The cop didn't return and you didn't even go
look through the window when the cop went to accost the guy? What was
he going to do to you in early/mid-afternoon amongst hundreds of other
people?

> > Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - ....

You're delusional. The mall regularly gets traffic from City Hall,
the federal building, the federal courthouse and the county
courthouse. Only a fashion maven would have thought you stood out
from the crowd.

> ..... The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
Simply not a believable story. -aem

aem > wrote:

> Simply not a believable story.

Thank you. Now people have two of us to flame for being skeptical
about this odd tale.

-sw

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed
> that I looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained
> what was happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some
> napkins, then kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there"
> over and over. I left them a $20 tip when the boss and I left.
> The guy was still there and either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

Now, you know better than to mess with the
Church of Scientology.

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

That *was* scary. Glad you are okay and had some place to go to be safe.

--
Janet Wilder
Bad spelling. Bad punctuation
Good Friends. Good Life

In article >,
says...
> On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
> > wrote:
>
> >El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> >driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday.
>
> snip
>
> >Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> >looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> >happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> >kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> >them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> >either asleep or faking it.
> >
> ><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
> >
> >Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
>
>
> I am so sorry you had such a rough time of it. That is really spooky.
> Thanks goodness for cell phones and Quiznos.
>
> There are nutcases all over, though, I was born and raised in Detroit,
> spent a lot of time living in Manhattan and am now in the suburbs.
> Crazy stuff happens in the burbs, too, except in the burbs, there
> aren't the crowds around to give you any cover.
>
> Boron
>

I try explaining that to Keyron sometimes. Providence only has about
175,000 people in it but the hinky shit happens all the time.

Just the other day I'm walking down Atwells Ave. and about to cross over
the RI-6/10 bridge. On this bridge there are big green girders that
separate the roadway from the sidewalk.

On the opposite side of the bridge there's a guy doing his girl doggie
style.

I often see stuff like this. Maybe it's because I'm more attuned to it.

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
> wrote:

><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

Take the "first train" out of there as soon as you can. Thank
goodness the *bum* assumed you were deaf, so you could hear him
talking to his hommie on the phone.

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
wrote:

>So he was on his way from the parking garage to City Hall, talking to
>a friend on his cell phone, and commenting on what was going on around
>him as he walked. Happens all the time.


LOL.... yeah, that's what they tell the judge.

--
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remove the smile first

In article .net>,
Blinky the Shark > wrote:
>
>He's is Quiznos Girl's boyfriend. They've found a way to increase her
>tips tenfold.

That's the more benign explanation. I say he's a creeper.

Steve

wrote:

> On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
> > wrote:
>
>><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Take the "first train" out of there as soon as you can. Thank goodness

Take the first train to Clarksville
But he'll meet you at the station...


--
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Killing all posts from Google Groups
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On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:46:56 -0700, Blinky the Shark
> wrote:

> wrote:
>
>> On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
>> > wrote:
>>
>>><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>>
>> Take the "first train" out of there as soon as you can. Thank goodness
>
>Take the first train to Clarksville
>But he'll meet you at the station...

oh, no, no, no
And she doesn't know if she's ever going home...


--
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remove the smile first

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
...
> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "
<snipped>

I bet your switch activity + hotfooting it has attracted the attention of
authorities, maybe on a camera, who probably didn't know what to make of it
and decided to see what eventuated.

I would assume that that would be the only reason the cop would not come
back - he would have had a badge flashed at him saying "same side" and let
it go.

You've probably now got your own file in Homeland Security!.

Just high pothy sizing.

Hoges in WA
(who has actually been to that mall in January, all the way from Western
Australia)

"Terry Pulliam Burd" > wrote in message
...
> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
<snip>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd


Very, very glad to hear you are safe and sound. It's a sad commentary that the cop
didn't follow up with you at all, make sure you were ok, and escort you himself.
Shameful.
I'm also very glad to hear you kept your wits about you, and didn't panic. Not easy
to do!

kimberly

--
http://www.judithgreenwood.com
"cybercat" > ha scritto nel messaggio

> This was very scary. If I did not know you to be a scrupulously truthful
> person, it could also be a great way to tell the world about what sounds
> like a perfectly lovely--and expensive--outfit.
That is one of the strangest reactions I have ever read to a post.

If you feel like describing your clothes, go to alt.rec.fashion where
hundreds of people worldwide do just that and are eager to hear your story.
I have to check it out for trends for my column, and I can fall asleep in 10
minutes reading what they got in the post that day.

I suspect a clever person like TPB would have that figured out already.

> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
>> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
>> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.

That would be my guess. He was trying to find a source for cheap designer
knock-offs. Or he wanted to sell you a fake Rolex.

In article >,
Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:

> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

That is very scary ... and strange. I am glad you're okay.

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

That IS scary. I'm glad you emerged unscathed.

