Fictional horror stories might scare you, sure, but real-life horror is on a whole other level. There’s no hiding behind the idea that it’s all made up so that you can sleep soundly at night.
#1 Creep At The Pool
Okay so I'm 14 and am often mistaken for 18 because of my....shape. (a little context)
I was at the YMCA with my sisters, we were swimming for a while and then I started to feel sick. My younger sister said, "You don't look good OP, maybe you should sit in the changing room for a while." me, "yeah I think I will."
I went in the changing room for some peace and quiet, and lucky me no one was there! I sat on one of the benches and closed my eyes, a few moments later and I hear someone come in. It was a guy, tall, muscular and genuinely good looking. I brushed it off thinking he was probably waiting on his girlfriend and came to check on here cuz she was taking to long or something. That is until he approached me and sat right next to me, so close our thighs were touching. I was really surprised, I scooted over and gave him that 'what do you think you're doing' look.
He smiled at me and said, "don't worry girl I'm not gonna hurt you." and proceeded to put his hand on my back. I stood up backed away(I was scared to run cuz he seemed athletic, so he probably could've caught me),
He asked me "how old you baby." in a sickeningly sweet tone. I say 14 and he nonchalantly says "Cool". so I asked how old he was, "23".
He then stood up and started walking over to me and I backed away from him. This is the turning point, I hear a bathroom stall open, and there standing in all her glory was the lady who I'll call my hero. She stepped out and I know she heard everything. That dude hightailed it outta there.
The lady was nice and stayed with me for a while, her name was Stacy. thank you Stacy. :)
I was at the YMCA with my sisters, we were swimming for a while and then I started to feel sick. My younger sister said, "You don't look good OP, maybe you should sit in the changing room for a while." me, "yeah I think I will."
I went in the changing room for some peace and quiet, and lucky me no one was there! I sat on one of the benches and closed my eyes, a few moments later and I hear someone come in. It was a guy, tall, muscular and genuinely good looking. I brushed it off thinking he was probably waiting on his girlfriend and came to check on here cuz she was taking to long or something. That is until he approached me and sat right next to me, so close our thighs were touching. I was really surprised, I scooted over and gave him that 'what do you think you're doing' look.
He smiled at me and said, "don't worry girl I'm not gonna hurt you." and proceeded to put his hand on my back. I stood up backed away(I was scared to run cuz he seemed athletic, so he probably could've caught me),
He asked me "how old you baby." in a sickeningly sweet tone. I say 14 and he nonchalantly says "Cool". so I asked how old he was, "23".
He then stood up and started walking over to me and I backed away from him. This is the turning point, I hear a bathroom stall open, and there standing in all her glory was the lady who I'll call my hero. She stepped out and I know she heard everything. That dude hightailed it outta there.
The lady was nice and stayed with me for a while, her name was Stacy. thank you Stacy. :)
Report
48points
It is most definitely not always obvious that the person you’ve just met is potentially dangerous. Threatening individuals can put up a very attractive front to appear like regular or even well-respected members of society.
For example, you may want to beware of so-called ‘dark triad’ personalities. The Cleveland Clinic warns that these people have three overlapping negative traits: narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism.
In short, they are arrogant, grandiose, constantly demand attention and your affection, and excessively love themselves. Furthermore, dark triad individuals tend to lack empathy or remorse and are prone to impulsive, antisocial, and even criminal behaviors. Moreover, they are often cynical, don’t value morality, and often lie, manipulate, and strategize to seize power.
#2 My Dad Saved Me
I was 13 years old at the time (now 22) and on vacation with my parents in Turkey. We were in an all-inclusive hotel and enjoying the holiday.
The hotel was full of tourists from different countries. There was this one guy, around 20 who was staring at me for some time. I felt uncomfortable and asked him how he was doing. Wrong choice. The next few days everywhere where I was he also suddenly appeared. Not flirting, just lurking for hours and watching me. He had a really strange vibe around him and I felt I shouldn't be alone with him.
Now, I was still young so my parents didn't want to leave me alone in a foreign country. So he could not bother me. But one night there was entertainment in the hotel, which became boring to me after some time. I told my parents I wanted to go to my own hotel room and I would see them in the morning. I left and walked to the elevator. What I didn't know was that the guy who was watching me for days saw me leaving and he had followed me. When I saw him also coming in I was in great fear. He looked at me silently with a sinister smile. "This is it." I thought. R*pe, a***ult or maybe even worse.
And just before the doors of the elevator were closing someone stuck his boot between it in order to prevent the doors from closing (I am not kidding) All I could see was a boot. The doors opened and it was my dad. He saw that the creepy guy was leaving at the exact time I had left and didn't trust it. He looked the guy in the eye and said hello. My dad took me to my hotel room. To this day I am so glad for the rescue because I don't want to know what would've happened if he didn't.
The hotel was full of tourists from different countries. There was this one guy, around 20 who was staring at me for some time. I felt uncomfortable and asked him how he was doing. Wrong choice. The next few days everywhere where I was he also suddenly appeared. Not flirting, just lurking for hours and watching me. He had a really strange vibe around him and I felt I shouldn't be alone with him.
Now, I was still young so my parents didn't want to leave me alone in a foreign country. So he could not bother me. But one night there was entertainment in the hotel, which became boring to me after some time. I told my parents I wanted to go to my own hotel room and I would see them in the morning. I left and walked to the elevator. What I didn't know was that the guy who was watching me for days saw me leaving and he had followed me. When I saw him also coming in I was in great fear. He looked at me silently with a sinister smile. "This is it." I thought. R*pe, a***ult or maybe even worse.
And just before the doors of the elevator were closing someone stuck his boot between it in order to prevent the doors from closing (I am not kidding) All I could see was a boot. The doors opened and it was my dad. He saw that the creepy guy was leaving at the exact time I had left and didn't trust it. He looked the guy in the eye and said hello. My dad took me to my hotel room. To this day I am so glad for the rescue because I don't want to know what would've happened if he didn't.
Report
34points
#3 Student-Teacher Experience
When I was a student teacher, I was 21 and working with mostly seniors in high school, many of which were 17 or 18 years old.
One day, the mentor teacher I was working with pulled me aside from teaching my class to inform me other teachers had overheard some students telling each other what they "wanted to do to me". While disturbing, many of my friends and colleagues insisted that that's a fact of being a young teacher working with high schoolers.
