Solo lady togs be aware! Creepy experience.

[Analog6]

I had a very unsettling experience I had this morning. Ladies photographing solo in the Tweed area be aware.

I was taking shots along Tweed Valley Way of the river and the mist. I parked at the western end of the truck pull of area on Tweed Valley Way near Condong, with my car facing east (towards Tumbulgum). When I walked back to the car with my camera there was a white Mitsubishi 4WD with a roof rack and CB aerial, parked facing me, about 20m away, with a man in a red fluoro work shirt, shorts and boots standing beside the driver's door. As I drove off he smiled and nodded and I thought how nice it was to see a friendly face and smiled and nodded back.

He then turned and followed me, through Tumbulgum, into Terranora Rd, then when I turned to go along the Dulguigan Rd (north Tumbulgum) he followed me. By this time I was getting the wind up a bit and did not dare stop in my usual spot where I shoot the confluence of the two rivers. I drove along a couple of kms and did a U turn, and he followed me again. He then dropped away and I suddenly realised he could have taken my registration number and I did not have his. When I got to the bridge there was another car there with a man leaning on it talking on his phone, so I did a U turn and stopped there.

Lo and behold, he came along - which is when I took a photo of his car (passed on to Police) so I would have a record of the rego number, and parked behind me. I did a U turn to come home, and he did not seem to follow, and was not visible to me as I drove up Terranora Rd. When I got to the pull off at the old quarry along Terranora Rd, where you overlook the valley and Tweed Valley way, I started to slow down to photograph the mist and he was right behind me again. I kept going and he followed me to Bilambil Rd and did a U turn. I came home.

I was very shaken and believe this man was stalking me, despite the fact that I am an overweight lady of nearly 60. I've reported this to the Police, although I realise they can't do anything when it is just a one person complaint and no witnesses, but at least they'll have a record so that if there's other reports of similar happenings in the district they can maybe see a pattern.

[ricktas]

Very strange Odille. And a timely reminder to be aware of your surroundings. He may not have been stalking YOU as such, but rather had an eye on your camera gear (which is very much worth stealing). Either way good on you for taking his photo and reporting it.

[Cargo]

Very creepy and scary Odille,
Always pays to heed to that sixth sense of wrongness, I glad nothing happened and that you were able to get a photo of his car.
Your vigilance may end up helping some-one else ..... Good on ya for that
Cargo

[Tikira]

Hi Odille
What a scary experience, and one I am sure will rock the foundations of your confidence when out alone for a while. I am sorry some weirdo was out getting thrills from freaking you aout, and I am pleased you were able to pass a photo of his car on to the police, it just may help someone else.

Di

[Wayne]

s43 Road Transport (Safety and Traffic Management) act covers menacing driving.

What you have described, could constitute an offence under that legislation. Depending upon the responses (if any) the POI gives when interviewed, police could bring charge.

[Kym]

I try an play it safe and have my wife with me when out on shoots

Seriously... That would creep anyone out. You did the right thing!

[Cage]

What an upsetting experience Odille.

It's sad that you can't smile and nod at someone without that gesture being misinterpreted as a 'come on signal'.

That very freaky man sounds like he needs help.

[Analog6]

Thanks all, and I think what Rick said was an insult but it's hard to tell (just joking Rick!).

It was seriously creepy, a very long way from the nearest cop shop and lonely roads.

Police were lovely, they will email me an incident report, they cannot act on one person's word (I understand that) but it will now be on record. There were 2 male and one female officers on the desk and they all thought it was fairly strange behaviour - it's the 3 U turns that clinch it for me.They checked but no black ticks against car /driver (Qld rego plate). It was quite distinctive with a basket roof rack, 4 fishing rod holders on the bullbar, and a whip aerial. And I have rubber banded the picture to my sun visor so I'll know the bugger again.

And it is not as though that was my usual routine, although it is a spot I often use on foggy mornings. It was a very spur of the moment trip, and I'd say his actions were spur of the moment too.

At least I'm using my big heavy tripod now after the contretemps at the weekend so at least I could scythe someone off at the knees if they get close enough!

[ricktas]

Thanks all, and I think what Rick said was an insult but it's hard to tell (just joking Rick!).

Insult? Sorry I am confused?

Ah. I re-read what I posted and see where you are coming from. Sorry, Odille, no insult intended or implied. I just had a suspicion you were more than likely being followed to see if he could find out where you live, then when you are not home, helps himself to a nice load of camera gear..and more.