--
Jean B.

wrote:

> On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 23:46:56 -0700, Blinky the Shark >
> wrote:
>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:32:45 -0700, Terry Pulliam Burd
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>><shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>>>
>>> Take the "first train" out of there as soon as you can. Thank goodness
>>
>>Take the first train to Clarksville
>>But he'll meet you at the station...
>
> oh, no, no, no
> And she doesn't know if she's ever going home...

<applause>

--
Blinky
Killing all posts from Google Groups
The Usenet Improvement Project --> http://improve-usenet.org
Found 5/08: a free GG-blocking news *feed* --> http://usenet4all.se

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 21:52:02 -0500, Sqwertz >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
>
>> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
>> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
>> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
>He must have used his X-Ray vision.
>
>That meth has a way of making people paranoid like that. That
>Quiznos is in the opposite direction and further away from City Hall
>than where you started.

For a start, I was making erratic moves a) to make sure I wasn't being
paranoid and that the guy really *was* following me, and b) b/c I was
becoming a bit disoriented and had never been in the LA Mall before -
I'd come out of the underground parking garage not sure what street I
was facing. I was trying to find an open business to dive into. OTOH,
when El Jefe finally found me, we actually had to go back the way I
came to get to the car, so I couldn't have been too far off.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>Simply not a believable story. -aem

I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
story. I'd never been to the LA Mall before, I believe I made
reference to the no. of cops "swarming" the place, etc. Why would I
make up such a story? Believe me, I have plenty enough drama in RL not
to need to fabricate more.

Jeez, maybe I need to get a couple of signed declarations from my
boss, the cop and the Quiznos ladies...

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

Sqwertz wrote:
> aem > wrote:
>
>> Simply not a believable story.
>
> Thank you. Now people have two of us to flame for being skeptical
> about this odd tale.
>
> -sw


This isn't a fiction-writing newsgroup. Why are people so quick
and eager to discount experiences posted by regulars?

gloria p

On Jun 8, 8:22*am, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>
> >Simply not a believable story. * *-aem
>
> I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
> story. [snip]

I didn't mean you made up the story. I don't doubt that you panicked
and sat in Quiznos for an hour, missing your meeting. Sorry if I gave
that impression. What is not understandable is why you did what you
did. The L.A. Mall is adjacent to City Hall and City Hall East. The
farthest away you can park is one block. You said you had walked
nearly a block when you heard this guy, which means you were within
easy reach of the doors to one of those buildings, where security is
obviously present. Why didn't you just keep going to your meeting?
That's what I don't understand. -aem

On Sat, 07 Jun 2008 20:28:12 -0600, Gloria P >
wrote:

>Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>
> > About a
>> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
>> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
>> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
>> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers.
>
>
>Big cities and their street folk are inherently scary. How intelligent
>of you to avoid being mugged! I'm glad you survived the experience but
>I gotta wonder at the cop whose actions didn't do much to help you. He
>should at least have accompanied you to your safe destination.
>
>Good work, lady!
>
>gloria p

i don't think muggers typically call ahead to a confederate with a
description.

your pal,
blake

Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>
>
>> Simply not a believable story. -aem
>
>
> I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
> story. I'd never been to the LA Mall before, I believe I made
> reference to the no. of cops "swarming" the place, etc. Why would I
> make up such a story? Believe me, I have plenty enough drama in RL
> not to need to fabricate more.
>
> Jeez, maybe I need to get a couple of signed declarations from my
> boss, the cop and the Quiznos ladies...

Seriously creepy. Trust your instincts, don't worry about embarrassing
yourself, and don't worry about embarrassing some random-assed stranger.
If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. And a typical
predator's tactic is to try to make a potential mark worry about being
"rude" by responding defensively to the first tentative evaluative
forays. This is something I posted to a mountain bike e-mail group a
few years back.