The next day, I had a few girls in my class approach me and inform me that three specific boys were no longer just talking about what they WANTED to do, but were graphically describing what they were PLANNING on doing to me in the coming weeks, after school, in the parking lot, far more details than I'd like to share.
I went to the administration immediately, and they handled it very quickly and professionally. I was very grateful for their support. I was never touched nor harmed by any of these students, thankfully. What scared the absolute cr*p out of me, however, is not even a week later, one of those boys was arrested and pulled out of school. I didn't find out immediately, but I eventually learned he was being held for the alleged s*xual a***ult of his younger sister. It makes me sick thinking about it still. I genuinely hope to never meet him again. It's terrifying to think of what could have happened had I not had some wonderful staff and students looking out for me.
One day, the mentor teacher I was working with pulled me aside from teaching my class to inform me other teachers had overheard some students telling each other what they "wanted to do to me". While disturbing, many of my friends and colleagues insisted that that's a fact of being a young teacher working with high schoolers.
The next day, I had a few girls in my class approach me and inform me that three specific boys were no longer just talking about what they WANTED to do, but were graphically describing what they were PLANNING on doing to me in the coming weeks, after school, in the parking lot, far more details than I'd like to share.
I went to the administration immediately, and they handled it very quickly and professionally. I was very grateful for their support. I was never touched nor harmed by any of these students, thankfully. What scared the absolute cr*p out of me, however, is not even a week later, one of those boys was arrested and pulled out of school. I didn't find out immediately, but I eventually learned he was being held for the alleged s*xual a***ult of his younger sister. It makes me sick thinking about it still. I genuinely hope to never meet him again. It's terrifying to think of what could have happened had I not had some wonderful staff and students looking out for me.
Report
31points
Dark triad personalities are self-centered, project confidence, try to control others, and are masterful at gaining other people’s trust. They might flatter you with their charm or charisma to create a positive impression. However, all of this is a front that masks their true intentions.
Psychologist Susan Albers, PsyD, explains that these individuals “appear and act very confident” and tend to “occupy powerful positions in society.” Namely, they are “CEOs, cult leaders, bosses, and politicians.”
Other red flags to look for include individuals who lack emotional attachments, are prone to lying, engage in risky behavior, generally lack compassion, and have a jealous streak. Dark triad personalities also tend to be greedy, violent, and prone to bullying.
#4 Home Alone At Night, Thank Godness For Dogs!
This happened just last Tuesday, and I still can’t stop thinking about it. I’m a 30-year-old woman living with my fiancé and our two dogs—both huskies, one is 2 years old and the other is 4 months. They are definitely not guard dogs. They don’t bark or howl much and usually just love people. Friends and family have walked in before without the dogs making a sound.
That night, it was around 8 PM. It was already dark, and I was home alone while my fiancé was at a hockey game. I was in the bathroom with the door closed, blow dryer running, so I couldn’t hear much around me. Then I heard one of the dogs howl. I turned off the dryer, thinking maybe they were fighting.
A moment later, I heard a faint knock—and suddenly the dogs went crazy. Barking, howling, jumping at the bay window so hard I thought they might break it. I was confused, thinking maybe there was another dog or even a skunk outside.
I went to my bedroom window since it had the closest view of the front door. That’s when I saw two men in hoodies standing there. They started knocking louder, and my older husky jumped from the bay window to the front door, growling and slamming his body into it.
I watched from my room as one of the men jumped back, clearly startled. He looked at the other guy, and then they both just walked away. I immediately called my fiancé and told him to come home as soon as possible. I watched the men walk down the street—they didn’t stop at any other houses.
It still creeps me out. Thank goodness for my dogs.
That night, it was around 8 PM. It was already dark, and I was home alone while my fiancé was at a hockey game. I was in the bathroom with the door closed, blow dryer running, so I couldn’t hear much around me. Then I heard one of the dogs howl. I turned off the dryer, thinking maybe they were fighting.
A moment later, I heard a faint knock—and suddenly the dogs went crazy. Barking, howling, jumping at the bay window so hard I thought they might break it. I was confused, thinking maybe there was another dog or even a skunk outside.
I went to my bedroom window since it had the closest view of the front door. That’s when I saw two men in hoodies standing there. They started knocking louder, and my older husky jumped from the bay window to the front door, growling and slamming his body into it.
I watched from my room as one of the men jumped back, clearly startled. He looked at the other guy, and then they both just walked away. I immediately called my fiancé and told him to come home as soon as possible. I watched the men walk down the street—they didn’t stop at any other houses.
It still creeps me out. Thank goodness for my dogs.
Report
27points
#5 A Phone Call Possibly Saved Us
So this happened a couple years ago when I was 13 and my brother was 11. My parents had to go out and thought it would be better to leave me and my brother home alone, so that’s what they did, taking my little sister (age 6) with them.
Me and my brother were down in our basement where we had our video games set up, just playing Mario Kart on our Wii. We had the home phone between us just in case one of our parents called.
About an hour went by, and the phone started to ring. We looked down at the caller ID, and it was our uncle. We decided to just let it ring. The way our phone worked, it would ring about five times and then stop. One ring, two ring, three ri—then it stopped early.
My brother didn’t think anything of it, but I did. I realized the only reason it would stop that early was if someone picked up. But we were home alone.
I got really suspicious, and my paranoia kicked in. I grabbed my brother, and we went upstairs. The phone downstairs was still there, but there was another phone on the third floor in my parents’ room. We started heading toward the stairs, and what we saw chilled us to the bone.
There was a man—late 40s, maybe early 50s. That’s all I can really tell you, because the second we saw him, we both screamed, ran out the front door, and went straight to our neighbor’s house.
We told them what happened. They called the police and then our parents. The police came quickly. I don’t know what was wrong with the man, but he never left the house—he just stood there until they arrested him.
From what I heard, he was placed in a mental hospital, but that’s just what I was told.
This story might not be as crazy as others, but I still think about what could have happened to me and my brother if my uncle hadn’t decided to call.
Me and my brother were down in our basement where we had our video games set up, just playing Mario Kart on our Wii. We had the home phone between us just in case one of our parents called.
