An Off-Topic Question

[The Pagemaster]

Hi, everyone! I'm a young fan of "Unsolved Mysteries". I considered joining Web Sleuths as well, but I think I'll just continue to lurk there as most of my opinions on cases (whether they were featured on UM or not) have already been stated.

Anyway, during the summertime, I experienced something quite troubling and would like your input on it. I've actually shared this story on another messageboard, but I didn't ask for advice because I'd posted it in an old thread the day of the incident, so I just focused on myself and hoped I could find a description (matching the item I came across) through personal research.

Long story short, on an afternoon bike ride, I saw a little girl's varsity jacket in brand-new condition discarded near the sidewalk of a main road. This struck me as very odd because while the sidewalks on both sides are ideal and stretch for at least four miles, it is rare for me to see anyone else bicycling, much less walking on either. Whenever I do, they're aged slightly younger or (usually) older than me; I've never seen a child venture there. And trust me, I would know because I've biked on each side at ALL hours of any given day! It was located about a mile or less from a popular shopping center that happened to be my destination.

When I picked up my dinner, there was a youthful-looking older man smiling at me from across the restaurant I'd exited. He was supported by crutches and it appeared that he was waiting to cross. Admittedly, that parking lot is riddled with horrible drivers, so I wasn't surprised he was taking his time. As I nestled my earbuds, pulled down my sunglasses and readied myself to leave, he engaged me in conversation. He complimented the way my bike matched my sunglasses, even though most (including myself) would consider it a clashing combination.

I didn't feel threatened due to his age, appearance and distance. Less than a minute later, a woman who worked at the pizza place next door either came out to watch him cross or assist him. However, I decided to assist him because I thought it'd only be fair to return the favor since she was the only worker that let me bring my bike into another store she worked at nearby despite her manager's ludicrous disapproval and it was a particularly hot/humid day.

Well, of course I kept a good amount of space between us, but he made me feel uneasy once I'd crossed. Before, he'd presented himself as inquiring in an old school/courteous manner, but suddenly it was as if he were more interested in learning about my life story than eating. Yes, I'm sure my accent gave me away; that's innocent enough. But he also asked how long I'd been living around here, my age, my name, the starting point of my bike ride, how far I lived from the shopping center, etc. Naturally, I lied or flat-out ignored him! For those that don't consider any of the aforementioned inappropriate, there's more...

Thanks to the influx of impatient drivers and his not bothering to move more than an inch in four minutes (give or take a minute), it took quite some time to accomplish, but luckily there was a grace period of a minute or so in which no cars came or left and I made it clear that I had to leave. I guess he sensed I wasn't interested because he volunteered that his crutches were "from [his] time in 'nam" halfway across. Once he realized that failed to reel me in, he asked where my helmet was. I told him that I'd simply forgotten it, and he expressed faux concern. He proceeded to tell me where he'd parked his car and that it was unlocked because he wanted me to "grab a helmet from the backseat". When I politely declined, he had the nerve to ask if I believed in God as he emphatically insisted that "[he] did God's bidding through helping out in small ways".

You should've seen the other girl's expression when I said goodbye and left -- it was definitely a mixture of pity and perturb. I was tempted to check out his car just so I could write down his license plate, but I was far too worried someone would throw me inside. Also, I considered calling my Mom to give her a description should something happen to me, but I was desperate to leave. I kept my earbuds plugged in, but muted my iPod so I could hear everything around me. I can't even articulate my level of paranoia in the weeks that followed I had to use the same route for work and almost everything else.

Now, I don't claim to be Nancy Drew, but I'm pretty decent at connecting the dots and formulating theories. I deemed him suspicious as soon as I was at his side, but it wasn't until I left the parking lot that I remembered the discarded jacket and feared he had a hand in its placement. Based on the information I already provided, it's not difficult to believe he could be an abductor. For the record, I'm often mistaken as being seven years younger than my actual age, so he might target female adolescents-teenagers. Suffice it to say, he'd operate through possessing charm, good looks and a supposed physical disability a la Ted Bundy.

Therefore, my fellow e-sleuths, I'd greatly appreciate if you could direct me toward a website or phone line where I could submit my information. Perhaps it could further an investigation...

Many thanks for your time and concern

ETA: I granted UM's website this information a few hours ago, but I'd like to know of others as well, please.

[MegtheEgg86]

Originally Posted by The Pagemaster

Hi, everyone! I'm a young fan of "Unsolved Mysteries," and watching reruns of original segments on YouTube -- graciously uploaded by the user "Robert Slnack" for those interested -- for the past two weeks has led me here. I considered joining Web Sleuths as well, but I think I'll just continue to lurk there as most of my opinions on cases (whether they were featured on UM or not) have already been stated.

Anyway, during the summertime, I experienced something quite troubling and would like your input on it. I've actually shared this story on another messageboard, but I didn't ask for advice because I'd posted it in an old thread the day of the incident, so I just focused on myself and hoped I could find a description (matching the item I came across) through personal research.