> Yup. And I'd like to point out that even a cell phone with no signal can
> still be useful in certain situations. Out at one of the places where I ride,
> you can't get a call in or out from the trail (except at the top of some of
> the hills) or even the parking lot. Still, being a creature of habit, I carry
> the phone with me anyhow.
> So this past summer I went out there one evening for a ride. There were
> no other vehicles in the trailhead parking lot, but I still parked several
> spaces down from the entrance to the trail. I've learned that if I take one
> of the closest spots, sure enough somebody will park right next to my van, and
> especially in an otherwise empty lot, I hate that. I don't want anybody
> dinging my doors with theirs, and I don't want to have to worry about dinging
> somebody elses's doors with mine - I like to open the side door and sit there
> to change my shoes. Really though, it's mainly about personal space and not
> liking to be crowded unnecessarily.
> So anyhow, I finished my ride, and was back at the gate to the lot when I
> saw that there was another vehicle in the lot. Another van. And it was
> parked *right next to mine*. Squeezed right in there like it was the last
> space at the mall during Christmas shopping season. All the room in the
> world, plenty of spaces closer to the trail entrance, plenty of spaces further
> down, plenty of spaces on the opposite side of the lot, but this person had to
> park right next to me? I was irritated.
> Then I noticed that the windows were down, and there was a guy sitting in
> the driver's seat. Uh oh. Now, that gave me pause. I was alone, in an
> isolated parking lot, with my very expensive bike and it was getting dark
> fast. Was I feeling paranoid? You betcha.
> *Why* was he parked so close to my vehicle when he could have parked
> anywhere at all? He hadn't been there when I arrived and unloaded my bike, so
> I didn't think he could have known that it belonged to a lone female... Could
> he? And it wasn't like he'd parked so that my vehicle screened his from view
> from the road (hiding out on a prolonged supper break?). No way to get to my
> vehicle without crossing his line of sight. All that fumbling around to get
> the bike loaded, and meanwhile, there he'd be, literally so close I couldn't
> have opened the side door without hitting his van...
> Well, hell. Now what? Pull out the cell phone. No signal. Shit. Wait
> a couple of minutes, while attempting to send a strong psychic message, "IT'S
> TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE. GO AWAY. DRIVE OFF. GIT!" Nothing. He's still
> sitting there, and it's getting darker by the minute. Open up the cell phone,
> just in case maybe somebody put a new satellite in place in the last two
> minutes. No such luck. Shit, shit. Argument with self ensues:
> "You're just being paranoid, just go on over to your van, load up your
> bike."
> "But why's he there? Why so close?"
> "Why ask why, it's not illegal to park next to another vehicle in a
> parking lot."
> "Why ask why? Because you're alone, dumbass, and because there's nobody
> around and it's been at least 5 minutes and you haven't even seen a car pass
> on the highway and you can't even call somebody to let them know what's going
> on."
> "But *he* doesn't know that, now does he?"
> "But I'll feel so stupid..."
> "I can think of worse things than feeling stupid, eh?"
> So, once again, I pulled out the dead cell phone, flipped it open,
> deployed the antenna. Took a deep breath, held it to my ear, and started
> walking across the parking lot, pushing my bike with one hand and holding a
> conversation with an imaginary person on the other end of the non-existent
> line.
> "Hi, it's me.... Yeah, I'm done.... Oh, it was great... Nope, huh uh,
> not muddy at all... No, there's just one other vehicle here in the lot...
> Chevy van, full sized, grey, with some primer on the left rear fender...
> Illinois tags XXX-XXX..."
> By this time, the guy was obviously watching me, and listening as well.
> "Oh c'mon, how am I supposed to know that? Older. Not new. Maybe mid
> eighties? Well wait a second, the guy's right here, hang on."
> By this time, I was right next to the guy's van, and I reached over and
> knocked lightly on the door.
> "Excuse me, what year is your van?"
> "Um... '86"
> I continued my imaginary conversation. "It's an '86 - See, I was right,
> mid 80s...... You are?!! I want to come too!! Wait for me, I shouldn't be
> more than 15 minutes.... Okay, see you in a bit... Bye!"
> As I hung up the phone, the guy it the van said, "Uh... so what was that
> about?"
> I looked him in the eye and said, "Oh, that? Neighborhood Trail Watch,
> nothing personal." I lowered my voice, and said, confidentially, "We've had
> some problems with weirdos around here recently. Would you be interested in
> joining the group? I can take your name and address and put you on our
> mailing list?"
> He shook his head, "No thanks".
> And then, glory be, he started his engine, pulled out and left.
> To this day, I don't know who was the real weirdo in that situation - me,
> or him. But I am a firm believer in the pit of the stomach, the back of the
> neck - intuition, in other words. So maybe I ran off some innocent dweeb with
> inconsiderate parking habits... And then again, maybe I headed off a truly
> ugly incident. I'll never know. But all it cost me was a little bit of
> dignity, so it was worth it.
> And I'm damned sure glad I had my phone with me, dead or not.