About an hour went by, and the phone started to ring. We looked down at the caller ID, and it was our uncle. We decided to just let it ring. The way our phone worked, it would ring about five times and then stop. One ring, two ring, three ri—then it stopped early.
My brother didn’t think anything of it, but I did. I realized the only reason it would stop that early was if someone picked up. But we were home alone.
I got really suspicious, and my paranoia kicked in. I grabbed my brother, and we went upstairs. The phone downstairs was still there, but there was another phone on the third floor in my parents’ room. We started heading toward the stairs, and what we saw chilled us to the bone.
There was a man—late 40s, maybe early 50s. That’s all I can really tell you, because the second we saw him, we both screamed, ran out the front door, and went straight to our neighbor’s house.
We told them what happened. They called the police and then our parents. The police came quickly. I don’t know what was wrong with the man, but he never left the house—he just stood there until they arrested him.
From what I heard, he was placed in a mental hospital, but that’s just what I was told.
This story might not be as crazy as others, but I still think about what could have happened to me and my brother if my uncle hadn’t decided to call.
27points
#6 The Cat Criminal
If you’re from England, more notably around London, you may have heard of the Croydon cat k**ler. This arsehole lures cats towards him and then brutally k**ls them. They even remove the microchip and place the body near the family home so that the shock level is higher.
I don’t live in Croydon, I live in an area of south east London called Bexley. I have two cats. A couple of days ago, a road away from mine, someone stumbled on the remains of a black cat missing its head in a skip. Some believed it to be foxes, even though I don’t know many foxes who carry knives around with them and are able to cut clean lines. The police have even been pushing this off in Croydon as foxes.
The cat was taken to our local vet, and the vet there determined it was done by a person and not by another animal. The police finally took notice down here.
Only, I always call my cats from the back garden when it’s dinner time (my house backs onto a different but very close alleyway), and tonight, when I shouted for my oldest cat Alfie, I heard a few seconds later, “Alfie!” from the alleyway. My cats are both with me currently, and they aren’t leaving anytime soon.
To the sick f*ck who wasn’t shown enough love as a child by mummy and daddy, know that if I ever meet you and catch you, I will skin you alive and hang you from a tree with your minuscule cock hanging out of your mouth. I promise.
EDIT: SNARL have investigated and are continuing to investigate this and have also confirmed this was done by a person and not a fox.
I don’t live in Croydon, I live in an area of south east London called Bexley. I have two cats. A couple of days ago, a road away from mine, someone stumbled on the remains of a black cat missing its head in a skip. Some believed it to be foxes, even though I don’t know many foxes who carry knives around with them and are able to cut clean lines. The police have even been pushing this off in Croydon as foxes.
The cat was taken to our local vet, and the vet there determined it was done by a person and not by another animal. The police finally took notice down here.
Only, I always call my cats from the back garden when it’s dinner time (my house backs onto a different but very close alleyway), and tonight, when I shouted for my oldest cat Alfie, I heard a few seconds later, “Alfie!” from the alleyway. My cats are both with me currently, and they aren’t leaving anytime soon.
To the sick f*ck who wasn’t shown enough love as a child by mummy and daddy, know that if I ever meet you and catch you, I will skin you alive and hang you from a tree with your minuscule cock hanging out of your mouth. I promise.
EDIT: SNARL have investigated and are continuing to investigate this and have also confirmed this was done by a person and not a fox.
Report
24points
So, what do you actually do if you suspect that the person you’ve met is a dark triad personality? Well, the healthiest and safest thing to do is to avoid them. When you put distance between you and them, you’re protecting yourself physically, emotionally, and financially.
Unfortunately, that’s not always an option if that person is your boss, friend, or relative. In those cases, you should focus on educating yourself on the manipulative tactics that people use and establish very clear boundaries to avoid being taken advantage of.
#7 Nurse Said It Was "My Own Fault" That He Hurt Me
This happened to me when I was 21 after an OD. I woke up in the hospital in the middle of the night to a nurse saying he needed to replace my IV. He jabs me 2 or 3 times but doesn’t hit a vein, so I ask if he could get someone else to try. He says no and keeps going. As he is doing this, he is pushing and wiggling the needles around under my skin saying he is trying to get the vein.
By the 7th or 8th needle, it registers that he is intentionally trying to hurt me. I ask him, "why are you doing this?" he just says, "it's your own fault you're here."
I was too weak to fight back and it was the middle of the night, there was no one else around I could call out to. I have no idea how many times he ended up puncturing me in the end.
The next day a different nurse was taking out my IV. She was horrified because she said it was the biggest needle she'd ever seen used on a "living" patient (not sure why you would use needles on a dead patient, but that's what she said).
A lot of people shrug this off when I tell them about it, but it was so terrifying being alone, helpless, and knowing that the person who was supposed to care for you hated you and wanted to cause you pain. So yeah, night nurse who loves huge needles and hates mentally ill girls, let's not meet again.
Edit: I am doing much much better now. This happened 7 yrs ago & I didn’t report it. Very small town, I was scared that people I worked with would find out about my s***ide attempt if I pursued it, plus I was just focused on survival. You all have encouraged me, though, and I’m going to do my best to track this guy down and and report it to someone.
By the 7th or 8th needle, it registers that he is intentionally trying to hurt me. I ask him, "why are you doing this?" he just says, "it's your own fault you're here."
I was too weak to fight back and it was the middle of the night, there was no one else around I could call out to. I have no idea how many times he ended up puncturing me in the end.
The next day a different nurse was taking out my IV. She was horrified because she said it was the biggest needle she'd ever seen used on a "living" patient (not sure why you would use needles on a dead patient, but that's what she said).
A lot of people shrug this off when I tell them about it, but it was so terrifying being alone, helpless, and knowing that the person who was supposed to care for you hated you and wanted to cause you pain. So yeah, night nurse who loves huge needles and hates mentally ill girls, let's not meet again.
Edit: I am doing much much better now. This happened 7 yrs ago & I didn’t report it. Very small town, I was scared that people I worked with would find out about my s***ide attempt if I pursued it, plus I was just focused on survival. You all have encouraged me, though, and I’m going to do my best to track this guy down and and report it to someone.
Report
23points
#8 A Mom's Worst Nightmare
This happened about 8 years ago in Germany. My daughters were 4 and 2 1/2. It was a very nice morning, so I decided to take my girls to a little mall to walk around and do some shopping.