Friends of mine recently purchased a very large screen tv and were robbed the same night..tv gone. One of their children mentioned seeing a guy at the shop who looked like a guy who was parked across the road from their home during the afternoon. Police went back to store, got footage and sure enough, a guy in the store pretending to be a customer had seen their purchase, followed them home and robbed them, all in the same day. He was caught with the tv in his house the next day.

My suspicion with your fellow, Odille, that the odds of him wanted to break in a steal stuff are much greater (as our police statistics show) than being someone who wanted to attack a lone female. I did not mean to imply he would not want to attack you, for any reason. But either way, you being observant has probably succeeded in putting him off.

[Duane Pipe]

Very spooky Odille . I was listening to a police scanner one night, there was a report that a thief walked into a flat and stole a telly, big deal!!!! While the victim was home watching it desperate crims do desperate things

[SirLozalot]

Creepy. Glad you are ok Odille.

[Mary Anne]

Sorry to read this Odille and good on you for doing the sensible thing and reporting him also glad you are Ok..

[Analog6]

Yes, he didn't follow me home and I always tuck the car away so no way of knowing where I live but we'll be vigilant for a few days. Then again, he might have thought I was a visitor with all my gear in the car being up for holidays. We are in a holiday area.

I was just having a little leg pull Rick

[Lance B]

I am in agreeance with Rick, I think he was looking to steal your camera gear from your car or home or maybe even roll you for it when you stopped in some other secluded area. It is great that you were so vigilant. I am always on the lookout for suspicious looking people like this.

[old dog]

glad there was no big problems Odille. My wife was out for a walk with the grandy a week ago and a bloke in a car slowed down and made an indecent gesture to her. Julie`s son was right behind her about 5 metres or so at the time. We talked to the police and they said to leave it alone and stay away from the creep. What a world it is turning out to be. Sad.

[Kerrie]

Glad your okay! I used to get the spooks when I first started trying sunrises. I was only 200mts up from where I lived, but every time a bloke came past I got very wary, and i see Rick's point - I was concerned they could pinch my gear.

alot can be said for a German Shepherd caddy at times like this.

[Lance B]

glad there was no big problems Odille. My wife was out for a walk with the grandy a week ago and a bloke in a car slowed down and made an indecent gesture to her. Julie`s son was right behind her about 5 metres or so at the time. We talked to the police and they said to leave it alone and stay away from the creep. What a world it is turning out to be. Sad.

Yeah, years ago, the cops would have been able to have a "talk" to the guy and "convince" him not to do that sort of thing. Nowadays, your wife would probably have to pay him compensation for making him want to make a rude gesture at her.

[Analog6]

I'd love to be able to have a dog but our place is totally unsuitable, with no fencing and the school next door. I don't beleive in leaving dogs tied up and anyway it would go mad with teh noisy schoolkinds. The people over the road had to find another home for their dog - he becamse quite vicious due to the kids throwing stuff over the fence at him when there was no one home.

[old dog]

if you read this Lance.....the cop, who Julie knows quite well, advised her that it would not be a good idea to even talk to this dude. What a world it has become. Reprisals are too frequent and must be avoided. Gee, in my days as a youngster the local cop walked the streets anf kicked the local scumbags up the a..... You can`t upset them (the local scumbags) nowdays as you may stifle their creative spirit....glad tonight is the end of the world...

[Ezookiel]

Good to see someone is in touch with their in built sense of danger and intuition.
I saw a TV article a little while back that showed how humans are one of the only animals that consistently ignore their own sixth sense that something is wrong and march right into disaster.
It gave multiple examples of people who ended up in disastrous situations because they ignored the alarm bells going off in their head - the woman who got home and her garbage bin had been placed where it blocked her entire driveway, despite all her inner alarm bells saying something was wrong and to drive on and come back with friends or come back later, she ignored it and got out of her car to move it, where she was promptly attacked by her ex-husband who had placed it there to make her get out of her car where he could get to her. It had heaps of other examples - the person who got a real creepy feeling from the person already in the elevator when the doors opened, and instead of pretending they forgot something in their room and walking away to get a different elevator, they ignored that sense and got into the elevator with that person - moments later the person stopped the lift between floors and assaulted them. Example after example of people who said that every part of them had tried to warn them at the time, and they had dismissed all those inner warnings and alarm bells, and pushed on into disaster.

So people, please pay attention to your intuition! Both males and females, If you have inner alarm bells telling you something isn't right, then LISTEN TO THEM!!! Trust your intuition and instinct. You'll be surprised how accurate it can be, and even if it turned out your intuition was wrong, the result is generally harmless - you went an extra lap of the block, you caught a different lift, or in the case above, you delayed going straight home and did a few U-Turns to check that your senses were right - but ignoring it when it is right might well be disastrous.