On Jun 8, 9:16 am, Kathleen > wrote:
> Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
> > On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
> > fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>
> >> Simply not a believable story. -aem
>
> > I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
> > story. I'd never been to the LA Mall before, I believe I made
> > reference to the no. of cops "swarming" the place, etc. Why would I
> > make up such a story? Believe me, I have plenty enough drama in RL
> > not to need to fabricate more.
>
> > Jeez, maybe I need to get a couple of signed declarations from my
> > boss, the cop and the Quiznos ladies...
>
> Seriously creepy. Trust your instincts, don't worry about embarrassing
> yourself, and don't worry about embarrassing some random-assed stranger.
> If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. And a typical
> predator's tactic is to try to make a potential mark worry about being
> "rude" by responding defensively to the first tentative evaluative
> forays. This is something I posted to a mountain bike e-mail group a
> few years back.
>
> > Yup. And I'd like to point out that even a cell phone with no signal can
> > still be useful in certain situations. Out at one of the places where I ride,
> > you can't get a call in or out from the trail (except at the top of some of
> > the hills) or even the parking lot. Still, being a creature of habit, I carry
> > the phone with me anyhow.
> > So this past summer I went out there one evening for a ride. There were
> > no other vehicles in the trailhead parking lot, but I still parked several
> > spaces down from the entrance to the trail. I've learned that if I take one
> > of the closest spots, sure enough somebody will park right next to my van, and
> > especially in an otherwise empty lot, I hate that. I don't want anybody
> > dinging my doors with theirs, and I don't want to have to worry about dinging
> > somebody elses's doors with mine - I like to open the side door and sit there
> > to change my shoes. Really though, it's mainly about personal space and not
> > liking to be crowded unnecessarily.
> > So anyhow, I finished my ride, and was back at the gate to the lot when I
> > saw that there was another vehicle in the lot. Another van. And it was
> > parked *right next to mine*. Squeezed right in there like it was the last
> > space at the mall during Christmas shopping season. All the room in the
> > world, plenty of spaces closer to the trail entrance, plenty of spaces further
> > down, plenty of spaces on the opposite side of the lot, but this person had to
> > park right next to me? I was irritated.
> > Then I noticed that the windows were down, and there was a guy sitting in
> > the driver's seat. Uh oh. Now, that gave me pause. I was alone, in an
> > isolated parking lot, with my very expensive bike and it was getting dark
> > fast. Was I feeling paranoid? You betcha.
> > *Why* was he parked so close to my vehicle when he could have parked
> > anywhere at all? He hadn't been there when I arrived and unloaded my bike, so
> > I didn't think he could have known that it belonged to a lone female... Could
> > he? And it wasn't like he'd parked so that my vehicle screened his from view
> > from the road (hiding out on a prolonged supper break?). No way to get to my
> > vehicle without crossing his line of sight. All that fumbling around to get
> > the bike loaded, and meanwhile, there he'd be, literally so close I couldn't
> > have opened the side door without hitting his van...
> > Well, hell. Now what? Pull out the cell phone. No signal. Shit. Wait
> > a couple of minutes, while attempting to send a strong psychic message, "IT'S
> > TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE. GO AWAY. DRIVE OFF. GIT!" Nothing. He's still
> > sitting there, and it's getting darker by the minute. Open up the cell phone,
> > just in case maybe somebody put a new satellite in place in the last two
> > minutes. No such luck. Shit, shit. Argument with self ensues:
> > "You're just being paranoid, just go on over to your van, load up your
> > bike."
> > "But why's he there? Why so close?"
> > "Why ask why, it's not illegal to park next to another vehicle in a
> > parking lot."
> > "Why ask why? Because you're alone, dumbass, and because there's nobody
> > around and it's been at least 5 minutes and you haven't even seen a car pass
> > on the highway and you can't even call somebody to let them know what's going
> > on."
> > "But *he* doesn't know that, now does he?"
> > "But I'll feel so stupid..."
> > "I can think of worse things than feeling stupid, eh?"
> > So, once again, I pulled out the dead cell phone, flipped it open,
> > deployed the antenna. Took a deep breath, held it to my ear, and started
> > walking across the parking lot, pushing my bike with one hand and holding a
> > conversation with an imaginary person on the other end of the non-existent
> > line.
> > "Hi, it's me.... Yeah, I'm done.... Oh, it was great... Nope, huh uh,
> > not muddy at all... No, there's just one other vehicle here in the lot...
> > Chevy van, full sized, grey, with some primer on the left rear fender...
> > Illinois tags XXX-XXX..."
> > By this time, the guy was obviously watching me, and listening as well.
> > "Oh c'mon, how am I supposed to know that? Older. Not new. Maybe mid
> > eighties? Well wait a second, the guy's right here, hang on."
> > By this time, I was right next to the guy's van, and I reached over and
> > knocked lightly on the door.
> > "Excuse me, what year is your van?"
> > "Um... '86"
> > I continued my imaginary conversation. "It's an '86 - See, I was right,
> > mid 80s...... You are?!! I want to come too!! Wait for me, I shouldn't be
> > more than 15 minutes.... Okay, see you in a bit... Bye!"
> > As I hung up the phone, the guy it the van said, "Uh... so what was that
> > about?"
> > I looked him in the eye and said, "Oh, that? Neighborhood Trail Watch,
> > nothing personal." I lowered my voice, and said, confidentially, "We've had
> > some problems with weirdos around here recently. Would you be interested in
> > joining the group? I can take your name and address and put you on our
> > mailing list?"
> > He shook his head, "No thanks".
> > And then, glory be, he started his engine, pulled out and left.
> > To this day, I don't know who was the real weirdo in that situation - me,
> > or him. But I am a firm believer in the pit of the stomach, the back of the
> > neck - intuition, in other words. So maybe I ran off some innocent dweeb with
> > inconsiderate parking habits... And then again, maybe I headed off a truly
> > ugly incident. I'll never know. But all it cost me was a little bit of
> > dignity, so it was worth it.
> > And I'm damned sure glad I had my phone with me, dead or not.

