Would you have said anything to the creepy guy?

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Last night I had my daughters with me in a store. We were in line to pay. California Girls ( Beach Boys ) was playing over the speakers. There was a guy in front of us waiting to pay when we got in line.

He turned around and saw my daughters and said "Hello little girls." And then he turned away after my kids said hello.

So he starts singing "I wish they all could be real little girls" instead of California girls. So I walked up to him and gave him an evil eye, and just said "Dude."

And then he said "Sorry", and paid and walked away.

What would you have done or said? Part of me wanted to call the cops, but he didn't actually do anything illegal. But he was really creepy.

 

[Mixie]

Yep, creepy - but nothing to call the cops over. I think you did fine.

 

[happygirl]

I don't think he meant any harm, with you standing in front of you.

 

[JerseyJanice]

I probably would have gotten sassier with him, but I'm a woman and from Jersey, so I can get away with that.

It was nothing you could phone the police over, though.

 

[Magpie]

Last night I had my daughters with me in a store. We were in line to pay. California Girls ( Beach Boys ) was playing over the speakers. There was a guy in front of us waiting to pay when we got in line.

He turned around and saw my daughters and said "Hello little girls." And then he turned away after my kids said hello.

So he starts singing "I wish they all could be real little girls" instead of California girls. So I walked up to him and gave him an evil eye, and just said "Dude."

And then he said "Sorry", and paid and walked away.

What would you have done or said? Part of me wanted to call the cops, but he didn't actually do anything illegal. But he was really creepy.

I thought you handled it just fine. He was socially inappropriate, but there's any number of perfectly harmless reasons he might not understand normal social mores. He could have Asperger's Syndrome.

He didn't try to "get to know" your kids. He didn't try to get any personal information out of you or them. He didn't follow you anywhere. He just sounds a bit slow and/or clueless to me. Maybe he even thought he was being funny. Like this bit from the Blues Brothers...

[to man in restaurant]
Jake: [fakes accent] How much for the little girl? How much for the women?
Father: What?
Jake: Your women. I want to buy your women. The little girl, your daughters... sell them to me. Sell me your children!

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I don't think he meant any harm, with you standing in front of you.

Oh, I am sure he wasn't planning harm anybody with me right there, but I would bet money that he has predatory tendencies.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Last night I had my daughters with me in a store. We were in line to pay. California Girls ( Beach Boys ) was playing over the speakers. There was a guy in front of us waiting to pay when we got in line.

He turned around and saw my daughters and said "Hello little girls." And then he turned away after my kids said hello.

So he starts singing "I wish they all could be real little girls" instead of California girls. So I walked up to him and gave him an evil eye, and just said "Dude."

And then he said "Sorry", and paid and walked away.

What would you have done or said? Part of me wanted to call the cops, but he didn't actually do anything illegal. But he was really creepy.

You handled it just fine and appropriately. I would either have ignored it or rolled my eyes at the cashier if she was thinking the same thing I was.

As my sister says, it takes all kinds to fill the freeway. He could have been perfectly harmless, off in his own little world and happened to see little girls and wove that image into whatever song was playing on the musac at the time. I know I've done that myself sometimes. Think of the song, "Lime in the Coconut" sung with lyrics of "Take the butter and the cookie dough and eat them all up!" and I'm sure I've got people standing around me wondering about my sanity.

Calling the cops because you don't like what someone's saying or singing is a bit extreme, though. You made your irritation known and he apologized. End of event. No need to overthink or dwell on it.

 

[cheshireqt]

You did better than most would in that situation. He made you feel uncomfortable, creepy but not a crime. You made him feel uncomfortable right back.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Oh, I am sure he wasn't planning harm anybody with me right there, but I would bet money that he has predatory tendencies.

You'd probably lose that bet. There's no way to tell predatory tendencies based on what song someone sings.

I agree with Magpie. He wasn't trying to get to know your kids, he wasn't leering at them or offering candy, he didn't even strike up a conversation. He was actually being polite by acknowledging the presence of you and your girls, then going back into whatever was going on in his head when you moved into his personal space.

You're reading way too much into it.

 

[phorsenuf]

Oh, I am sure he wasn't planning harm anybody with me right there, but I would bet money that he has predatory tendencies.

Holy leap Batman!

So he says hello to your girls, then changes the words to little girls. I'm willing to bet he wasn't even thinking about how it sounded. Sometimes things people say or do just comes out wrong or is taken the wrong way.

I think that's what is such a problem in the world today. If you speak to a stranger (or heaven forbid children), just to be nice you are labeled a predator or rapist or whatever. People just can't be nice and friendly anymore, there's always something sinister lurking in the background.

