HarlansHollowFarms: You seem like a caring person with good intent, but your comments seem so naive.
First of all, people tend to be creeped out by things they don't understand and most of the time with people that will be the homeless and mentally ill. I think that physically disabled people come under a different catagory that do not creep us out; very different. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between the 'disturbing' kid at WalMart from the true 'creep' that means to do you harm. Let me tell you two creep stories; one happened to me and one to someone I work with. I'll try to be brief.
I had a music scholarship to college in the mid. '70s. I hated orchestra because I had to move my chair back so the 'creepy' guy would not stare at me. He got to the point that he would move his chair so that he could stare. Let me tell you, it was more than creepy. It actually made me sick at my stomach, but I never complained; I was polite to him. I, too had been raised to feel sorry for people that were 'different'. About 6 wks into the semester, the doorbell rang at my apartment (I lived alone) and it was that guy. Now mind you, I lived at least 7 miles from the college. As I opened the door, he walked inside and sat down. I stood at the door, shocked and said "how did you know where I live?" And he said "I've been following you home for a few weeks so I decided to come see you." God looks out for those of us that are stupid and at that very moment, my boyfriend drove up. As he walked to the door (looking at me like 'what are you doing with the door wide open) he saw the guy sitting inside. As I started to introduce him, the creepy guy got up and left without saying a word. I think I shook for about an hour. Now, call it what you want, but to me; that was CREEPY!
Now, the point here is that I used to think a lot like you. You can't help everybody that needs help. If your instincts tell you that something is wrong, it probably is. Don't ever sacrifice your wellbeing for fear of hurting someone's feelings. Your wellbeing is far more important.
Next creepy story and this one is tragic. We'll call her my friend. Her husband worked 2 wks on/2 wks off and on her way home, stopped at a bar where some of her friends were. A guy asked her to dance and she did, but he held her too close and she got 'those vibes'. He asked her to dance a few more times and she declined. She saw his van as she was leaving the parking lot, alone...but had to be hypnotized to remember it. As she was driving home, the guy hit her car from behind. Just a hard bump. She pulled over and stomped on the brake. The guy stopped too and parked behind her. She rolled down her window to yell at him and in a flash he was standing at the window with a knife to her throat and told her to turn off the car and get out. Luckilly, she was furious. But she realized that if she did what he told her that no one would ever see her again so she had the presence of mind to grab the knife with one hand, put the car in reverse and gun it to disable his van. This action, of course, shocked him; he ran for the van and got away. He was caught the next day and admitted to killing several other women who's bodies were never found. He truly was a serial killer. He chose his victims carefully; they were all very thin, tiny women. He installed septic tanks for a living and apparently had been stuffing the bodies in new tanks before installation. Bacteria in septic systems eats everything; no evidence left after several months.
These are true stories. There are creepy people and there are creepy people. Learn to take care of yourself. Its OK to believe in the best in people, but trust your instincts.
First of all, people tend to be creeped out by things they don't understand and most of the time with people that will be the homeless and mentally ill. I think that physically disabled people come under a different catagory that do not creep us out; very different. Sometimes its hard to tell the difference between the 'disturbing' kid at WalMart from the true 'creep' that means to do you harm. Let me tell you two creep stories; one happened to me and one to someone I work with. I'll try to be brief.
I had a music scholarship to college in the mid. '70s. I hated orchestra because I had to move my chair back so the 'creepy' guy would not stare at me. He got to the point that he would move his chair so that he could stare. Let me tell you, it was more than creepy. It actually made me sick at my stomach, but I never complained; I was polite to him. I, too had been raised to feel sorry for people that were 'different'. About 6 wks into the semester, the doorbell rang at my apartment (I lived alone) and it was that guy. Now mind you, I lived at least 7 miles from the college. As I opened the door, he walked inside and sat down. I stood at the door, shocked and said "how did you know where I live?" And he said "I've been following you home for a few weeks so I decided to come see you." God looks out for those of us that are stupid and at that very moment, my boyfriend drove up. As he walked to the door (looking at me like 'what are you doing with the door wide open) he saw the guy sitting inside. As I started to introduce him, the creepy guy got up and left without saying a word. I think I shook for about an hour. Now, call it what you want, but to me; that was CREEPY!
Now, the point here is that I used to think a lot like you. You can't help everybody that needs help. If your instincts tell you that something is wrong, it probably is. Don't ever sacrifice your wellbeing for fear of hurting someone's feelings. Your wellbeing is far more important.
Next creepy story and this one is tragic. We'll call her my friend. Her husband worked 2 wks on/2 wks off and on her way home, stopped at a bar where some of her friends were. A guy asked her to dance and she did, but he held her too close and she got 'those vibes'. He asked her to dance a few more times and she declined. She saw his van as she was leaving the parking lot, alone...but had to be hypnotized to remember it. As she was driving home, the guy hit her car from behind. Just a hard bump. She pulled over and stomped on the brake. The guy stopped too and parked behind her. She rolled down her window to yell at him and in a flash he was standing at the window with a knife to her throat and told her to turn off the car and get out. Luckilly, she was furious. But she realized that if she did what he told her that no one would ever see her again so she had the presence of mind to grab the knife with one hand, put the car in reverse and gun it to disable his van. This action, of course, shocked him; he ran for the van and got away. He was caught the next day and admitted to killing several other women who's bodies were never found. He truly was a serial killer. He chose his victims carefully; they were all very thin, tiny women. He installed septic tanks for a living and apparently had been stuffing the bodies in new tanks before installation. Bacteria in septic systems eats everything; no evidence left after several months.
These are true stories. There are creepy people and there are creepy people. Learn to take care of yourself. Its OK to believe in the best in people, but trust your instincts.