Hi all – this is a safety PSA for any women runners or walkers in our town. I was just on a run from Tarrytown to Dobbs Ferry and back yesterday evening, and around 2.8 miles in, at the corner of Broadway/ Main at the Shell in Irvington, I noticed a man behind me, not dressed like a runner and frankly looking sketchy.
I crossed the street running along Broadway, then he started running behind me. I slowed to a walk, he walked. I ran again, he ran.
Finally I pulled to the side to let him pass in case it was all in my head. He walked in front of me briefly and I bolted back in the direction of Tarrytown, and he immediately started running back after me.
Thankfully a woman appeared with her dog and stayed with me until he walked away after mumbling some weird stuff at me. I should have called the cops then but didn’t (I’ll be damned if I let a creepy man ruin my half marathon training…).
I continued to Dobbs Ferry and turned back, and when I got back into Tarrytown on Broadway over an hour later, there he was again. He popped out of a driveway and started following me.
This time I was ready. I screamed at him and told him I was calling the cops. I began videoing him and this is when he suddenly started pretending to be on the phone.
When he heard me calling the cops, he took off running back toward Irvington. The cops came and they looked for him but couldn’t find him. In the meantime, a lovely woman invited me into her home and gave me water and waited with me until the cops came back.
Just posting his photo here in case anyone sees him. And just a reminder to women that we are never safe, not in one of the safest towns, on the most populated roads. It’s worth noting that both women who helped me both times I was being followed today shared their own stories of being followed.
Grateful to the two angels who helped me today if you’re in this group. And to all women, let your fear be a gift. Carry protection and always be alert. Photo of the creep pretending to the be on the phone:
