I was followed home today. Weird.

[Pablo]

I drove to work today. (normally carpool) I work in Redmond. Practically Kirkland, at the very NW corner of Redmond. Throw a rock into Woodinville to the north. I take surface streets all the way home, 20-25 minutes to Duvall home.

As I proceeded due east on 124th going up the hill I notice a XXXXXXXX in my rear view mirror. Didn't think much about it. As I took my circuit, I notice same car behind me. Hmmmm....as I crossed the river, same car. Well maybe he lives in Duvall. Enter Duvall turn up Big Rock - still behind me. Turn on my road... and crank into driveway up around house to my park spot, look down road car turns on my road!!!

Drives by my house....I walk down the driveway and see him stop just past the mail boxes. Backs up a little.. (I start walking toward this car)...then car takes off at normal driving speed and turns down another street (can exit our neighbor hood another way)

No one I know.

Why would someone follow me? Random?

Looking for a target?? I stewed on it a bit and then called the cops. My wife is freaking.

Lemme put it this way: With my recent PC crap, I am losing it.

Any advice? (locked and loaded)

 

[bruce381]

WOW (locked and loaded) and trained and carry it good idea. Really see if local PD will do a nighly drive by for a few days may make wife a little more at ease, wow.

did yop cut anyone off or drive like a jerk?
did you get a high danger feeling?

bruce

 

[wander2039]

I've had a few like that when I lived in springfield. I think they were mistaken me for someone else, almost got into a fight with one till they realized they had no clue who I was. Still to do this day if I see one following me for long distances around town I try to lose them, I grew up on farm roads if I don't want followed it won't happen. Save that car information for years in case something does happen at least the cops will have a starting point.

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

Hang in there.

When I was 18 or 19, my buddy and I were sitting on the steps in the front of this house at 2am. We just come back from our favorite neighborhood drinking establishment. I was the designated driver that night, he was the designated drunk. At about 2:15 an older Caddy Eldo drove by slowly. It came around again. I started to notice. It drove by sloowwwwly a third time. It stopped by the stop sign about 150 feet down the street, backed up and parked in front of his house.

He had no clue what was going on as he drank so much. I freaked out. We RAN to the back of the house, he got his gun (nothing better than a drunk friend with a firearm,eh?) and kept the lights off. After half an hour, the car finally left. A non-event, Thank ***!

There was lots of gang activity in our old 'hood. I figured it was just their territorial games. No harm, no foul, Thank ***.

Are there gangs in your 'hood? Perhaps it's just a teenager with a bad attitude?

 

[Johnny]

Did you get the plate number and what kind of car it was?

 

[Pablo]

No plate#! Too dark.

I don't want to say right now until I'm 100% sure of year and model. Is there a good web site for IDing exact year and make?

No gang bangers near here.

 

[Pablo]

You guys are gonna think I'm an idiot but I can't properly ID that car.

Crusty Domestic. Not GM. Not Ford.

Chrysler/Dodge - late 80's- early nineties. Intake like a LeBaron.

I'll know it when I see it. Deep dark red maroon.

 

[javacontour]

Yes,

My advice the next time you are followed is DO NOT go home, go to a police station.

If I were followed, I would not want that yahoo knowing where I lived.

T

 

[Shaman]

If you can't find anything else, try tirerack. They might have the vehicle you are looking for.


I agree with the police station comment. If someone wants to follow me, they can follow me to the station.

Luckily no one likes me, so I got nothing to worry about

 

[Pablo]

I did not confirm he was following me until I turned into my driveway..... enough people live up the road beyond me that at that point I figured he would just go straight - crap he didn't turn down my road until I went into my drive.

What could this nut job be after?

 

[oilyriser]

Is your car worth stealing?

 

[Master ACiD]

maybe it is the repo man. did you pay youre bills on time?

 

[moribundman]

quote:

---

What could this nut job be after?

---

He could be after your daily routine and schedule.
Someone else might be staking out your house.

It could be a joker (Someone you know or someone who likes to do that sort of thing for kicks).

You should definitely not have gone home without losing your shadow, although anybody with half a brain and your tags can find out where you live in no time, and if somebody is after you, he (they) might already keep a watch on your house.

The fact that the shadowing was done in a clumsy manner, points at a prank or coincident.

Keep your eyes and ears open. Get a pack of dogs and an ugly nanny.

PS: Do you have by any chance an AMSOIL sticker on the back of your car?

 

[The Critic]

quote:

---

Do you have by any chance an AMSOIL sticker on the back of your car?

---

Seriously Pabs, think back to the last person who you dealt with (business wise) and you may have ****** off. Think of someone that you've recently shared your home/work address with and may have ticked them off. Car salesman comes to mind...

Maybe Amsoil customer???