Nice thinking on your feet there

On Sun, 8 Jun 2008 08:36:47 -0700 (PDT), aem >
fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:

>On Jun 8, 8:22*am, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
>> On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
>> fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>>
>> >Simply not a believable story. * *-aem
>>
>> I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
>> story. [snip]
>
>I didn't mean you made up the story. I don't doubt that you panicked
>and sat in Quiznos for an hour, missing your meeting. Sorry if I gave
>that impression. What is not understandable is why you did what you
>did. The L.A. Mall is adjacent to City Hall and City Hall East. The
>farthest away you can park is one block. You said you had walked
>nearly a block when you heard this guy, which means you were within
>easy reach of the doors to one of those buildings, where security is
>obviously present. Why didn't you just keep going to your meeting?
>That's what I don't understand. -aem

I left the underground parking garage without knowing which direction
was Main St. I walked nearly a block when I realized the sidewalk dead
ended and I was headed in entirely the wrong direction. It was at this
point that I made a quick U-turn, nearly running into the guy, who
also made a quick U-turn, and a few steps later, he's talking on a
cell phone describing me. There was no one else ahead of or behind us
who fit the description. By the time I believed he was up to no good,
I was back at the steps leading back up to the LA Mall, cut through a
small plaza that was loaded down with homeless people, trotted down
more steps into the underground shopping area, and dove into the first
shop I spotted, which was Quiznos.

Admittedly, I have a left-hander's reverse compass in my head, which
is why a dance instructor once chalked an "R" and "L" on my practice
slippers. My sense of direction is backwards. Never did make it to
City Hall.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
--
"If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."

-- Duncan Hines

To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"

On Jun 7, 6:32 pm, Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote:
> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.

That was nice of the Quiznos employees to actively help you out. Good
to know you've retained your sense of humor afterwards, too!

The Ranger

On Sun, 08 Jun 2008 16:09:27 GMT, blake murphy
> wrote:

>i don't think muggers typically call ahead to a confederate with a
>description.

Maybe she had paparazzi following her and it was a case of mistaken
identity. How many law clerks go to work wearing an outfit like that?