My girls are, and always were, very well behaved and never ran away from me. Usually we always held hands when walking around in areas with many people. On this day, the mall was almost empty, but they still stayed holding my hands.
I noticed a man passing me. He looked at my daughters with a very stern look that gave me a bad vibe. I just brushed it off and kept walking. We wanted to go to a shoe store, which had a very cute play area the girls liked.
As we entered the store, they asked if they could run ahead to the play area. I could see it right away as it was at the end of a wide walkway, so I told them yes and they took off.
At that exact moment, that same strange man burst into the store and speed-walked past me toward my daughters. It didn’t even take me a second to realize he was up to no good. He was completely focused on getting to them—fast.
I instantly started yelling while running past him, “Girls, come here now!” I am never very stern, but they sensed I was serious. He got thrown off by my yelling. I got to my daughters before he could, turned around, and saw him running out of the store.
I was so shaken. A store worker came up to me and asked what happened, and I told her. I waited for a while until I felt calm enough to leave the store and the mall—with both babies in my arms.
So creepy mall guy, let’s not ever meet again.
My girls are, and always were, very well behaved and never ran away from me. Usually we always held hands when walking around in areas with many people. On this day, the mall was almost empty, but they still stayed holding my hands.
I noticed a man passing me. He looked at my daughters with a very stern look that gave me a bad vibe. I just brushed it off and kept walking. We wanted to go to a shoe store, which had a very cute play area the girls liked.
As we entered the store, they asked if they could run ahead to the play area. I could see it right away as it was at the end of a wide walkway, so I told them yes and they took off.
At that exact moment, that same strange man burst into the store and speed-walked past me toward my daughters. It didn’t even take me a second to realize he was up to no good. He was completely focused on getting to them—fast.
I instantly started yelling while running past him, “Girls, come here now!” I am never very stern, but they sensed I was serious. He got thrown off by my yelling. I got to my daughters before he could, turned around, and saw him running out of the store.
I was so shaken. A store worker came up to me and asked what happened, and I told her. I waited for a while until I felt calm enough to leave the store and the mall—with both babies in my arms.
So creepy mall guy, let’s not ever meet again.
Report
22points
#9 A Random Stalker Now Has My Address Thanks To The Police
I was driving home when I realized a truck had been behind me for miles. Just to be precautious, I made an abrupt last-second U-turn. He did too. That’s when I realized he was following me.
While on the phone with 911, I made sharp turns and ran red lights to try to lose him. He wouldn’t stop—he even almost hit my car a couple of times as he sped up trying to catch me. The 911 operator told me to go to a local grocery store and wait for the police.
I parked right in front of the store entrance, near the surveillance cameras, and waited. He parked at a distance and just sat there, waiting for me to get out of my car. Suddenly, I heard a hard knock on my window. I panicked, but it was the grocery store manager, who said 911 had notified him about the situation. He asked if I wanted to come inside and said he’d protect me until the cops arrived.
I was shaking and honestly feared the worst. I thought, “This maniac might have a g*n. He could sh**t me and everyone in there,” so I said no and stayed in my car.
The cops arrived and cornered him in the back of the parking structure. I was still shaking when they came to my car, gripping the wheel tightly. They arrested him soon after for a third DUI and filed a report. I didn’t know who he was, but apparently he lived only a couple of miles away from me.
Unfortunately, two months later I got a letter saying I might be subpoenaed. I called the DMV, and they told me not only was he already free, but that my information—including my address—was on the police report that had been given to him and his attorney.
Now I live in fear that he might show up one day and hurt me.
While on the phone with 911, I made sharp turns and ran red lights to try to lose him. He wouldn’t stop—he even almost hit my car a couple of times as he sped up trying to catch me. The 911 operator told me to go to a local grocery store and wait for the police.
I parked right in front of the store entrance, near the surveillance cameras, and waited. He parked at a distance and just sat there, waiting for me to get out of my car. Suddenly, I heard a hard knock on my window. I panicked, but it was the grocery store manager, who said 911 had notified him about the situation. He asked if I wanted to come inside and said he’d protect me until the cops arrived.
I was shaking and honestly feared the worst. I thought, “This maniac might have a g*n. He could sh**t me and everyone in there,” so I said no and stayed in my car.
The cops arrived and cornered him in the back of the parking structure. I was still shaking when they came to my car, gripping the wheel tightly. They arrested him soon after for a third DUI and filed a report. I didn’t know who he was, but apparently he lived only a couple of miles away from me.
Unfortunately, two months later I got a letter saying I might be subpoenaed. I called the DMV, and they told me not only was he already free, but that my information—including my address—was on the police report that had been given to him and his attorney.
Now I live in fear that he might show up one day and hurt me.
Report
22points
It’s also helpful to be skeptical of what dark triad personalities tell you, and it helps to limit your reactions so that they don’t get the satisfaction of getting a rise out of you. The more composed and less interesting you appear, the quicker they will move on to someone else. Revenge against them is ill-advised because you might end up in an even more dangerous situation.
If you suspect that a loved one may be exhibiting dark triad tendencies, you may want to reach out to a therapist or a trusted member of your social circle for support and advice.
#10 Horror At Dubai Airport
Okay, so this is a situation that happened in Dubai airport, although I wasn't the main victim in this story.
I was trying to get to the terminal in order to catch a flight out of Dubai when I realised the taxi driver took me to the wrong terminal. Disappointed that I was at the wrong place, I let out a “f***ing hell” out of frustration at myself and decided to try and figure out where to go next.
A few minutes later, two police officers came and detained me and went off at me for swearing at an Arab woman (whom I assume was somewhere around me) and a whole host of insults that would only really be offensive in Arab/Asian culture, including threats of violence, until they saw I had a passport from a Western country and suddenly became polite (I don't look like I'm from the West).
However, the worst part of that hour-long ordeal was the fact that there was a Hungarian girl who came in with her dad and complained about being r*ped, only to get yelled at by the police and told to get lost.
Is this a common experience in authoritarian countries? What would a woman do if she was attacked like this? Anyway, I was glad I wasn't a girl at that time. Also, Dubai police, let's not meet.
I was trying to get to the terminal in order to catch a flight out of Dubai when I realised the taxi driver took me to the wrong terminal. Disappointed that I was at the wrong place, I let out a “f***ing hell” out of frustration at myself and decided to try and figure out where to go next.