 

[Magpie]

Oh, I am sure he wasn't planning harm anybody with me right there, but I would bet money that he has predatory tendencies.

I think if he had actual "predatory tendencies", he'd be a bit more subtle about it.

Me, I just keep thinking of more movie quotes, like this one from Airplane:

Captain Oveur: You ever been in a cockpit before?
Joey: No sir, I've never been up in a plane before.
Captain Oveur: You ever seen a grown man naked?

So maybe the guy watches too many old inappropriate movies.

Captain Oveur: Joey, have you ever been in a... in a Turkish prison?

 

[LuvOrlando]

Oh, I am sure he wasn't planning harm anybody with me right there, but I would bet money that he has predatory tendencies.

To dare to behave that way right in front of a parent tells me he's very much a psyco. Most people know enough to at least keep their lunacy to themselves. If he can't even do that something is terribly wrong. You did the right thing to make sure he knew you were paying attention

Every wacko that ends up in the news was a still a wacko the day before, just as nutty but not as loud. Think about it.

 

[N&B'smom]

I probably would have gotten sassier with him, but I'm a woman and from Jersey, so I can get away with that.

Same here! (and I'm from NJ too!)

Holy leap Batman!

So he says hello to your girls, then changes the words to little girls. I'm willing to bet he wasn't even thinking about how it sounded.

I think he DID know how it sounded which is why he said 'sorry'. If he was blissfully unaware I'm thinking he would have said something else or questioned her reaction.

 

[DebbieB]

When my aunt was dying in the hospital, my cousin's ex-wife was there with her current husband (long story....). Anyway, the ex-wife's current husband has always creeped me out. We were standing in the doorway of the ICU and he says to me "do you want some candy, I always keep candy in my pocket for little girls....". Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

 

[phorsenuf]

Same here! (and I'm from NJ too!)



I think he DID know how it sounded which is why he said 'sorry'. If he was blissfully unaware I'm thinking he would have said something else or questioned her reaction.

Haven't you ever said something and then after it comes out of your mouth you think 'hmmm....that didn't sound right.' Maybe that's what happened.

I think jumping to the conclusion (and wanting to call the cops over it ) is quite ridiculous. Like I said, I think sometimes people read more into things then what they are.

We see it all the time here.

 

[kathie859]

When my aunt was dying in the hospital, my cousin's ex-wife was there with her current husband (long story....). Anyway, the ex-wife's current husband has always creeped me out. We were standing in the doorway of the ICU and he says to me "do you want some candy, I always keep candy in my pocket for little girls....". Ughhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh.

OK, DebbieB, you win the "creepy award"! OP, the guy may be a little odd, but I think you handled the situation just fine.

 

[PaulaSB12]

Wow over the top neurotic parent, this is why I try not to have anything to do with kids in WDW. He may have been a bit unwise to do this (considering so many do seem to think single male MUST BE A PEADOPHILE!) but really he said hello do you really think he was grooming them?

 

[Missy1961]

Holy leap Batman!

So he says hello to your girls, then changes the words to little girls. I'm willing to bet he wasn't even thinking about how it sounded. Sometimes things people say or do just comes out wrong or is taken the wrong way.

I think that's what is such a problem in the world today. If you speak to a stranger (or heaven forbid children), just to be nice you are labeled a predator or rapist or whatever. People just can't be nice and friendly anymore, there's always something sinister lurking in the background.

Exactly! I'm afraid to smile at a kid anymore, and I'm an almost 50 yr old woman.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

Wow over the top neurotic parent, this is why I try not to have anything to do with kids in WDW. He may have been a bit unwise to do this (considering so many do seem to think single male MUST BE A PEADOPHILE!) but really he said hello do you really think he was grooming them?

You know what? I'm not single, and these are my daughters, yet I very much pay attention to what I do and say around young girls especially. You never know who might sue you for what, or what you might be accused of doing.

Over the top neurotic? Hardly. Cautious is more like it. Better safe than sorry is more like it. If you think my simply saying "Dude" makes me neurotic, well, so be it. Just your opinion.

I can tell you that I once found a young girl in an amusement park who was "lost". She was screaming and crying for her mom. I went to help her by taking her to a security booth. Several women came over to me and basically took her from me, with one of them saying something like "It is better for a woman to handle this." And I agree. Though I would have, had there been no women around.

 

[N&B'smom]

Haven't you ever said something and then after it comes out of your mouth you think 'hmmm....that didn't sound right.' Maybe that's what happened.

I think jumping to the conclusion (and wanting to call the cops over it ) is quite ridiculous. Like I said, I think sometimes people read more into things then what they are.

We see it all the time here.

I don't think she should have called the cops, obviously she really didn't either since she didn't call them.