--
See return address to reply by email
remove the smile first

The Ranger wrote:
> On Jun 8, 9:16 am, Kathleen > wrote:
>
>>Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>>
>>>On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
>>>fired up random neurons and synapses to opine:
>>
>>>>Simply not a believable story. -aem
>>
>>>I've been posting here for 15 + years. I have no need to make up a
>>>story. I'd never been to the LA Mall before, I believe I made
>>>reference to the no. of cops "swarming" the place, etc. Why would I
>>>make up such a story? Believe me, I have plenty enough drama in RL
>>>not to need to fabricate more.
>>
>>>Jeez, maybe I need to get a couple of signed declarations from my
>>>boss, the cop and the Quiznos ladies...
>>
>>Seriously creepy. Trust your instincts, don't worry about embarrassing
>>yourself, and don't worry about embarrassing some random-assed stranger.
>> If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. And a typical
>>predator's tactic is to try to make a potential mark worry about being
>>"rude" by responding defensively to the first tentative evaluative
>>forays. This is something I posted to a mountain bike e-mail group a
>>few years back.
>>
>>
>>> Yup. And I'd like to point out that even a cell phone with no signal can
>>>still be useful in certain situations. Out at one of the places where I ride,
>>>you can't get a call in or out from the trail (except at the top of some of
>>>the hills) or even the parking lot. Still, being a creature of habit, I carry
>>>the phone with me anyhow.
>>> So this past summer I went out there one evening for a ride. There were
>>>no other vehicles in the trailhead parking lot, but I still parked several
>>>spaces down from the entrance to the trail. I've learned that if I take one
>>>of the closest spots, sure enough somebody will park right next to my van, and
>>>especially in an otherwise empty lot, I hate that. I don't want anybody
>>>dinging my doors with theirs, and I don't want to have to worry about dinging
>>>somebody elses's doors with mine - I like to open the side door and sit there
>>>to change my shoes. Really though, it's mainly about personal space and not
>>>liking to be crowded unnecessarily.
>>> So anyhow, I finished my ride, and was back at the gate to the lot when I
>>>saw that there was another vehicle in the lot. Another van. And it was
>>>parked *right next to mine*. Squeezed right in there like it was the last
>>>space at the mall during Christmas shopping season. All the room in the
>>>world, plenty of spaces closer to the trail entrance, plenty of spaces further
>>>down, plenty of spaces on the opposite side of the lot, but this person had to
>>>park right next to me? I was irritated.
>>> Then I noticed that the windows were down, and there was a guy sitting in
>>>the driver's seat. Uh oh. Now, that gave me pause. I was alone, in an
>>>isolated parking lot, with my very expensive bike and it was getting dark
>>>fast. Was I feeling paranoid? You betcha.
>>> *Why* was he parked so close to my vehicle when he could have parked
>>>anywhere at all? He hadn't been there when I arrived and unloaded my bike, so
>>>I didn't think he could have known that it belonged to a lone female... Could
>>>he? And it wasn't like he'd parked so that my vehicle screened his from view
>>>from the road (hiding out on a prolonged supper break?). No way to get to my
>>>vehicle without crossing his line of sight. All that fumbling around to get
>>>the bike loaded, and meanwhile, there he'd be, literally so close I couldn't
>>>have opened the side door without hitting his van...
>>> Well, hell. Now what? Pull out the cell phone. No signal. Shit. Wait
>>>a couple of minutes, while attempting to send a strong psychic message, "IT'S
>>>TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE. GO AWAY. DRIVE OFF. GIT!" Nothing. He's still
>>>sitting there, and it's getting darker by the minute. Open up the cell phone,
>>>just in case maybe somebody put a new satellite in place in the last two
>>>minutes. No such luck. Shit, shit. Argument with self ensues:
>>> "You're just being paranoid, just go on over to your van, load up your
>>>bike."
>>> "But why's he there? Why so close?"
>>> "Why ask why, it's not illegal to park next to another vehicle in a
>>>parking lot."
>>> "Why ask why? Because you're alone, dumbass, and because there's nobody
>>>around and it's been at least 5 minutes and you haven't even seen a car pass
>>>on the highway and you can't even call somebody to let them know what's going
>>>on."
>>> "But *he* doesn't know that, now does he?"
>>> "But I'll feel so stupid..."
>>> "I can think of worse things than feeling stupid, eh?"
>>> So, once again, I pulled out the dead cell phone, flipped it open,
>>>deployed the antenna. Took a deep breath, held it to my ear, and started
>>>walking across the parking lot, pushing my bike with one hand and holding a
>>>conversation with an imaginary person on the other end of the non-existent
>>>line.
>>> "Hi, it's me.... Yeah, I'm done.... Oh, it was great... Nope, huh uh,
>>>not muddy at all... No, there's just one other vehicle here in the lot...
>>>Chevy van, full sized, grey, with some primer on the left rear fender...
>>>Illinois tags XXX-XXX..."
>>> By this time, the guy was obviously watching me, and listening as well.
>>> "Oh c'mon, how am I supposed to know that? Older. Not new. Maybe mid
>>>eighties? Well wait a second, the guy's right here, hang on."
>>> By this time, I was right next to the guy's van, and I reached over and
>>>knocked lightly on the door.
>>> "Excuse me, what year is your van?"
>>> "Um... '86"
>>> I continued my imaginary conversation. "It's an '86 - See, I was right,
>>>mid 80s...... You are?!! I want to come too!! Wait for me, I shouldn't be
>>>more than 15 minutes.... Okay, see you in a bit... Bye!"
>>> As I hung up the phone, the guy it the van said, "Uh... so what was that
>>>about?"
>>> I looked him in the eye and said, "Oh, that? Neighborhood Trail Watch,
>>>nothing personal." I lowered my voice, and said, confidentially, "We've had
>>>some problems with weirdos around here recently. Would you be interested in
>>>joining the group? I can take your name and address and put you on our
>>>mailing list?"
>>> He shook his head, "No thanks".
>>> And then, glory be, he started his engine, pulled out and left.
>>> To this day, I don't know who was the real weirdo in that situation - me,
>>>or him. But I am a firm believer in the pit of the stomach, the back of the
>>>neck - intuition, in other words. So maybe I ran off some innocent dweeb with
>>>inconsiderate parking habits... And then again, maybe I headed off a truly
>>>ugly incident. I'll never know. But all it cost me was a little bit of
>>>dignity, so it was worth it.
>>> And I'm damned sure glad I had my phone with me, dead or not.
>
>
> Nice thinking on your feet there

It can be taught. I had a track coach and physics teacher whose heros
were the engineers who saved Apollo 13 with a roll of duct tape and a
couple of cardboard boxes (okay, that's an oversimplification). He
would offer up various disastrous scenarios and you got extra credit for
inventive solutions.

"Panicking and running in circles screaming" earned you nothing unless
there happened to be a hang glider circling overhead specified in the
parameters of problem (there was, once).

I wasn't trapped in a malfunctioning tin can miles above the earth's
surface but the personal stakes could have pretty high. Thinking of it
in terms of one of his mental exercises was helpful...

