from my facebook note:
Monday, March 8, 2010 at 12:49pm
Yesterday, after Taekwondo class, I headed down to Ansan to pick up some goodies my oppa Ethan had brought me back from the states. I was waiting for the train at Samgakchi, when a man approached me. I believe he was African. His first comment was "Hi, i think I've seen you before". Me :"I guess it's possible". Him "do you live in Ansan". Me: "No" Him "well I've seen you before so I just wanted to introduce myself" I told him my name was Rachel (i don't know). Then the train was coming... safe, or so I thought.
He said something that sounded like lets go together.
I ignored him and got on the train. Not long after I got a seat. I'm not sure if the Korean guy next to me was trying to be civil. He probably thought since we were both black we were together. It was possibly the only time I've ever wanted a Korean to be rude when they weren't. Anyways he got up and the guy sat down.
OK, so I try to keep calm. so what if a guy sits next to me. He starts trying to talk to me, but I am reading a novel. After a couple of times I say politely "I'm sorry I'm not trying to be rude, but this is a really good book and I am trying to read it". That shuts him up for a while. Then, suddenly my book came to an end. NOOOOOO!!!!!!!! I quickly pulled out my touch and began watching some shows. Every time he'd see me look up to check the stop he'd ask me where I was getting off. I'd pretend I couldn't hear him him and ignore the question. I know it may sound like he was just being friendly but I just had a really uncomfortable gut feeling.
I knew he had said he was getting off some stops after mine, so I was happy when my stop came and I jumped off. He jumped off with me. Then I freaked out. I called my oppa. Hey, how do I get to your house. And there is a man walking beside me as I speak to you. He won't leave me alone. If I never make it I was kidnapped by an African man. So I stalled for a bit and let him walk ahead. Whenever I would try to go forward I saw him waiting by the stairs. So I'd walk back again. Now I was beginning to panic. I walked all the way to another set of stairs and looked down. Safe... or so I thought
He was waiting downstairs. He'd gone into the bathroom and was peeking out until I came down. OH MY GOD. I get chills still just retelling this. Anyways he walks up to me again, and this time he says "I was wondering if we could go together, on the train I had some snacks I wanted to share and I wanted to talk to you but you were so into your book" At this point I say loudly and firmly "I'm sorry but no thanks, I don't know you, please leave me alone" you've been following me for over an hour. He seemed confused for a bit, but I ran past the turnstile as several Koreans turned to look.
I feel that if I had truly needed help people would have just assumed these two black English speakers are probably having a lovers spat, we have no idea what they are saying, stay out of it. I jumped in a cab as fast as I could without looking back. Share some snacks? WTF? What are you a pedophile?
I was so shaken by the experience that I was terrified to head back home for a while. I hung out in my friend's house much longer than I intended and I was afraid to go back to the train station afterward. I'm officially afraid of line 4.
I mean I've been followed before by curious Koreans just wanting to ask questions, maybe even a few random men in Itaewon, but never like that. Am I/Did I overreact(ing)? Either way I still break out in a cold sweat. Better safe than sorry
comments:
Oh my god..what an experience!!! that man crossed the line when he got off at the same station as yours even after he said he was getting off at a different one!!! freaky! i'm so glad you were wise enough to jump into a cab.
March 8 at 2:55pm ·
OMG!! I'm sori but dis is funny n freaky@ d same time. u never knw mayb he really needed to talk to sm1... he may just b considering suicide n needed u to talk him out of it.lol
but den again he just mite be a stalker but c'mon dts wt d taekwondo classes are for rite? . gud to knw u r safe babes
but den again he just mite be a stalker but c'mon dts wt d taekwondo classes are for rite? . gud to knw u r safe babes
March 8 at 9:05pm ·
lol... that was so hilarious. U kno how SOME of these african men can be...very aggressive. U def did not overreact cos I wud have done the same thing. Why the heck wud he think u'd want to share snacks w/him? On the other hand, he might have been trying to be polite but was going at it the wrong way.
March 8 at 10:16pm ·
wow I'm glad youre safe. but you gotta be direct and tell pl like this guy to get lost as soon as you feel uneasy. they probably do this to a bunch of girls (either because theyre creepy, or just as likely, socially awkward) and if nobody ever steps up to them they think it's normal behaviour.
and there's always "sorry, I have a boyfriend" :\
and there's always "sorry, I have a boyfriend" :\
March 8 at 11:17pm ·
You didn't overreact. but I'm wth A. That was hilarious. Only you N!
March 9 at 10:04am ·
Oh something similar happened to me on my way to work once. Wasn't as bad as your experience. Just noticed this guy following me for a bit. It was also an African man. He said "You live in Itaewon. I have see you before." Like uhhh... okay, bye.
March 9 at 11:16am
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