Long story short, on an afternoon bike ride, I saw a little girl's varsity jacket in brand-new condition discarded near the sidewalk of a main road. This struck me as very odd because while the sidewalks on both sides are ideal and stretch for at least four miles, it is rare for me to see anyone else bicycling, much less walking on either. Whenever I do, they're aged slightly younger or (usually) older than me; I've never seen a child venture there. And trust me, I would know because I've biked on each side at ALL hours of any given day! It was located about a mile or less from a popular shopping center that happened to be my destination.

When I picked up my dinner, there was a youthful-looking older man smiling at me from across the restaurant I'd exited. He was supported by crutches and it appeared that he was waiting to cross. Admittedly, that parking lot is riddled with horrible drivers, so I wasn't surprised he was taking his time. As I nestled my earbuds, pulled down my sunglasses and readied myself to leave, he engaged me in conversation. He complimented the way my bike matched my sunglasses, even though most (including myself) would consider it a clashing combination.

I didn't feel threatened due to his age, appearance and distance. Less than a minute later, a woman who worked at the pizza place next door either came out to watch him cross or assist him. However, I decided to assist him because I thought it'd only be fair to return the favor since she was the only worker that let me bring my bike into another store she worked at nearby despite her manager's ludicrous disapproval and it was a particularly hot/humid day.

Well, of course I kept a good amount of space between us, but he made me feel uneasy once I'd crossed. Before, he'd presented himself as inquiring in an old school/courteous manner, but suddenly it was as if he were more interested in learning about my life story than eating. Yes, I'm sure my accent gave me away; that's innocent enough. But he also asked how long I'd been living around here, my age, my name, the starting point of my bike ride, how far I lived from the shopping center, etc. Naturally, I lied or flat-out ignored him! For those that don't consider any of the aforementioned inappropriate, there's more...

Thanks to the influx of impatient drivers and his not bothering to move more than an inch in four minutes (give or take a minute), it took quite some time to accomplish, but luckily there was a grace period of a minute or so in which no cars came or left and I made it clear that I had to leave. I guess he sensed I wasn't interested because he volunteered that his crutches were "from [his] time in 'nam" halfway across. Once he realized that failed to reel me in, he asked where my helmet was. I told him that I'd simply forgotten it, and he expressed faux concern. He proceeded to tell me where he'd parked his car and that it was unlocked because he wanted me to "grab a helmet from the backseat". When I politely declined, he had the nerve to ask if I believed in God as he emphatically insisted that "[he] did God's bidding through helping out in small ways".

You should've seen the other girl's expression when I said goodbye and left -- it was definitely a mixture of pity and perturb. I was tempted to check out his car just so I could write down his license plate, but I was far too worried someone would throw me inside. Also, I considered calling my Mom to give her a description should something happen to me, but I was desperate to leave. I kept my earbuds plugged in, but muted my iPod so I could hear everything around me. I can't even articulate my level of paranoia in the weeks that followed I had to use the same route for work and almost everything else.

Now, I don't claim to be Nancy Drew, but I'm pretty decent at connecting the dots and formulating theories. I deemed him suspicious as soon as I was at his side, but it wasn't until I left the parking lot that I remembered the discarded jacket and feared he had a hand in its placement. Based on the information I already provided, it's not difficult to believe he could be an abductor. For the record, I'm often mistaken as being seven years younger than my actual age, so he might target female adolescents-teenagers. Suffice it to say, he'd operate through possessing charm, good looks and a supposed physical disability a la Jeffrey Dahmer.

Therefore, my fellow e-sleuths, I'd greatly appreciate if you could direct me toward a website or phone line where I could submit my information. Perhaps it could further an investigation...

Many thanks for your time and concern

ETA: I'll certainly grant UM's website this information, but I'd like to know of others as well, please.

Hello there,

You should call the police who have jurisdiction over the area this happened in (I'm assuming this is your local police; if not, find out what law enforcement agency is responsible for that area). Don't call 911, but call whatever non-emergency number that department has listed (almost all law enforcement agencies have websites now; you will be able to find the number there). Ask to report an incident. You can also fill out an incident report if you stop by the department; desk personnel can help you out getting that done if you'd rather talk to someone in person.

Even though some time has now passed, you never know if your information can contribute to on-going investigation, just like you said.

[The Pagemaster]

Originally Posted by MegtheEgg86

Hello there,

You should call the police who have jurisdiction over the area this happened in (I'm assuming this is your local police; if not, find out what law enforcement agency is responsible for that area). Don't call 911, but call whatever non-emergency number that department has listed (almost all law enforcement agencies have websites now; you will be able to find the number there). Ask to report an incident. You can also fill out an incident report if you stop by the department; desk personnel can help you out getting that done if you'd rather talk to someone in person.

Even though some time has now passed, you never know if your information can contribute to on-going investigation, just like you said.

Ah, thanks so much for your informative response