A few minutes later, two police officers came and detained me and went off at me for swearing at an Arab woman (whom I assume was somewhere around me) and a whole host of insults that would only really be offensive in Arab/Asian culture, including threats of violence, until they saw I had a passport from a Western country and suddenly became polite (I don't look like I'm from the West).
However, the worst part of that hour-long ordeal was the fact that there was a Hungarian girl who came in with her dad and complained about being r*ped, only to get yelled at by the police and told to get lost.
Is this a common experience in authoritarian countries? What would a woman do if she was attacked like this? Anyway, I was glad I wasn't a girl at that time. Also, Dubai police, let's not meet.
21points
#11 Saved By My Dog
This happened a few weeks ago, and I’m still a bit shaken up by it. My husband and I like to take long drives in the desert with our dog. We live outside Las Vegas and are lucky to have access to beautiful areas for stargazing or using a telescope. My husband got one for his birthday in October and was excited to try it out.
We drove our Kia up to a popular overlook, and he set up the telescope. He showed me a bunch of constellations, and we even saw a sh**ting star. Our dog stayed in the car with two windows rolled down.
My dog is a b**ch, straight up—there’s a reason they call female dogs that. She’s an American cattle dog and has protected me before during a home invasion. She’s very protective of both me and my husband.
At some point, my husband needed to pee and told me to wait in the car. I got in and locked the door. I was browsing Reddit when I heard gravel crunching. Thinking it was him, I said, “That was fast.”
Then my dog went berserk—snarling and barking. I turned around and saw it wasn’t my husband. It was some random guy.
The idiot made a huge mistake—he stuck his hand through the open window, right next to a 63-pound protective dog. She grabbed his hand, and suddenly he was screaming, I was screaming, and my husband was yelling as he ran back toward us, still pulling up his pants.
The dog let go, and the guy took off running. I called the cops while my husband tried to chase him, but the guy was fast. The police eventually showed up and said they’d keep an eye out, but also suggested we avoid that area at night.
Safe to say, we’re not going back there. The dog definitely earned herself a Dairy Queen cup that night.
We drove our Kia up to a popular overlook, and he set up the telescope. He showed me a bunch of constellations, and we even saw a sh**ting star. Our dog stayed in the car with two windows rolled down.
My dog is a b**ch, straight up—there’s a reason they call female dogs that. She’s an American cattle dog and has protected me before during a home invasion. She’s very protective of both me and my husband.
At some point, my husband needed to pee and told me to wait in the car. I got in and locked the door. I was browsing Reddit when I heard gravel crunching. Thinking it was him, I said, “That was fast.”
Then my dog went berserk—snarling and barking. I turned around and saw it wasn’t my husband. It was some random guy.
The idiot made a huge mistake—he stuck his hand through the open window, right next to a 63-pound protective dog. She grabbed his hand, and suddenly he was screaming, I was screaming, and my husband was yelling as he ran back toward us, still pulling up his pants.
The dog let go, and the guy took off running. I called the cops while my husband tried to chase him, but the guy was fast. The police eventually showed up and said they’d keep an eye out, but also suggested we avoid that area at night.
Safe to say, we’re not going back there. The dog definitely earned herself a Dairy Queen cup that night.
Report
21points
#12 I Was Attacked Last Night
Right outside my apartment smoking a cigarette, an unknown person snuck around a corner and sprayed me with pepper spray while I was looking at my phone.
I could make out a tall, thin man with a back pack walking away with his hands in his pockets before I lost the ability to keep my eyes open. There were no other people on the side walk in either direction.
I didn't see his face. He didn't say anything, or try to take anything from me, or grab me.. He didn't even stick around to watch me be all messed up. Just.. walked away. Like nothing happened.
I'm very thankful that I was able to feel for my keys and get back into my building, but then I started to realize that I could have permanent damage if I didn't get to a sink. I couldn't find the key to my studio. I was starting to not be able to breath.
I pounded on every door I could feel until my neighbor, whom I had never met before this moment, opened up for me. She let me bust into her bathroom and toss water everywhere. I felt so terrible for just commandeering her bathroom and bringing in that smell to her place, but I will be eternally grateful to this lady for helping me and calling the police. They didn't find him, and now I'm wondering if this was random or if this dude was waiting for me.
So, to the a**hole who randomly attacked me for who knows why, let's not meet.
I could make out a tall, thin man with a back pack walking away with his hands in his pockets before I lost the ability to keep my eyes open. There were no other people on the side walk in either direction.
I didn't see his face. He didn't say anything, or try to take anything from me, or grab me.. He didn't even stick around to watch me be all messed up. Just.. walked away. Like nothing happened.
I'm very thankful that I was able to feel for my keys and get back into my building, but then I started to realize that I could have permanent damage if I didn't get to a sink. I couldn't find the key to my studio. I was starting to not be able to breath.
I pounded on every door I could feel until my neighbor, whom I had never met before this moment, opened up for me. She let me bust into her bathroom and toss water everywhere. I felt so terrible for just commandeering her bathroom and bringing in that smell to her place, but I will be eternally grateful to this lady for helping me and calling the police. They didn't find him, and now I'm wondering if this was random or if this dude was waiting for me.
So, to the a**hole who randomly attacked me for who knows why, let's not meet.
Report
20points
“Let’s Not Meet” has a long history. The online community was established way back in mid-November 2011. And, at the time of writing, it will soon be celebrating its 15th anniversary. The group currently has 31k subscribers.
The main draw of the subreddit is that it focuses on real stories, not fiction. The moderator team that runs the community stresses that this is a place to read “spine-tingling, unusual, terrifyingly true stories about people you never want to meet again.”
As the moderators highlight in the community’s main rules, there is absolutely no room for fiction or paranormal stories on “Let’s Not Meet.” The stories you read here are “real, in-person encounters with the living only.” Meanwhile, paranormal or fictional encounters can be shared in a variety of other subreddits that are out there.
The mods also stress that people’s stories shouldn’t primarily focus on lewd behavior or road rage.
#13 She Came Through My Ceiling
This just happened a few days ago and I'm extremely shaken up. Some backstory...I live on the second floor of a 3 level apartment. We have a crawlspace that connects all the apartments. We aren't sure why it's there but we all have stuff in it and none of us would ever even attempt to go inside of it so we still felt pretty safe.
