“Hey, that’s a nice baseball bat you have there” the guy who I thought worked at the store told me. “Yeah, it’s for my son. He’s playing t-ball and needs to practice” I said, thinking I was just participating in friendly store-customer banter.
I picked-up a few more items and everywhere I went he was there. But now, he had a friend with hm. Ok, I’m not going to steal. I’m on my way to the gym. I have no pockets or a purse on me. There’s nowhere to stash anything. I thought as I made my way to check-out.
Leaning next to the candy display at check-out he said, “your son’s going to like that” while his buddy stood next to him smiling at me. Yes he will, and I know how to use it too! I finally made my way to the front of the line. I asked the cashier if those guys worked at the store. She told me she never saw them before. Great. My spider senses were right.
As I asked her this question, four more guys joined the other two. The lady saw the fear on my face and called and asked for someone to walk me out of the store. When my “escort” arrived, the creepy group of guys took off. I was safely walked to my car and the dirt bags took off in the other direction.
This was a scary reminder for me. When I was a teenager, I was going home from ballet class when I stopped by Hastings to purchase a new CD. It was about 8 p.m. and I parked right in front of the store under a parking lot light. Two guys made chit-chat with me in the store. I didn’t think anything of it. I was a teenager. I paid for the CD and made my way to the car.
When I made it to my car and sat down in the seat, I realized I couldn’t shut my door. I looked up and there was one of the guys from inside the store holding my door. He was asking me for directions to somewhere. I didn’t answer. I turned on my car and shoved the gear shift in reverse. I looked over at the passenger door and the other guy was trying to open the door. I quickly backed the car out with my door wide open. When I made it around the corner, I shut the door and finally let out a deep sigh of relief.
I cried the entire way home. Something terrible could have happened to me, but by the grace of God I was safe. I hate parking lots because of that experience. Now, I strap the kids quickly in their seats and unload my groceries as fast as possible when I’m parking lots.
Yesterday was a big wake-up call for me. My husband gave me stun gun, but I leave it my glove box. I will be carrying it in my purse at all times now. The lesson every woman, teenager, child and man should take from this is to always be aware of your surroundings and trust your spider sense. Listening to your gut may save your life.
