My 15 year old was riding his bike this morning

[Disney Doll]

I am a "go with your gut" kind of person. I think our subconscious processes a lot of information & we don't even realize it....sort of a throwback to our caveman days when one had to be very "aware" or risk getting eaten by a saber-tooth tiger!

My father was a cop. He has always said that the police would rather investigate nothing than something. I have been known to call our local police when I notice anything suspicious. Realistically, one gets to know the "rhythm" of one's neighbors & neighborhood...again, maybe not even consciously...so "suspicious" stands out.

I always recommend a book called "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin deBecker. It is an amazing study of criminal behaviors and how potential victims can protect themselves and how to learn to tell the difference between your "gut" and simple paranoia.

 

[dismom2005]

I Realistically, one gets to know the "rhythm" of one's neighbors & neighborhood...again, maybe not even consciously...so "suspicious" stands out.

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ITA with this. OP - glad you called, even if it turns out to be nothing, it's best to have it documented.
Yikes, these stories are so scary.

 

[dismom2]

When I was 14 (I'm 18 now) I was walking my dog through my neighborhood at dusk And a man turned the corner I had just passed and started following me. What was weird is when I passed that street corner I didn't see anyone coming up that direction, and you can see pretty far down that road. But there is a lot of brush and bushes on that corner... My dog got really nervous and tense and started pulling me forward, and I got a little nervous too. So I started walking faster, and he started walking faster and was catching up to me.

Finally, my dog started flipping out so we just took off running, I was about 2 blocks from home. THE GUY STARTS RUNNING BEHIND ME. He wasn't yelling to me or anything, just trying to catch up. Scariest moment of my life.

When I got home my dog just stayed at the door and growled. I peaked out the front window and he was standing at my front door just looking at my house. I locked everything and sat in the corner while my dog protected me.

After he left my yard I called my parents and they told me to call the police. I explained my situation and later that night they called my parents to explain that a recently released SEX OFFENDER had just moved into our neighborhood and they were keeping close tabs on him.

2 weeks later he moved away. Suspicious much? Basically, I'm saying you were right to call the cops. I don't know what would have happened if I hadn't called. He could have just fallen under the radar and gone after another kid - and he could have succeeded. He could have gotten one of my friends.

I sometimes wonder about what could have happened to me that day, but I don't think that guy had a prayer against my boy Luke! Thank goodness for man's best friend!

How scary!!!

OP: You were right to be nervous about the whole situation. I can be over protective, but I don't care what other people think---there are a LOT of crazy people out there and you can never be too safe.

 

[golfgal]

That is the tip the police had this am. They said have your phone handy so you can snap a picture of the license plate- or even just dial it into your phone as a phone number.

I was proud of how he handled himself and thankfully was able to use it as a teaching moment for my other younger kids.

And holy smokes Jupiter I am so glad you had your dog with you!

That is a great idea putting the license number into your phone like a phone number. I wouldn't have ever thought of that.

I am a "go with your gut" kind of person. I think our subconscious processes a lot of information & we don't even realize it....sort of a throwback to our caveman days when one had to be very "aware" or risk getting eaten by a saber-tooth tiger!

My father was a cop. He has always said that the police would rather investigate nothing than something. I have been known to call our local police when I notice anything suspicious. Realistically, one gets to know the "rhythm" of one's neighbors & neighborhood...again, maybe not even consciously...so "suspicious" stands out.

I always recommend a book called "The Gift of Fear" by Gavin deBecker. It is an amazing study of criminal behaviors and how potential victims can protect themselves and how to learn to tell the difference between your "gut" and simple paranoia.

I agree-the problem is that parents don't give kids enough freedom to develop this 6th sense about people.

 

[Disney Doll]

I agree-the problem is that parents don't give kids enough freedom to develop this 6th sense about people.

Well, that is true in some cases.
I think it's a hard line to walk...how much freedom to develop some "street smarts" vs. how much caution to protect them???

 

[Stitchfans]

So glad our son was smart enough to stay as far away as possible. No doubt you taught him well. Hope if the police catch up with this van it was just a lost person after all.

 

[golfgal]

Well, that is true in some cases.
I think it's a hard line to walk...how much freedom to develop some "street smarts" vs. how much caution to protect them???

I am not talking street smarts-just people smarts. How about when you are out and about and someone talks to you and you make your child say hello or answer questions, etc because it is "polite" yet the kid thinks the person is a creep. How about when your child doesn't want to play with someone but you make them because you think your child is being difficult? Not that it is wrong to teach manners but kids generally have a better read on people then adults yet adults don't pay attention to that.

 

[mjkacmom]

I agree-the problem is that parents don't give kids enough freedom to develop this 6th sense about people.

Ds11 recently rode his bike to the park with a group of friends, and there was a guy there, not bothering them, just looking down, giving them a weird vibe, so they left. Giving them a little freedom gives them the opportunity to get these intuitions. I won't let him ride alone to the park, or on his bike (unless he's riding a couple of blocks to a friend's home), but eventually, he'll be out in public alone, and I want him to be confident, yet careful.

 

[minkydog]

Just because your son is a big teenager don't think that protects him from bad guys. We have a grown woman right now who disappeared from a sleepy little town(read: SAFE) last week and they still can't find her. They found her cell phone and a couple other small things, but no trace of her. It's not looking good. So far her husband and close relatives/friends are ruled out as suspects. The police believe she was probably kidnapped by a stranger as she walked along the side of the road.

Congratulations to your son for listening to his gut. When the "fish" are acting funny, you're instincts should go into high gear and it sounds like your son had that "knowing." It may have been nothing, but it doesn't sound like nothing. If that had happened to my DD16 I would be beside myself with fear. Good for him doing the right thing and keeping himself safe.

 

[Camicar]

Locally here...there was a 13 or so yr old at the bus stop WITH other children there as well who was grabbed...he was the teen who actually was taped to a tree and got away. So if someone is planning on snatching someone, they are going to do it no matter what.

----
Just because your son is a big teenager don't think that protects him from bad guys. We have a grown woman right now who disappeared from a sleepy little town(read: SAFE) last week and they still can't find her. They found her cell phone and a couple other small things, but no trace of her. It's not looking good. So far her husband and close relatives/friends are ruled out as suspects. The police believe she was probably kidnapped by a stranger as she walked along the side of the road

That. And that too.

One Sunday afternoon in my version of Hooterville, nice day, everyone outside, my next door neighbor girl was out riding bikes with another girl in a cul de sac.

White van with no windows starts cruising behind them. Guy opens window, offers my neighbor girl candy to come closer. Thankfully, little girl had well-developed survival instincts and said later that the fact that there were no side windows in the van creeped her out. She dropped her bike, grabbed the other girl and went SCREAMING thru the back yards to her house. All of this happened in full view of at least 10 people on a cul de sac (so no thru traffic). No one acted quickly enough to get a plate number, but did call the police and filed a report. They told us the town was a prime target, in their opinion because it was near an interstate and a perp could be on that road and then off on a rural route and into some out of the way house in no time.

If that wasn't chilling enough, a short time thereafter one little girl, then a second, then a third were all kidnapped off their bikes on rural routes, all later found raped and murdered in rural areas. When they finally caught the guy, guess what? He was driving the same type/color van as the guy who tried to grab my neighbor in broad daylight in front of witnesses. What saved my neighbor were her instincts and willingness to trust them. Otherwise, she might have been grabbed, raped and killed on that beautiful spring day.

So it doesn't matter that your son is a tall kid or it was daylight.