The other night the sun was setting but it wasn't pitch black out or anything yet. I'm walking through my living room when I see a short woman on my fire escape looking into my windows. This is extremely bizarre considering it's still semi-light out and she had to literally get onto our fire escape somehow. We have 2 windows that the fire escape reaches and she was looking in both but didnt see me. I crawled onto the ground and my heart was racing as I watched her try to open the windows. I didn't know what to do because my phone was in the other room.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally left. I went into my room to get my phone to text my landlord and call the cops. I came back into the living room and was looking out the windows to see if I could locate her when all of a sudden I hear a weird noise coming from the ceiling. We have one of those tile ceilings made out of separate slabs of cork/wood. I look up to see one of the slabs lifted up and two eyes staring at me. I have no clue how she got into the crawlspace so quickly but I grabbed the nearest thing next to me (which was a broom) and started hitting her with it through the ceiling and called the cops as soon as she crawled away.
They showed up and searched the place and didnt find her until a few days later when she was on someone else's fire escape. The cops said she was definitely on some hard d**gs and that she was violent towards them. I'm glad she's gone but whoever that crazy lady that came through my ceiling was...lets not meet again.
The other night the sun was setting but it wasn't pitch black out or anything yet. I'm walking through my living room when I see a short woman on my fire escape looking into my windows. This is extremely bizarre considering it's still semi-light out and she had to literally get onto our fire escape somehow. We have 2 windows that the fire escape reaches and she was looking in both but didnt see me. I crawled onto the ground and my heart was racing as I watched her try to open the windows. I didn't know what to do because my phone was in the other room.
After what seemed like an eternity, she finally left. I went into my room to get my phone to text my landlord and call the cops. I came back into the living room and was looking out the windows to see if I could locate her when all of a sudden I hear a weird noise coming from the ceiling. We have one of those tile ceilings made out of separate slabs of cork/wood. I look up to see one of the slabs lifted up and two eyes staring at me. I have no clue how she got into the crawlspace so quickly but I grabbed the nearest thing next to me (which was a broom) and started hitting her with it through the ceiling and called the cops as soon as she crawled away.
They showed up and searched the place and didnt find her until a few days later when she was on someone else's fire escape. The cops said she was definitely on some hard d**gs and that she was violent towards them. I'm glad she's gone but whoever that crazy lady that came through my ceiling was...lets not meet again.
Report
18points
#14 "Don't Be Afraid. I Am A Human Woman"
I'm just going to preface this by saying that I was the "creepy" party involved.
I was in a small forest nearby my house one night at around 1 AM on a winter night. The reason for this was because I was practicing meditation and I sometimes like to go out into nature during sessions. I sat under a tree (the place was deserted when I got there) and just calmly melted into the environment. I managed to get into a pretty deep state, so everything was sort of dreamlike.
About halfway into it, these two young women (likely teenagers) came in. They were getting drunk/high and were giggling and tipsy. They sat down about 20 feet from me, facing away, chatting, totally unaware of my presence. Then one of them noticed me and freaked out. "Wh-WHOAH! W-what is it? Did you see that??" she said to her friend. Then the other one noticed me (an ambiguous silhouetted lump under a pine tree) and shrieked.
My response was, in a monotonous drone, "Don't worry. I am a human woman." I was in a particularly deep state at the time, so I didn't really think about how it sounded until afterward. One of them responded, kind of stuttering and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was meditating and that they didn't need to worry about me and that they could proceed with the drinking. Needless to say they laughed it off nervously and then quickly made an excuse to leave!
I was in a small forest nearby my house one night at around 1 AM on a winter night. The reason for this was because I was practicing meditation and I sometimes like to go out into nature during sessions. I sat under a tree (the place was deserted when I got there) and just calmly melted into the environment. I managed to get into a pretty deep state, so everything was sort of dreamlike.
About halfway into it, these two young women (likely teenagers) came in. They were getting drunk/high and were giggling and tipsy. They sat down about 20 feet from me, facing away, chatting, totally unaware of my presence. Then one of them noticed me and freaked out. "Wh-WHOAH! W-what is it? Did you see that??" she said to her friend. Then the other one noticed me (an ambiguous silhouetted lump under a pine tree) and shrieked.
My response was, in a monotonous drone, "Don't worry. I am a human woman." I was in a particularly deep state at the time, so I didn't really think about how it sounded until afterward. One of them responded, kind of stuttering and asked what I was doing. I explained that I was meditating and that they didn't need to worry about me and that they could proceed with the drinking. Needless to say they laughed it off nervously and then quickly made an excuse to leave!
Report
18points
#15 To Whoever Was In My Car With Me Last Night...
I’m currently living in my SUV, and last night around midnight I parked in a Walmart parking lot to sleep. It had been one of the worst days I’ve had in a long time, and I was completely exhausted. When I got into the back of my SUV, I fell asleep almost immediately—unfortunately forgetting to lock my doors.
I’ve always been a very light sleeper, and I’m grateful for that, because somehow I woke up, turned around in my makeshift bed, and saw someone sitting in the driver’s seat, looking directly at me.
This is where it somehow gets a bit surreal. I was so tired and out of it that all I did was slowly shake my head back and forth and say “no,” while reaching across this person’s lap, opening the door, and gesturing for them to leave.
And that’s why, to whoever was in my car with me last night—thank you for getting out and leaving without saying or doing anything else. But I really hope we never meet again.
I’ve always been a very light sleeper, and I’m grateful for that, because somehow I woke up, turned around in my makeshift bed, and saw someone sitting in the driver’s seat, looking directly at me.
This is where it somehow gets a bit surreal. I was so tired and out of it that all I did was slowly shake my head back and forth and say “no,” while reaching across this person’s lap, opening the door, and gesturing for them to leave.
And that’s why, to whoever was in my car with me last night—thank you for getting out and leaving without saying or doing anything else. But I really hope we never meet again.
Report
18points
Meanwhile, the stories that people share on the sub must be personal. If you post about something that happened to a friend or relative, the moderators can decide to remove the story. Other stories that tend to be removed are those about internet users knowing or having met someone who ended up doing horrible things later in life, but to other people, not them.
No matter what, the “Let’s Not Meet” community emphasises the importance of privacy. So, everyone is encouraged to use fictional names for the sake of anonymity.
