Being followed.
Maybe more likely in towns - someone on foot, trailing but seeming to follow. Perhaps too we can include being followed by a vehicle.
First we'd have to find a way of establishing that paranoia had not gotten the better of us, despite our con' yellow - so at what point might we usefully decide it is genuine? Perhaps make subtle changes to see if there is a following equal action - which seems most logical.
If then that decision is made - actions? How soon might we use the cell to call it in? How to best evade perhaps? What if we think there is one doing the following when in fact it could be a team.?
Let's also assume here you have no reason to suspect you are a target of the Fed's :icon16:
OK - fertile imagination mode again
but unlikely tho this is maybe - it is yet another thing that has crossed my mind.
First we'd have to find a way of establishing that paranoia had not gotten the better of us, despite our con' yellow - so at what point might we usefully decide it is genuine? Perhaps make subtle changes to see if there is a following equal action - which seems most logical.
If then that decision is made - actions? How soon might we use the cell to call it in? How to best evade perhaps? What if we think there is one doing the following when in fact it could be a team.?
Let's also assume here you have no reason to suspect you are a target of the Fed's :icon16:
OK - fertile imagination mode again
but unlikely tho this is maybe - it is yet another thing that has crossed my mind.1 - 20 of 53 Posts
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A friend of mine told me about two friends of his that were attacked while walking home one evening not long ago. They live in a condo in a decent part of Minneapolis. These two Yuppies I'm sure had no idea they were being followed until they were attacked while entering their building. They were beaten, one suffered a broken jaw, and a purse was snached.
They needed to take a class on situational awareness and avoidance techinques but I am sure that would be out of the question for them. At least until now.
They needed to take a class on situational awareness and avoidance techinques but I am sure that would be out of the question for them. At least until now.
When I was with the dept of corrections (a long time ago in a galaxy far away) I was tailed by some of my clients more than once. This was before the era of the cell phone. I always try and keep an eye on my "six." If the same car makes more than two turns with me, I automatically go into a more complex series of turns to determine if the contact is more than coincidence. During those times in the past, I was able to flag down a patrol car and explain the situation. The cops would stop the vehicle and I'd make the arrest and violate the bozo, so he could spend some more time on the "inside."
There are frequent driveway robberies in my area and there have been at least two murders due DIRECTLY to a following situation from the local Publix grocery store. The punks hang around and watch for the upscale shopper, flashing her Rolex or getting into the BMW series six or whatever. Follow them home and nail them as they step from the car. I keep an eye out. If it's dark, I watch as headlights turn with me. I'll make another turn to see if those lights follow my track. I keep a Light Cannon in my vehicle. Plugs into the lighter. About 5 million candlepower. If I need to blind somebody this will do the trick right fast.
Now, if you're being tailed by a set of pros with a team of more than say five or six who are able to stay in contact via radio or phone and run a parallel course then you are well and truly screwed. Because if that is the case and you're worth the attention, then they're likely to have chopper support too. Not much chance of hiding from "the eye in the sky."
There are frequent driveway robberies in my area and there have been at least two murders due DIRECTLY to a following situation from the local Publix grocery store. The punks hang around and watch for the upscale shopper, flashing her Rolex or getting into the BMW series six or whatever. Follow them home and nail them as they step from the car. I keep an eye out. If it's dark, I watch as headlights turn with me. I'll make another turn to see if those lights follow my track. I keep a Light Cannon in my vehicle. Plugs into the lighter. About 5 million candlepower. If I need to blind somebody this will do the trick right fast.
Now, if you're being tailed by a set of pros with a team of more than say five or six who are able to stay in contact via radio or phone and run a parallel course then you are well and truly screwed. Because if that is the case and you're worth the attention, then they're likely to have chopper support too. Not much chance of hiding from "the eye in the sky."
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Bruce - not guilty of either :wink:
I do tho have a fertile imagination and try much as I can to try and think outside of the box. It helped saved my butt once - so I continue to stretch limits and possibilities - nothing more :smile:
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It is too long of a story for me to retype, but I been followed before. (made a post about it way back when I first joined)It was back when only rich people had cell phones. I never found out who it was or what their intentions were, but when I figured out that they were indeed following me and made moves to evade them, they started trying to bump my car off the road. (good thing that the first bump was a glancing blow or else I would have been taken completely by surprise) To make a long story short, I eventually managed to get away, by sheer stupidity and luck.
These days I tend to keep a close eye on my six while driving. I guess I am a little paranoid, but that has caused me to give this well over a decade worth of thought.
If I have reason to beleive that someonw is following me (while driving) I will use a couple of tests to see if they are indeed following, or just happen to be going the same way I am.
#1 If the road allows for passing, I drive slower, to see if they will pass or not.
#2 Change into a lane as if intending to make a last minute turn. If they do the same, change back.
