(ED-ish) Nunhead safety alert - woman followed home from polling

[snoozequeen1]

Okay, it's not SE22 but to advise that a young black male of about 5ft 7" to 5ft 8" followed a woman home from a polling station in the Ivydale Road area 30 mins ago, then hung around the house front door and when challenged was obviously up to no good.

He appeared to be in a drugged state and was wearing a grey sweatshirt (hood up) and jeans. If you see him wandering around the Ivydale area or following anyone pls telephone the police on 020 7378 1212.

[furryjumpergirl]

Is it worth pointing out that the woman shouldn't have shown the man where she lived? It's obviously unacceptable that someone would follow her home, but the safest thing to do would have been to stop in a shop, phone a friend to let them know what was going on and wait for the man to get bored and naff off...I only say this because a friend in Camberwell has had to do this once or twice and I thought it sounded like a good idea. The man then doesn't know where you live for the next time he fancies bothering somebody. Ringing the police as he was following her wouldn't have hurt either...who knows who he's going to follow next and what may end up happening?

[nunheadbelle]

It could be the guy who I often see wandering around the area, especially Ivydale Road. He lives on Ivydale Road and I'm sure he isn't all there mentally, usually a bit drunk/high on something. He was knocking on the doors asking for change a few months ago, I told him where to go and he just left sheepishly.

You're right though, she shouldn't have led him to her home.

Ivydale and surrounding areas are usually quite safe though, I've walked home late at night countless times with no worries.

[snoozequeen1]

Should we be surprised at how enthusiastically these ladies want to blame a woman who was followed, for being followed?

Does it say that the person realised they were being followed before the man was found trying to open their door? Or was the victim unaware of what was happening?

It is true that Ivydale Road has historically been a very quiet and relatively crime free area. However the council has been pursuing a policy of placing as many mental health, bail, "rehabilitation", "domestic violence" etc hostels here as it can get away with. Which appears to be as many as can be crammed in.

If there has been a man wandering about the Ivydale area knocking on women's doors for some months, then one would hope this has been reported to the police before. If this is the same man, it makes me wonder if he is afflicted by schizophrenia, and the "drugged" appearance is due to medication or medication plus whatever "recreational" drug. His behaviour may not be entirely predictable by anyone and he could get dangerous, but if the behaviour hasn't been reported, the psychiatrist and social worker responsible for the person's "care in the community" aren't even going to know.

Perhaps it would be a good idea if all such instances were reported so that there is an accurate picture of what is happening, and if there is an increase in such incidents, perhaps it would be a good idea if other areas could take their fair share of the vulnerable and the dangerous (and I don't mean bung them all in Camberwell again.

[RosieH]

don't think anyone was blaming the woman concerned, merely suggesting that the safest course of action under those circumstances is not to let whoever's following you know where you live. I certainly didn't pick up any hint of enthusiastic blaming.

Like you say, it's not always that easy to recognise you're being followed, but it's a good thing to be aware of should it happen to anyone else

[furryjumpergirl]

"Should we be surprised at how enthusiastically these ladies want to blame a woman who was followed, for being followed?"

How ridiculous!! Giving tips for dealing with the situation isn't blaming the woman for being followed. It's a pretty sad fact that women have to consider this sort of thing when it's not our actions we should really have to be changing but the actions of the men following us home. However, unfortunately we live in a society where this sort of thing can and does happen.

[charlottekb]

I was followed home in similar circumstances many years ago, and also lead the person directly to my door. Only because that was where I wanted to go as I was scared and freaked out and my instinct was to go home. Its now always easy to be cunning as suggested when your frightened.

[Asset]

Indeed, same thing happened to me and I couldn't quite let myself believe it was happening until the geezer grabbed me when I was going in the door. I was also 95% sure Mr. Asset was home.

[snoozequeen1]

That sounds a horrible experience, Ms Asset. Seems to happen a lot more often than I'd ever realised, given the reaction from so many people I have mentioned it to. Maybe we can get a few more govt ministers round here, at the mo I am looking quite favourably at the idea of an armed policeman on every corner!