The Creeper In The Woods — A Lesson In Situational Awareness

After a recent run in the woods, I got to practice my self-defense skills. Here is what happened.

Pulling into the parking lot, I looked around and noticed a man by himself. He was moving around aimlessly. Besides him, a young couple at the boat launch were making lovey eyes at each other. No one else was around. After a few moments, the man got into his car and left. I felt it was safe to go for my run.

About 35 minutes later, I was running back to the parking lot—hitting my final strides, pushing to make good time. Then, I noticed the same man who had left earlier. He was back, and now he was hanging out in front of the restrooms. Seeing me, he moved around to the women’s side of the building, bypassing the men’s side. Still, in the last stretch of my run, I could see the restrooms from the trail). Standing at the trailhead, catching my breath, and reviewing my performance, I watched him come out from behind the building. He walked to the front before going back behind it.

I stood there to catch my breath, allowing room and time to watch the man. Staying on the ladies’ side, he continued to move around behind the outhouse. The restroom walls did not go all the way to the ground, so I could see his feet/legs from the front of the building.

Since he was hanging around the ladies’ side of the outhouse, I decided against using it. I called the Forest Preserve Police and reported the man, his car, and his behavior.

This ‘incident’ doesn’t sound like much. But it was odd behavior. While I don’t know what the man intended to do, my gut told me he was at least a voyeur.

There are several lessons here. Pay attention to your surroundings! When you arrive somewhere, scan and assess the who, what, and where. I can’t say this enough – Put the damn phone down!

Being observant when I arrived showed me that this man was leaving when I arrived, the make, model, and license plate of his car, his clothing—two coats and a hat on a mild 50°F day—and his odd behavior–hanging out by the women’s restroom and returning there after driving away.

Another take-away lesson? Leave the area.

Could I have used the facility? Sure. Was it wise? Most likely – no.

This is the Avoidance Model of self-defense. It’s neither new nor revolutionary. It sure isn’t complicated. The formula looks like this:

See Creepy Man → Avoid Getting Close to Creepy Man = Self-Defense.

This could be inconvenient (e.g., going to a gas station restroom instead of that one). However, considering the alternative, the inconvenience doesn’t seem so great.

This was a chance to be a good witness. I didn’t leave the area quickly because the man had not approached me nor addressed me in any manner, so there did not appear to be any immediate danger.

After getting into my car, I locked the doors, started it, and backed out of my parking spot. I was safe enough to spend a few moments examining what he was doing. He remained behind the ladies’ side of the facility for a few more minutes, then decided to leave. When he began walking to his car, I took a good look at him and then slowly started driving away. I got the description of his car, plus the license plate. I recorded that information.

If you can snap a picture without undue risk, then do that. For me to have taken a worthwhile photo, I would have had to fully stop, which I didn’t want to do with the man approaching his own car.

A simple safety and avoidance checklist looks like this:

1. Who is in this area (Couples, mothers with children, men, or women who are alone)? It would help if you slowed down enough to observe this. Do not be in such a hurry that you forget to observe.
2. What are the people there doing? (Are they walking decisively to the entrance? Are they occupied with a task in their vehicles? Are they paying attention to you?)
3. Where are the people in relation to you? To the building/shop/recreation area? To the parking lot? (Are the people in a transitory state – putting groceries away? Are people congregating by the entrance? Are the people gathered in a parking lot? Are there lone individuals hanging around away from others?)

The answers to these questions are the cues that need to start pinging your Something’s Not Right Here Radar. Observe and profile actions and behavior relative to others in the area. That is how you identify who belongs and who might have something nefarious in mind.

Here are the safety tips that the Forest Preserve Police provide:

• Keep vehicle windows closed and doors always locked.
• Activate your car alarm.
• Always remove your ignition keys.
• Never leave your vehicle running.
• Before entering your vehicle, scan the surrounding area, and always check the interior and the floor and rear seat areas.
• Prior to arriving at your destination, lock valuables in the trunk or glove box, hide them completely out of sight, or take them with you. A wallet or purse hidden under a newspaper or floor mat does not fool a criminal.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Don’t broadcast your movements when hiding valuables.
• Larcenies are crimes of opportunity. When property is left unlocked or in plain view, it invites trouble.

If you must report suspicious behaviors, consider the five Ws: Who, What, When, and Where.

The year, make/model, color, and license plate number;

The number of people involved, plus their height, weight, race, gender, age, and clothes;

Your location now and where it happened.

Finally, I carry OC when I’m running and strongly recommend it to everyone using public trails. My favorite company also makes bicycle-specific models.  

These recommendations apply to everyone, even off-duty cops.

RESOURCES:

Sabre Red Hand-Held

Sabre Red Bicycle Mounted