#3 Make a quick turn, into a large open parking lot with more than one exit. Go in and then right back out again being careful not to get boxed in by traffic.
If they are still with you at this point, I would start to become concerned.
I went through all these steps one night with a guy who followed me nearly 50 miles down the interstate. I took an exit or two and then got right back on etc. I probably should have called the police, but I was driving a beater 1ton cargo van, and the guy following me was in a tiny little import. I finally decided to put a stop to it myself. I pulled into a truck stop and pulled up to the pump. I even shifted into reverse and right back into drive to flash my backup lights as if I had put it in park. I then popped my door open a few inches to make it look like I was getting out, but kept it so that I could see him in my side mirror. He got out, and when he got about even with my back bumper I floored it. (not nearly as impressive as it sounds in a wheezy 300,000 mile cargo van) I saw him dive back into his car, but I had time to go all the way around the building which had a one way drive through window on the opposite side of it. Turned the van around in time to block his exit from that side, and promptly asked him what the heck he thought he was doing. In this case I turned out to be the fool. The guy was only trying to tell me my van was throwing off sparks from underneath. It seems I had piece of steel cable hanging out of the side doors that had gotten tangled up under the van and was dragging slightly. LOL! You never know.
These days I tend to keep a close eye on my six while driving. I guess I am a little paranoid, but that has caused me to give this well over a decade worth of thought.
If I have reason to beleive that someonw is following me (while driving) I will use a couple of tests to see if they are indeed following, or just happen to be going the same way I am.
#1 If the road allows for passing, I drive slower, to see if they will pass or not.
#2 Change into a lane as if intending to make a last minute turn. If they do the same, change back.
#3 Make a quick turn, into a large open parking lot with more than one exit. Go in and then right back out again being careful not to get boxed in by traffic.
If they are still with you at this point, I would start to become concerned.
I went through all these steps one night with a guy who followed me nearly 50 miles down the interstate. I took an exit or two and then got right back on etc. I probably should have called the police, but I was driving a beater 1ton cargo van, and the guy following me was in a tiny little import. I finally decided to put a stop to it myself. I pulled into a truck stop and pulled up to the pump. I even shifted into reverse and right back into drive to flash my backup lights as if I had put it in park. I then popped my door open a few inches to make it look like I was getting out, but kept it so that I could see him in my side mirror. He got out, and when he got about even with my back bumper I floored it. (not nearly as impressive as it sounds in a wheezy 300,000 mile cargo van) I saw him dive back into his car, but I had time to go all the way around the building which had a one way drive through window on the opposite side of it. Turned the van around in time to block his exit from that side, and promptly asked him what the heck he thought he was doing. In this case I turned out to be the fool. The guy was only trying to tell me my van was throwing off sparks from underneath. It seems I had piece of steel cable hanging out of the side doors that had gotten tangled up under the van and was dragging slightly. LOL! You never know.
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Bryan - so true - we never do know for sure. Poor guy was trying to do you a favor - always possible as we do have good folks around, still!!
Your other experience tho - well - you don't forget those things. Certainly better not to.!
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As for you Bud, cruelty can only be rewarded by having to cross you off my card list - that's it! :icon16: Damn - I'll get something on you yet! :wink:
Backatcha - vest and bandana eh - :lmao: Don't forget - I can ''do'' things to pics :evil: :biggrin2:
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Your other experience tho - well - you don't forget those things. Certainly better not to.!
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As for you Bud, cruelty can only be rewarded by having to cross you off my card list - that's it! :icon16: Damn - I'll get something on you yet! :wink:
Backatcha - vest and bandana eh - :lmao: Don't forget - I can ''do'' things to pics :evil: :biggrin2:
Three right hand turns to circle back to original location. From there, you will know whether you are being followed. Get on the cell, drive toward populated and well lit areas, tell the police where you are and keep moving until the police stop the suspect vehicle.
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One way I've heard of to evade a trail in a vehicle goes like this (bear in mind I've never had to try it, but it seems like it would work OK); Try to get a vehicle or two in between you and your trail and drive until you get to a two lane road (preferably in an urban area with little room to manuver) You will just have to drive for a while, but once you hit a stop light that changes to yellow as you come up on it, don't speed through it or just stop, the way this has to work is that you slow down enough to force that vehicle or two inbetween you and your trail to have no choice but to stop, effectively keeping your trail at the stoplight. At the same time, (proceeding with caution) mash that gas pedal down and clear the intersection. This should give you enough time to make some random turns and lose your trail. If your trail finds a way around your 'buffer' car(s), well, at least you know how serious they are about following you and how serious you need to be about losing them. That part is up to you. :comeandgetsome:
If walking cross the street and make three right turns if they continue they are following. If driving my three right turns and never ever go to your home if they continue after the third turn, head for the police station. It is unlikely that some will make three right turns just as you have and they are indeed following you. However, be careful, I noticed a guy following me once while driving and I made the three turns and he continued.
