I'm kind of a newbie, so I don't know if this sort of thing happens a lot or not, but I thought I'd share my experience, just so maybe you can avoid this weirdo.

Just this last week, I was out at a local park (in Michigan) where I wanted to check out a letterbox. I pulled up into the out-of-the way parking lot near the box, and noticed a rather large gentleman (I would guess about 6'1", 6'2" ish, maybe 250 lbs) acting very suspiciously. He didn't LOOK like a pervert, at first, just like he was doing something secretive. Now, I am in my 20's, and fairly good looking, and have a bit of a Swedish accent, so I know I should be more careful. But my curiosity got the better of me. I kind of had a feeling, judging from where he was, that he might be a letterboxer. So I decided to cautiously approach him and strike up a casual conversation, to see if I could tell.

"Hi," I said, "Have we met before? Maybe at a bar or something?"

He responded, rather gruffly I might add, that he didn't drink.

"Are you sure we haven't met before, though?" Seriously, it is kinda fun to make men blush, and this
big boy was turning all sorts of shades of pink.

He mostly just grunted, and went back to what he was doing, which seemed to involve stuffing something into a backpack. That made me pretty sure he was a letterboxer, or at least a hiker. So I asked him, point blank, what he was doing. He said he was hiking.

By this point, he didn't seem to be able to look me in the eye... he was always either glancing at a book (I suspect it was a logbook), or sneaking quick sideways glances at me... well, mostly my shirt :)

By this point, though, it was getting a little too weird, so I just pleasantly wished him a good day, and got back into my green Ford SUV. He quickly jumped in his car, pulled out a map to hide his face while he snuck more peeks above it at me. I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Finally, I drove off, not wanting to stick around there anymore, not even to get the box, and took off up the state highway.

That's when it got REALLY weird. He pulled past me on the freeway, and then started driving erratically... cutting in front of cars, running red lights, that sort of thing... I got kinda creeped out at this, so I pulled into a busy gas station. Had I thought about it, I would have gone about a mile further and pulled in front of the police station, but I was a little frazzled. Sure enough, he too pulled into the same gas station! Uh oh... this was NOT good. Now, I figured with all the people around, he wouldn't probably try anything, but I also thought I had better be very careful, so when he approached me, I decided to act casual, not show any signs of the fear that was slowly building.

"Wow," I said, "you must know a lot about me to know where I usually stop for gas"... I didn't want him to know I saw him following me. Again, he mostly grunted, something about "no, I don't know you. Never seen you before. Stop following me." I thought it was a little wacko for HIM to accuse ME of following him! I decided to remind him how close we were to the Police Station, so I pointed that out. "I know it's there," he said, "how did you know?"

Well, there are signs all up the highway about it, so I said
"Isn't it obvious?"
And then, out of nowhere, he gave me a really mean look, jumped back in his car, and took off with his tires screeching like a bat out of heck! I waited a few minutes, to make sure he wasn't going to double back or anything, then I took off, scared, the other direction.

I know, I know, a girl should be more careful. But he sure LOOKED like he was a letterboxer (though a pretty big one), and I swear that was a logbook he had. But let me tell you, if he WAS a letterboxer, he sure was a creepy one, and I hope to never go to a gathering where he is!

V. NaCl

Okay, nine days late, but this is the best post I've ever read.

All I can say is WOW. Maybe he was a frustrated geocacher? Oh and a mental patient!

Is it just my imagination or coincidence? Read Msg: 597991 by Lunagirl and Papa 597991, and then look at the message from Veruca NaCl. Veruca NaCl, who is this? They have no hides or finds, something is fishy.

TK

Is it just my imagination or coincidence? Read Msg: 597991 by Lunagirl and Papa 597991

Just goes to show--there are always two sides to every story! =)

-- Ryan

I have never posted anything on any of these message boards before but I read this one and had to respond.... TerraKacher... I agree.... It's like the other side of the story from a post the other day. Either it's a real crazy coincidence... or there's some kind of joke going on.

... or there's some kind of joke going on.

NaCl is the chemical name for salt! I am thinking I saw antlers lurking nearby!

Veruca Salt, from Charlie/Willy Wonka

Antlers are at work or someone in that league

Also an interesting note, the acct was created in February and hasn't been signed into since, yet still.... was able to post on April 10th?!!!!!

Very interesting! even a able to post "mentally" without signing in!

Wendy

Highly suspicious....

Veruca NaCL is the "I want it now!" girl from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

I'm amused by the choice of trail name.

Points for creativity!

or there's some kind of joke going on.

What, HERE? On Atlas Quest???? NEVER! :)

looks like this sort of thing is going on across the pond as well...

http://www.atlasquest.com/boards/message.html?gMsgId=598751

I think its a clue.

john also posted telepathically...

romana

And there's something about that name - - Veruca Salt????

And there's something about that name - - Veruca Salt???? Oh, yeah! Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory!

Now, now, Miss NaCl,
I know that you are new, but you still have to be nice. I am watching and I'm keeping a list.
-Santa

Hey, there's been a lot on interesting stalker stories, ahem; I mean experiences, here lately. They're all beginning to sound alike.

I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop!

Maybe he was a frustrated geocacher? Oh and a mental patient!

That made me laugh as hard as I laughed on Thursday night...

Veruca NaCl

noticed a rather large gentleman

LOOKED like he was a letterboxer

He's just Wonka, I guess. Maybe he was neither a letterboxer or a cacher, maybe he was neither big nor small, or maybe he thinks he is the center of it all. ^o^

Also an interesting note, the acct was created in February and hasn't been signed into since, yet still.... was able to post on April 10th?!!!!!

Anyone with a sub-account can do that. It's not a skill strictly related to admins or webmasters. Just for the record. =)

So it is possible for anyone to create a sub-account and post from it while still logged in from their primary account.

-- Ryan

Just goes to show--there are always two sides to every story! =)

Wow, did I get that wrong. Turns out there are at least four stories now, and I have NO idea when it'll end!

-- Ryan

I am thinking I saw antlers lurking nearby

Yes, antlers, my thoughts exactly. Oh, Wassa, you just can't ever leave well enough alone, can you?
And where's my X-box (mwa ha ha!!!) by the way???