# I am 17. It's dark and raining and this creep is following me, what should I do? Need answer fast. **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [April 4, 2012, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864 "2012-04-04T23:32:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/41 "2012-04-05T03:28:04Z")
NM…I suppose it’s important because it shows that more than just ‘leftists’ could hold a given opinion. Doesn’t seem relevant to me, as I have doubts 75% of Americans have enough understanding of the law to make their opinion about whether or not an arrest is warranted in ANY case, let alone this one which seems pretty emotionally charged, but I think I see your point. Sorry for being so thick. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Blkshp](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blkshp/32/7135_2.png) [@Blkshp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blkshp)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/42 "2012-04-05T03:32:06Z")
I got just such a call as described in the OP from my 15 year old son. He was walking home from a friends house at 10:00 on a rainy night. I told him to head for a house with lights on while calling 911 then call me back. I called 911, too. It turned out that it was a cop that was following him in an unmarked car. The cop ended up giving him a ride the rest of the way home because it was raining. The cop was clearly suspicious of my son at first because there had been some trouble (break-ins) in the neighborhood. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/43 "2012-04-05T03:34:10Z")
> [@XT](#): > > Why or how is this statistic important? 😕 > > -XT Once again, only to make the point that it is not just a “leftie” issue. Perhaps you will understand more when you learn that on polls people who are liberal only amount to just about 25% of the population, that 75% shows that there is a mess of centrists and right wingers that are not swallowing the say so’s of Zimmerman and the Police in that location. [on edit,: never mind, I see that you got it.] ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/44 "2012-04-05T05:22:27Z")
Why are some of you projecting the Trayvon/Zimmerman details onto this scenario? The OP asks what he should do, not what Trayvon should have done. And he got some good answers: \*\*Call 911. Knock on someone’s door and ask for help. Go to a well lighted area. Scream for help.\*\* All of those are good advise. But the best one is to call 911 and DO NOT HANG UP. Make it clear to whoever is following you that you are in touch with the authorities, live, on your phone. Put it on speaker for thee bonus round. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/45 "2012-04-05T05:36:36Z")
Well I thought there was no need to mention it, but I do think that Travon did a stupid thing, now was neglecting to call 911 stupid? Yes, but then again I have to deal with teens, and they do indeed do stupid things, but it does not mean that they deserve death and we are indeed doing Monday morning quarterbacking. However, what Zimmerman did was even more stupid, and ultimately the one that has to face the fact that he was wrong and killed someone doing a job he was not asked to do in the first place. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/46 "2012-04-05T05:48:24Z")
> [@begbert2](#): > > (Will play along) > > Head for an occupied building. This answer depends on you being in an area with occupied buildings rather than out on a dirt road between two dark and scary cornfields, but since you didn’t say I feel at liberty to make assumptions. Possibly the place you bought your skittles and tea an option, if that’s still nearby, but any open business would be good. hell, if you see a closed business with an alarm system, break in and hit the panic button [in general any current alarm system monitored at a station will have a panic button on the keypad, frequently if you input either ## or \*\* it will trigger a panic alarm.] Police will be rolled. Follow it up by getting the business phone and calling 911 as well. It is better to get bailed out for B&E than getting killed, kidnapped or assaulted. ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/47 "2012-04-05T13:56:35Z")
> [@The\_Tao\_s\_Revenge](#): > > I am a 17 year old kid in Florida. It’s dark and raining, and this creepy guy has been tailing me and won’t leave me alone. Driving slowly next to me. He’s making me pretty scared. My girlfriend thinks I should run. I’m not hurting anyone. I just wanted to get my brother some Skittles and myself a tea. Now he’s ignoring my questions and aggressively approaching me. I don’t know what he wants, but he makes me really scared. Would I be wrong to try to defend myself? If you were my son I would be worried that this person had a gun or a knife. I would advise you to call the police and start running. I would advise you to try to make the guy following you aware that you have contacted the authorities. ---
**Author:** ![Mgalindo13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@Mgalindo13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mgalindo13)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/48 "2012-04-05T16:16:12Z")
I was taught from an early age what to do in situations like these, I thought everyone was. We didn’t have cell phones back then, it was basic situational awareness, where to go for help, who to call, what to say or how to act. Given the scenario described in the OP if my son (or daughter) I would have trained them to: 1. Quickly make a mental note of all details about the individual and vehicle 2. Call 911 from - give them all the details they can remember and stay on the line 3. All while walking quickly, but not running, to the nearest occupied home or business 4. And under no circumstances would they confront the individual, start a physical altercation or try to “stand their ground” - you never know if someone may be armed and/or just plain crazy. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/49 "2012-04-05T16:37:03Z")