So, I pulled into a spot pistol ready just to see the face of a buddy of mine who thought it was funny. We joked it up for a while because it had been a while since I had seen him. Then I said alright man we will see you later, and he said we, then I showed him . He CCW's to this day. :yup:
So, I pulled into a spot pistol ready just to see the face of a buddy of mine who thought it was funny. We joked it up for a while because it had been a while since I had seen him. Then I said alright man we will see you later, and he said we, then I showed him . He CCW's to this day. :yup:
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I was followed before, while driving. I think I shared this story before, but I'll post it again.
This was several years ago. I had just visited my parents at their workplace and was heading out to their home. It's not that far from town, but it's still considered country. There's only one main route out of town to their road, it's a simple route, and it's not uncommon for a whole string of cars to be heading to the same place. I never knew the guy was following me.
So I'm driving up the road and this little car behind me starts blinking his headlights at me. I wonder if he's lost, he's someone I know, or he's telling me I have a broken taillight or whatnot. I decide if I should keep on going or not. I pull over, without putting my pickup in park.
I'm ready to draw if I have to, and carefully observe a squat, greasy looking, middle-aged white man with bad hair exit his vehicle and walk up to my window. He stands around 8 feet away. As long as he keeps his hands out where I can see them, it's okay. I have one hand on the steering wheel and the other by my waistband. I keep my doors locked. I'll peel rubber if I have to, and I can easily lose his tiny little car in the windy, bumpy, pothole ridden country road on front of me.
"I see you're not from around here," he says. He must have observed my license plate. I wonder if he's one of these types who found me going a few miles over the speed limit and decided to play cop with the we don't like strangers in this here town attitude.
"I've lived here for ten years."
"Oh. I figured you were from out of town and didn't know the place. I saw you in town back there. You know of any campgrounds around here?"
"There aren't any. You'd have to go to the next town." I kept my answers brief, not being friendly. I'm now agitated that the man admitted he followed me, and upset at myself for not observing it.
"Oh, okay." The greasy little man fidgeted. "Would like to go with me to find the campground?"
"Uhh, no."
He fidgeted some more, said something like,"okay, thanks" and walked back to his car. I drove off.
After things sunk in, I wish I called it in as a suspicious person. He could've been just an inept suitor, but the more I thought about it, he followed me from town and noted that I was not from that town. Was I chosen because nobody would miss me because he thought I was a stranger in the town, or was he not ill-willed and thought I was a fellow single vacationer looking for a good time? Did he have some rope, a shovel and some garbage bags in his trunk?
I'll never know. But I did learn it doesn't take much for a person to spot you, fixate on you, and follow you across town.
This was several years ago. I had just visited my parents at their workplace and was heading out to their home. It's not that far from town, but it's still considered country. There's only one main route out of town to their road, it's a simple route, and it's not uncommon for a whole string of cars to be heading to the same place. I never knew the guy was following me.
So I'm driving up the road and this little car behind me starts blinking his headlights at me. I wonder if he's lost, he's someone I know, or he's telling me I have a broken taillight or whatnot. I decide if I should keep on going or not. I pull over, without putting my pickup in park.
I'm ready to draw if I have to, and carefully observe a squat, greasy looking, middle-aged white man with bad hair exit his vehicle and walk up to my window. He stands around 8 feet away. As long as he keeps his hands out where I can see them, it's okay. I have one hand on the steering wheel and the other by my waistband. I keep my doors locked. I'll peel rubber if I have to, and I can easily lose his tiny little car in the windy, bumpy, pothole ridden country road on front of me.
"I see you're not from around here," he says. He must have observed my license plate. I wonder if he's one of these types who found me going a few miles over the speed limit and decided to play cop with the we don't like strangers in this here town attitude.
"I've lived here for ten years."
"Oh. I figured you were from out of town and didn't know the place. I saw you in town back there. You know of any campgrounds around here?"
"There aren't any. You'd have to go to the next town." I kept my answers brief, not being friendly. I'm now agitated that the man admitted he followed me, and upset at myself for not observing it.
"Oh, okay." The greasy little man fidgeted. "Would like to go with me to find the campground?"
"Uhh, no."
He fidgeted some more, said something like,"okay, thanks" and walked back to his car. I drove off.
After things sunk in, I wish I called it in as a suspicious person. He could've been just an inept suitor, but the more I thought about it, he followed me from town and noted that I was not from that town. Was I chosen because nobody would miss me because he thought I was a stranger in the town, or was he not ill-willed and thought I was a fellow single vacationer looking for a good time? Did he have some rope, a shovel and some garbage bags in his trunk?
I'll never know. But I did learn it doesn't take much for a person to spot you, fixate on you, and follow you across town.
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