That’s not to say that all members of “Let’s Not Meet” immediately believe everything they read on the subreddit. They are both allowed and even encouraged to question the truthfulness of a story, but they have to do it politely. What’s more, they should share the reasons why they think the story might not be true.
And, though it sounds obvious, the community members are reminded that they must not use artificial intelligence. Their stories should be written in their own words. The priority here is authenticity, not being a great writer.
#16 I Was Almost Abducted As A Child
When I was three, in 1986, my parents and I lived in Tucson, AZ. My younger sister was a little under one year old. We lived in a two-bedroom, one-bathroom brick house with a four-foot chain-link fence around the backyard. There was an alley running behind it, and it was a relatively safe neighborhood.
We also had a dog named Bandit, who was half pug and half cocker spaniel. We’d had him since I was about six months old.
One day, my mom was inside doing dishes and cleaning while I was playing in the backyard. She would let me play alone because the yard was fenced and I couldn’t get out. The kitchen window faced the backyard, so she would check on me periodically.
She said she was washing dishes when Bandit suddenly started barking and growling. She looked out the window and saw a white man in his 40s leaning over the fence, trying to coax me over to him.
Bandit had positioned himself between me and the man and was trying to bite him. My mom ran outside, and as soon as the man saw her, he took off running down the alley.
She grabbed me and ran inside to call the police. They came and investigated, but they never caught him.
My dad wasn’t a big animal lover, but after that day he had nothing but admiration for Bandit, who saved me from being kidnapped. He wasn’t a big dog or particularly intimidating, but he was the best boy.
He d**d of old age when I was 14. I still remember how he followed us kids everywhere and was always there to protect us.
I still miss him all these years later and get teary thinking about him. Thank you, Bandit. I will always love you.
We also had a dog named Bandit, who was half pug and half cocker spaniel. We’d had him since I was about six months old.
One day, my mom was inside doing dishes and cleaning while I was playing in the backyard. She would let me play alone because the yard was fenced and I couldn’t get out. The kitchen window faced the backyard, so she would check on me periodically.
She said she was washing dishes when Bandit suddenly started barking and growling. She looked out the window and saw a white man in his 40s leaning over the fence, trying to coax me over to him.
Bandit had positioned himself between me and the man and was trying to bite him. My mom ran outside, and as soon as the man saw her, he took off running down the alley.
She grabbed me and ran inside to call the police. They came and investigated, but they never caught him.
My dad wasn’t a big animal lover, but after that day he had nothing but admiration for Bandit, who saved me from being kidnapped. He wasn’t a big dog or particularly intimidating, but he was the best boy.
He d**d of old age when I was 14. I still remember how he followed us kids everywhere and was always there to protect us.
I still miss him all these years later and get teary thinking about him. Thank you, Bandit. I will always love you.
Report
18points
#17 I Slept With A Guy Once And He Found Me In Washington Dc 3 Months Later
In December 2018, my ex and I split up after seven years together. I was new to the dating scene again, so I didn’t want to rush into anything. In February, I met a guy at a bar we used to frequent. The second time we met, we exchanged numbers. By the end of March, I felt comfortable enough to invite him to a party at my house. He stayed after, and one thing led to another.
After it was all said and done, I had a weird feeling about him. He was too pushy, and it made me uncomfortable, so I asked him to leave. I planned to never speak to him again—but then he started texting me from random numbers.
He would say things like, “Hope you have fun fishing,” when I hadn’t posted anything about fishing. Or, “I hope the movie was good,” even though I hadn’t shared that I was at a movie. He’d text asking where I was in different bars, even though I hadn’t told anyone or posted where I was going. We had no mutual friends, so he had to be following me.
The final straw came when my friends took me to Washington, DC for my 25th birthday. We bar-hopped all over the city. Around 2:30 a.m., we left the last bar and went across the street for cookies. As we were coming out of the shop, guess who shows up—him. He said, “I hope ____ and ____ were fun. I wanted to say hi earlier, but since you haven’t been replying to my messages, I didn’t want to freak you out.”
I was terrified. My friend’s husband stepped in, called him out, and threatened to call the police. After that, I changed my number and moved. Thankfully, I haven’t heard from him since.
To the guy I mistakenly had my first one-night stand with: let’s never meet again.
After it was all said and done, I had a weird feeling about him. He was too pushy, and it made me uncomfortable, so I asked him to leave. I planned to never speak to him again—but then he started texting me from random numbers.
He would say things like, “Hope you have fun fishing,” when I hadn’t posted anything about fishing. Or, “I hope the movie was good,” even though I hadn’t shared that I was at a movie. He’d text asking where I was in different bars, even though I hadn’t told anyone or posted where I was going. We had no mutual friends, so he had to be following me.
The final straw came when my friends took me to Washington, DC for my 25th birthday. We bar-hopped all over the city. Around 2:30 a.m., we left the last bar and went across the street for cookies. As we were coming out of the shop, guess who shows up—him. He said, “I hope ____ and ____ were fun. I wanted to say hi earlier, but since you haven’t been replying to my messages, I didn’t want to freak you out.”
I was terrified. My friend’s husband stepped in, called him out, and threatened to call the police. After that, I changed my number and moved. Thankfully, I haven’t heard from him since.
To the guy I mistakenly had my first one-night stand with: let’s never meet again.
Report
17points
#18 I Took Advantage Of An Attempted Robbery
This is something I’ve kept to myself for a long time, but I figured that now—years later—I can probably tell my story safely.
On a Saturday night, I was on my way to the bus stop to pick up a friend. The plan was to have a drink together. In the city center, a not-so-healthy-looking guy asked if he could borrow my phone to make a quick call. I denied it, saying I didn’t have a data plan (I lied), and kept walking.
The guy followed me all the way to the bus stop. It seemed like he was waiting for the bus too. Then my friend called, so I took out my phone and answered. While I was on the call, the guy stood right behind me. I wasn’t fully aware of how close he was, but I felt watched and held my phone tightly.
Then he tried to grab my phone from behind while I was talking. I’m not sure why, but I turned around and asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I thought you had no data plan, now give me that phone!” I said, “No way.”
He tried to grab it again. He wasn’t armed, so I decided to run and call the police.