"You're a female alone in the middle of nowhere, it's getting dark.
You've got an expensive bike, a dead cell phone and a weirdo..."

Terry Pulliam Burd > wrote in
:

> El Jefe and I had a meeting with a LA city councilman and were
> driving there after lunch with our 2 clients on Thursday. Traffic was
> even more insane than usual off the 101 at 4th St. Took us 15 mins. to
> go 3 blocks - turned out one of the studios was filming something -
> and it looked like we were not going to make the appointment. We're,
> what, at Pershing Square and City Hall is at 200 N. Main, so we did a
> Chinese fire drill, the boss and clients jump out of the car, I run
> around and jump into the driver's seat while they run like maniacs to
> City Hall. I parked in the underground parking lot beneath LA Mall,
> and started hoofing it across the street to City Hall. About a
> block toward my goal, I realize some guy is following me. "How," you
> ask yourself? He was on a cell phone and I heard him say, "She's a
> redhead in a green dress." Well, gee, I seem to be the only redhead in
> a green dress in sight, so I start making odd manuevers. I cut back
> toward the LA Mall, zig zagged through a nest of homeless people
> sitting under the shade trees there, and dove into a Quiznos (thereby
> being somewhat tangentially OB). Meanwhile, the guy is still on my
> tail and parks himself at a table and chairs outside the Quiznos. I
> call my boss and tell him what's happened and I ain't movin' until he
> comes to get me. Meanwhile, the place is swarming with cops - downtown
> police HQ, the LAPD commission, you name it, is also across the
> street, along with a myriad of Social Security offices and state
> offices, the DEA, the US Attorney's office... I collared a cop and
> explained what was going on. Presumably (b/c I'm deep inside the
> Quiznos and can't see the guy) he spoke to the guy, but the cop didn't
> come back in, so I sat there until my boss came to get me a freakin'
> hour later.
>
> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>
> Very nice ladies in the Quiznos. One of them must have noticed that I
> looked distressed and asked if I was okay. I explained what was
> happening. She brought me a cup of ice water and some napkins, then
> kept me up to date, saying, "He's still there" over and over. I left
> them a $20 tip when the boss and I left. The guy was still there and
> either asleep or faking it.
>
> <shrug> I f*cking hate LA.
>
> Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd
> --
> "If the soup had been as hot as the claret, if the claret had been as
> old as the bird, and if the bird's breasts had been as full as the
> waitress's, it would have been a very good dinner."
>
> -- Duncan Hines
>
> To reply, replace "meatloaf" with "cox"
>
>
>
>
>

Perphaps due to your chinese fire drill, and the police presence, you
were considered some sort of a security threat and some anti terrorist or
security type was following you. Muggers, rapists and bag snatchers
usually work alone. Anti terrorists and security types work with back up.
Probably a security type as they ain't too bright and you heard his
cellphone call.

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

On Sun, 08 Jun 2008 11:16:55 -0500, Kathleen
> wrote:

>Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:
>> On Sat, 7 Jun 2008 20:21:07 -0700 (PDT), aem >
>
>Seriously creepy. Trust your instincts, don't worry about embarrassing
>yourself, and don't worry about embarrassing some random-assed stranger.
> If something doesn't feel right it probably isn't. And a typical
>predator's tactic is to try to make a potential mark worry about being
>"rude" by responding defensively to the first tentative evaluative
>forays. This is something I posted to a mountain bike e-mail group a
>few years back.
>
>> Yup. And I'd like to point out that even a cell phone with no signal can
>> still be useful in certain situations. Out at one of the places where I ride,
>> you can't get a call in or out from the trail (except at the top of some of
>> the hills) or even the parking lot. Still, being a creature of habit, I carry
>> the phone with me anyhow.
>> So this past summer I went out there one evening for a ride. There were
>> no other vehicles in the trailhead parking lot, but I still parked several
>> spaces down from the entrance to the trail. I've learned that if I take one
>> of the closest spots, sure enough somebody will park right next to my van, and
>> especially in an otherwise empty lot, I hate that. I don't want anybody
>> dinging my doors with theirs, and I don't want to have to worry about dinging
>> somebody elses's doors with mine - I like to open the side door and sit there
>> to change my shoes. Really though, it's mainly about personal space and not
>> liking to be crowded unnecessarily.
>> So anyhow, I finished my ride, and was back at the gate to the lot when I
>> saw that there was another vehicle in the lot. Another van. And it was
>> parked *right next to mine*. Squeezed right in there like it was the last
>> space at the mall during Christmas shopping season. All the room in the
>> world, plenty of spaces closer to the trail entrance, plenty of spaces further
>> down, plenty of spaces on the opposite side of the lot, but this person had to
>> park right next to me? I was irritated.
>> Then I noticed that the windows were down, and there was a guy sitting in
>> the driver's seat. Uh oh. Now, that gave me pause. I was alone, in an
>> isolated parking lot, with my very expensive bike and it was getting dark
>> fast. Was I feeling paranoid? You betcha.
>> *Why* was he parked so close to my vehicle when he could have parked
>> anywhere at all? He hadn't been there when I arrived and unloaded my bike, so
>> I didn't think he could have known that it belonged to a lone female... Could
>> he? And it wasn't like he'd parked so that my vehicle screened his from view
>> from the road (hiding out on a prolonged supper break?). No way to get to my
>> vehicle without crossing his line of sight. All that fumbling around to get
>> the bike loaded, and meanwhile, there he'd be, literally so close I couldn't
>> have opened the side door without hitting his van...
>> Well, hell. Now what? Pull out the cell phone. No signal. Shit. Wait
>> a couple of minutes, while attempting to send a strong psychic message, "IT'S
>> TIME FOR YOU TO LEAVE. GO AWAY. DRIVE OFF. GIT!" Nothing. He's still
>> sitting there, and it's getting darker by the minute. Open up the cell phone,
>> just in case maybe somebody put a new satellite in place in the last two
>> minutes. No such luck. Shit, shit. Argument with self ensues:
>> "You're just being paranoid, just go on over to your van, load up your
>> bike."
>> "But why's he there? Why so close?"
>> "Why ask why, it's not illegal to park next to another vehicle in a
>> parking lot."
>> "Why ask why? Because you're alone, dumbass, and because there's nobody
>> around and it's been at least 5 minutes and you haven't even seen a car pass
>> on the highway and you can't even call somebody to let them know what's going
>> on."
>> "But *he* doesn't know that, now does he?"
>> "But I'll feel so stupid..."
>> "I can think of worse things than feeling stupid, eh?"
>> So, once again, I pulled out the dead cell phone, flipped it open,
>> deployed the antenna. Took a deep breath, held it to my ear, and started
>> walking across the parking lot, pushing my bike with one hand and holding a
>> conversation with an imaginary person on the other end of the non-existent
>> line.
>> "Hi, it's me.... Yeah, I'm done.... Oh, it was great... Nope, huh uh,
>> not muddy at all... No, there's just one other vehicle here in the lot...
>> Chevy van, full sized, grey, with some primer on the left rear fender...
>> Illinois tags XXX-XXX..."
>> By this time, the guy was obviously watching me, and listening as well.
>> "Oh c'mon, how am I supposed to know that? Older. Not new. Maybe mid
>> eighties? Well wait a second, the guy's right here, hang on."
>> By this time, I was right next to the guy's van, and I reached over and
>> knocked lightly on the door.
>> "Excuse me, what year is your van?"
>> "Um... '86"
>> I continued my imaginary conversation. "It's an '86 - See, I was right,
>> mid 80s...... You are?!! I want to come too!! Wait for me, I shouldn't be
>> more than 15 minutes.... Okay, see you in a bit... Bye!"
>> As I hung up the phone, the guy it the van said, "Uh... so what was that
>> about?"
>> I looked him in the eye and said, "Oh, that? Neighborhood Trail Watch,
>> nothing personal." I lowered my voice, and said, confidentially, "We've had
>> some problems with weirdos around here recently. Would you be interested in
>> joining the group? I can take your name and address and put you on our
>> mailing list?"
>> He shook his head, "No thanks".
>> And then, glory be, he started his engine, pulled out and left.
>> To this day, I don't know who was the real weirdo in that situation - me,
>> or him. But I am a firm believer in the pit of the stomach, the back of the
>> neck - intuition, in other words. So maybe I ran off some innocent dweeb with
>> inconsiderate parking habits... And then again, maybe I headed off a truly
>> ugly incident. I'll never know. But all it cost me was a little bit of
>> dignity, so it was worth it.
>> And I'm damned sure glad I had my phone with me, dead or not.
>
I don't know who posted the story just above. Must have missed it
originally but I'd like to congratulate the biker lady for being so
brave despite no cell phone connection. WOW! You were really thinking
on your feet. And just to know the guy drove off makes your intuition
golden!

I walk alone some days and had to do something similar once. Weird
drugged out guy, red eyes, standing about 2 inches from my nose and
yelling at me, irrationally, when I am 2 miles from my car. Knowing
my husband was weed whacking and couldn't even hear his cell, I called
and chatted to no one, saying where I was on the road and that I'd be
back in 15 minutes. My heart was racing and I did run some, but I
got home safely. Creepy.

aloha,
beans
roast beans to kona to email
farmers of Pure Kona

> Only thing I can figure is that I was better dressed than most of the
> local denizens - Jimmy Choo purse, Tahari suit and Ferragamo heels -
> and he was eyeballing the purse and contents.
>

That was indeed scary, sorry you had to endure it. But on another note,
what are you doing tomorrow night?

Paul