It may very well be a prank...but the person seems to know where you live and/or where you work, and when you leave work, as well as your habits.

BTW...I wouldn't be surprised if it was the result of your PC being hacked...one reason why I don't have any addresses on my pc.

I don't know why, but I personally find this armed and loaded business silly and down right unnecessairly dangerous. Leave it up to the cops. If you think he's coming...go hide inside...that simple.

 

[Palut]

If someone follows me for more than a few turns off of a main street, I'll skip past my destination and circle around until I lose them. Usually, they turn into their house before too long.

I was once followed at 1:00 AM by some guy I picked up halfway through my trip. He followed me on a very convoluted route through a neighborhood, but I was able to lose him. It was completely random, I think it was just some idiot who was out to mess with somebody's head. I haven't been followed since.

Hopefully, somebody was just trying to mess with your head. Maybe its the same guy!

FWIW, I had some idiot friends in high school who would follow random people to their destinations just for kicks.

 

[Palut]

Has anybody here ever "reverse followed" somebody? Where you just happen to be traveling the exact same route as the car in front of you for a long time? I've had that happen with people who live on my street, I always wonder if it freaks them out.

 

[Mamala Bay]

I was followed once. Reared my car at the stop light. Then aggressively started following me. Made an illegal U-Turn and headed straight to Police station. It was dark so I couldn't see who it was. Just instinct.


Well just before I made that turn to the Police Station...I floored my Toyota something didn't seem right what I felt and went over a bridge. Then a siren goes on...an un marked Cop's car. Well I said the heck with this and kept going.

I took a turn into a Sugar Cane field dirt road and went in a good 100 yds...it's pitch black..no lights and a moonless night.

All I said to myself was you come in here cause I knew he wouldn't. I knew this guy was no rookie.

So here two scooter cops goes into the cane road. Now I find out this cop was a high ranking dude from the two scooter cops. For whatever reason I didn't know what I did.

Found out later the veteran cop was a sicko...and I wasn't the only one it happened to. Never saw em on the road again...I think he was forced to retire..but man he gave me the creeps...had to be atleast 65 year old...he was doing his pranks for whatever reason.

I got two tickets. One for going through a stop light which he reared me in...about 2 feet pass the stop line. And the other making an illegal U-Turn.

 

[Pablo]

I don't think you guys are understanding me or maybe I didn't write it correctly. I really thought it random until he turned on my road.

Yes in Washington State it's very easy to get someone's name and address with a tag number.

I don't have an Amsoil sticker on this car. I don't think I ****** anyone local off lately but I have been surprised by people who "know" me through BiTOG. One guy just starts talking to me about the Paradise Garage study, but he saw my name at work.

I'm 100% sure the local Honda dealer is mad at me for laughing at his crazy price, but to this extent? To what end?

I went detail through detail in my head last night.

1) First of all I still don't know exactly what kind of car. This bugs me. I should have ID'd it but again I thought (s)he was headed home past me up the big road. By the time I was out of the car and down the driveway I only saw the back end - I didn't get a good side profile. The front end I brought back from memory. The car was too far down the road to see the plate. No one has ideas on the web for ID'ing a car?

2) It was a clumsy follow - too close,etc. I wish I could place exactly where the tail started, but there is no way.

3) I say "he" - I have NO idea who was driving the car or passengers. Too dark. Windows dark. Could have been a she.

4) I did call the police, but if someone invades my house, they are dead. What's wrong with that? I will call the Redmond police today - just to see if there is a rash of this sorta thing.

5) I was thinking some form of ID theft. But why the clumsy follow? Has anyone heard of this form of ID theft? I keep minimal info on my PC.

6) Casing the place out. Could be. This was my first thought. Hopefully an officer of the law will stop by this afternoon.

7) This drive is NOT a habitual thing. Like I said I take a van pool. I left work at an odd time.

8) In my 30+ years of driving I have from time to time just seen some ****** off drivers. The smallest traffic infraction must be dealt with justice from them. Could have been a loose nut.

Crap - I couldn't sleep last night.

 

[wavinwayne]

Looks like it's time to get a new car & move again. j/k

Seriously, there's not much you can really do to stop someone from following you. Unless they really are stalking you, it's not illegal just to follow someone. Who knows why this person followed you. Maybe they had a legitimate reason that didn't have anything to do with you.

You'll probably never know for sure.

My advice:
1) Stay cocked & locked, & make sure your family members are trained in how to use a piece to defend the homestead, too.

2) Alternate your route to & from work. Try to alternate your departure & return times, too. DOn't get into a pattern that's too predictable.

3) If this car ever follows you again, pull of to the side & let them pass you. Then get their tag number & report it to the poilicia. Follow them for a while, too, if it makes you feel better.

 

[Pablo]

You think my filing an FTC claim against that nasty "software" company has anything to do with this?