The truth is, before the robbery attempt, I had accidentally dropped my phone and cracked the screen badly. I didn’t have the money to replace it. I told my insurance that the damage happened during the robbery attempt.
The guy got caught pretty quickly since he was already known to the police, and he ended up paying for my new phone.
Impertinent stranger, let’s not meet again—or you might end up funding my next upgrade.
On a Saturday night, I was on my way to the bus stop to pick up a friend. The plan was to have a drink together. In the city center, a not-so-healthy-looking guy asked if he could borrow my phone to make a quick call. I denied it, saying I didn’t have a data plan (I lied), and kept walking.
The guy followed me all the way to the bus stop. It seemed like he was waiting for the bus too. Then my friend called, so I took out my phone and answered. While I was on the call, the guy stood right behind me. I wasn’t fully aware of how close he was, but I felt watched and held my phone tightly.
Then he tried to grab my phone from behind while I was talking. I’m not sure why, but I turned around and asked, “What are you doing?” He replied, “I thought you had no data plan, now give me that phone!” I said, “No way.”
He tried to grab it again. He wasn’t armed, so I decided to run and call the police.
The truth is, before the robbery attempt, I had accidentally dropped my phone and cracked the screen badly. I didn’t have the money to replace it. I told my insurance that the damage happened during the robbery attempt.
The guy got caught pretty quickly since he was already known to the police, and he ended up paying for my new phone.
Impertinent stranger, let’s not meet again—or you might end up funding my next upgrade.
Report
17points
According to the moderators, stories that do NOT belong on “Let’s Not Meet” include things such as getting a creepy look from a stranger on the street or a story that you had to exaggerate to make it sound dramatic.
On the other hand, stories that DO belong on the sub are experiences such as being stalked, being kidnapped or almost kidnapped, and encountering outright bizarre behaviors that regular people would never do.
#19 He Wasn’t The Real Mailman
I was around 10 or 11 when this happened, and I was home alone. The doorbell rang while I was watching TV, so I quickly moved my bowl of cereal and got up to answer the door.
It was a man who said he was a mailman and that we had a package, but it was so big that he needed help carrying it. Something felt off about him—he wasn’t wearing a uniform, just a dirty white shirt and jeans. I asked where his truck was because I didn’t see it parked out front, and he said it was around the corner and told me to follow him to grab the parcel.
He kept insisting that I go with him, but I politely said I wasn’t feeling well and that we would just pick it up from the post office. He said how much of a hassle that would be and kept pushing me to come outside and get it right then.
I told him I needed to get my shoes from upstairs, and he waited outside. I locked the door and ran upstairs, closing all the windows. Then I called my mom and explained everything. The man was still outside and shouted up, asking if I had gotten my shoes.
I told him my mom was coming because she’s much stronger and could help carry the package. As soon as I said that, he ran off, and I never saw him again.
They never caught him, and I just hope he never tricked any other kids into going near that van. Dear fake, creepy mailman—let’s not meet again.
It was a man who said he was a mailman and that we had a package, but it was so big that he needed help carrying it. Something felt off about him—he wasn’t wearing a uniform, just a dirty white shirt and jeans. I asked where his truck was because I didn’t see it parked out front, and he said it was around the corner and told me to follow him to grab the parcel.
He kept insisting that I go with him, but I politely said I wasn’t feeling well and that we would just pick it up from the post office. He said how much of a hassle that would be and kept pushing me to come outside and get it right then.
I told him I needed to get my shoes from upstairs, and he waited outside. I locked the door and ran upstairs, closing all the windows. Then I called my mom and explained everything. The man was still outside and shouted up, asking if I had gotten my shoes.
I told him my mom was coming because she’s much stronger and could help carry the package. As soon as I said that, he ran off, and I never saw him again.
They never caught him, and I just hope he never tricked any other kids into going near that van. Dear fake, creepy mailman—let’s not meet again.
Report
16points
#20 The Girl Who Tried To Drown Me When I Was A Little Kid
I’m not sure how old I was, but I was really small—maybe around six. I was with a group from my church at a barbecue by a river. All the kids were swimming, and since I didn’t know how to swim yet, I stayed in the shallow water where it was only waist-deep.
At some point, an older girl—maybe around 13—came up and started playing with me. We were splashing each other and messing around. The strange thing was that I didn’t recognize her, even though I knew everyone else there. No one seemed to be paying attention to us.
She started pushing me farther and farther into deeper water, to the point where I couldn’t touch the bottom. She kept laughing the whole time. My head kept going underwater, and every time I tried to grab onto her, she would knock my hands away easily. The current slowly pulled me farther from everyone while I struggled to stay afloat.
I was panicking. I tried to yell, but I could barely get a breath before going under again. Whenever my feet touched the mud for a second, she would just push me back out. I couldn’t understand why she was laughing. I genuinely thought I was going to drown, and no one seemed to notice.
Of all people to step in, it was my childhood bully, Zachary. He had always been mean to me—mentally and physically—but that day, he saved me. He came over, told her to get away from me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me back to where I could stand.
Then he just ran off and went back to playing with the other kids like nothing had happened. The girl had already gone off somewhere too. I kept playing, and like a lot of things from back then, I didn’t tell anyone until I was much older. I’m pretty sure I never saw that girl again.
At some point, an older girl—maybe around 13—came up and started playing with me. We were splashing each other and messing around. The strange thing was that I didn’t recognize her, even though I knew everyone else there. No one seemed to be paying attention to us.
She started pushing me farther and farther into deeper water, to the point where I couldn’t touch the bottom. She kept laughing the whole time. My head kept going underwater, and every time I tried to grab onto her, she would knock my hands away easily. The current slowly pulled me farther from everyone while I struggled to stay afloat.
I was panicking. I tried to yell, but I could barely get a breath before going under again. Whenever my feet touched the mud for a second, she would just push me back out. I couldn’t understand why she was laughing. I genuinely thought I was going to drown, and no one seemed to notice.
Of all people to step in, it was my childhood bully, Zachary. He had always been mean to me—mentally and physically—but that day, he saved me. He came over, told her to get away from me, grabbed my arm, and pulled me back to where I could stand.
Then he just ran off and went back to playing with the other kids like nothing had happened. The girl had already gone off somewhere too. I kept playing, and like a lot of things from back then, I didn’t tell anyone until I was much older. I’m pretty sure I never saw that girl again.
Report
16points