[QUOTE=John Mace] Why are some of you projecting the Trayvon/Zimmerman details onto this scenario? The OP asks what he should do, not what Trayvon should have done. [/QUOTE] Because it’s pretty clear that the OP wasn’t REALLY talking about a hypothetical situation. Though I DID try and answer generically, most people simply blew through the thinly veiled smoke screen of the OP and just restarted the myriad discussions on this subjects from other threads. > [@](#): > > All of those are good advise. But the best one is to call 911 and DO NOT HANG UP. Make it clear to whoever is following you that you are in touch with the authorities, live, on your phone. Put it on speaker for thee bonus round. Definitely, if they have a phone or access to a phone. But I’d say the ‘best’ one is to call AND get out of dodge. You basically don’t want to confront someone following you in this manner ever, nor do you want to hang around even with 911 on the line. You don’t know the intent or capabilities of someone following you, and if you are alone then you don’t want to suddenly find out that they have a gun or knife and you simply have a cell phone with someone from 911 on the line. -XT ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/50 "2012-04-05T16:38:46Z")
Call 911 and keep walking. ---
**Author:** ![Mgalindo13](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ea5d25/32.png) [@Mgalindo13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mgalindo13)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/51 "2012-04-05T16:56:44Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > All of those are good advise. But the best one is to call 911 and DO NOT HANG UP. Make it clear to whoever is following you that you are in touch with the authorities, live, on your phone. Put it on speaker for thee bonus round. You always want to be careful about communicating that you have called the authorities. That can trigger a “clock” for the assailant who now thinks he has only X minutes to get to you until the cops arrive. Every situation is different, but the way I read the OP I wouldn’t say anything to the individual. ---
**Author:** ![basefifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@basefifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/basefifty)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/52 "2012-04-05T18:29:14Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Or run into the street shouting “Help Fire! Fire”. > > Or kick the fender of a parked car so hard that the alarm is triggered. Ironically if Trayvon \*had \*started kicking a car, Zimmerman’s “suspicions” would have been validated and, in his mind, he would have had even more reason to take out his weapon ---
**Author:** ![basefifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@basefifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/basefifty)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/53 "2012-04-05T18:48:51Z")
All of these suggestions of what Trayvon should have done are pretty easy to make sitting at home behind a computer and as rational adults. Somehow if the person “acting suspiciously” had been a 14-year old white girl called Whitney I think we’d be having a slightly different conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/54 "2012-04-05T19:17:37Z")
> [@basefifty](#): > > Somehow if the person “acting suspiciously” had been a 14-year old white girl called Whitney I think we’d be having a slightly different conversation. It’s kinda hard to imagine a 14-year old white girl called Whitney sitting on Zimmerman beating him up while Zimmerman’s shouting “Help! Help!”. But maybe your imagination is more versatile than mine. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/55 "2012-04-05T19:18:41Z")
I’m sure people with sufficient ideological motivation would find a way to believe it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/56 "2012-04-05T19:28:17Z")
Wait, so let me see if I’ve got this straight: Zimmerman has a legitimate claim to self-defense, because it’s conceivable that he legitimately feared that the guy he got out of his car to chase down was going to kill him, but Trayvon wouldn’t have a legitimate claim to self-defense, because he had no way of knowing that the guy who was chasing him with a gun intended him any harm? Oh, right, **Blake** has explained why the cases are different: It’s because Trayvon is black and has had dental work done. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/57 "2012-04-05T19:33:39Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Oh, right, **Blake** has explained why the cases are different: It’s because Trayvon is black and has had dental work done. Grills are removable. I wouldn’t call them dental work. ---
**Author:** ![basefifty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cdc98d/32.png) [@basefifty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/basefifty)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/58 "2012-04-05T19:36:22Z")
> [@Terr](#): > > It’s kinda hard to imagine a 14-year old white girl called Whitney sitting on Zimmerman beating him up while Zimmerman’s shouting “Help! Help!”. But maybe your imagination is more versatile than mine. Maybe she verbally threatened to harm Zimmerman if he didn’t stop follow her - then can he shoot her? Maybe she threw a punch - then can he shoot her? Maybe she reached under her jacket for what looked like a weapon - then can he shoot her? Maybe she’s trained in Krav Maga? Just how “beaten up” does one have to get before you can shoot someone? Unfortunately since Trayvon is (apparently justifiably) dead, there’s only one person who can tell their side of the story… who knows how the altercation actually started ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/59 "2012-04-05T19:38:20Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Wait, so let me see if I’ve got this straight: Zimmerman has a legitimate claim to self-defense, because it’s conceivable that he legitimately feared that the guy he got out of his car to chase down was going to kill him, but Trayvon wouldn’t have a legitimate claim to self-defense, because he had no way of knowing that the guy who was chasing him with a gun intended him any harm? It is possible that both had legitimate claims of self-defense. But only one is the defendant. ---
**Author:** ![just\_some\_guy5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@just\_some\_guy5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/just_some_guy5)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2012, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864/60 "2012-04-05T19:44:40Z")
> [@basefifty](#): > > Ironically if Trayvon \*had \*started kicking a car, Zimmerman’s “suspicions” would have been validated and, in his mind, he would have had even more reason to take out his weapon Zimmerman - is that you? If not, seems pretty damn speculative. I suspect the SYG defense doesn’t work so well if you shoot a kid that was kicking your car. But then again, IANAL. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-am-17-its-dark-and-raining-and-this-creep-is-following-me-what-should-i-do-need-answer-fast/617864.md?page=4)