“True fear is a gift that signals us in the presence of danger.” This is a quote from an insightful book by security specialist and author Gavin de Becker titled The Gift of Fear: And Other Survival Signals That Protect Us From Violence.
The quote highlights the importance of anxiety as a warning during a potentially dangerous situation. That trepidation likely triggered these people to act on the unpleasant feelings they felt in the pit of their stomachs as they shared their personal stories in this Reddit thread.
Having fear isn’t always a sign of weakness. As these commenters proved, it may also save your life.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
It was a “don’t go home” moment, I was on my way home late, and accidentally pulled out on someone, yes that’s my fault, he blew the horn, but then kept following me, getting right up on my a*s when I would stop, I drove around a bit thinking it was a coincidence (before the days of cell phones) but nope, he stayed right on my tail, I was hoping I would spot a cop, but I didn’t, but I did know there was a Coast Guard Station nearby, so I went there, the gate was closed for the night, so I pushed the call button, told the guy my situation, the guy behind me saw where I was and turned around, the CG opened the gate as four big burly guys came out in case he tried to follow me in, he didn’t
They invited me in for coffee, told me hang out a bit to be on the safe side, and then two of them followed me home.
They invited me in for coffee, told me hang out a bit to be on the safe side, and then two of them followed me home.
223points
#2
My ex-husband had a raging anger problem, and my last straw was during one of his daily rage sessions about eighteen months ago. He was yelling and screaming, huffing and puffing, and practically frothing at the mouth with hatred spewing from his mouth. He backed me into a corner of the kitchen, and I saw his hands fly towards my face and neck. This wasn't his first time being aggressive or forceful, he had a history of throwing objects at walls or on floors, and sometimes he would throw objects at or near me, and I sustained several injuries over the years.
But, this time was different. A cold feeling washed across my whole body, almost like when you get the chills when you have a fever or the flu. I remember trying to take a step backwards, but couldn't, because a kitchen wall was directly behind me. I remember my hands gesturing in a "please stop" and "don't come any closer" way in front of my chest, almost akin to a shield between him and I. And deep within me, a thought flashed across my mind:
*Get out before you can't.*
Later that day, while he was out of the house, I found myself calling a domestic violence hotline. They basically slammed the door in my face, and told me I didnt qualify for help, since I apparently earned too much money to qualify for any support. I wasn't even asking for money: I simply didn't feel safe at home. To make matters worse, I didn't grow up in the United States, because I was born and raised abroad, and so I don't have any direct family here in the United States. I had another violently humbling and profoundly terrifying realization: I was going to be completely alone in escaping my marriage.
Without even realizing what I was doing at the time, I found myself packing a small bag, getting in my car, driving to the airport, and getting on the first possible airplane bound for over 1,000+ miles away, not knowing if I'd ever return to the life I once knew. Within a few hours, I was sitting on a plane, and it wasn't until I peeked out my window and felt the upward tilt of the aircraft that I felt like I could breathe again. Now, looking back about eighteen months later, I realize I was probably operating on sheer human instinct at the time.
But, this time was different. A cold feeling washed across my whole body, almost like when you get the chills when you have a fever or the flu. I remember trying to take a step backwards, but couldn't, because a kitchen wall was directly behind me. I remember my hands gesturing in a "please stop" and "don't come any closer" way in front of my chest, almost akin to a shield between him and I. And deep within me, a thought flashed across my mind:
*Get out before you can't.*
Later that day, while he was out of the house, I found myself calling a domestic violence hotline. They basically slammed the door in my face, and told me I didnt qualify for help, since I apparently earned too much money to qualify for any support. I wasn't even asking for money: I simply didn't feel safe at home. To make matters worse, I didn't grow up in the United States, because I was born and raised abroad, and so I don't have any direct family here in the United States. I had another violently humbling and profoundly terrifying realization: I was going to be completely alone in escaping my marriage.
Without even realizing what I was doing at the time, I found myself packing a small bag, getting in my car, driving to the airport, and getting on the first possible airplane bound for over 1,000+ miles away, not knowing if I'd ever return to the life I once knew. Within a few hours, I was sitting on a plane, and it wasn't until I peeked out my window and felt the upward tilt of the aircraft that I felt like I could breathe again. Now, looking back about eighteen months later, I realize I was probably operating on sheer human instinct at the time.
184points
#3
Fifteen years or so years ago my friend’s parents were in Paris. They were in a central public place (not sure where) when they saw police start turning up and barricades being erected. My friend’s mother said she got a really bad feeling something was about to happen and told her husband they had to get out of there, stat.
They later found out it was a Justin Bieber appearance.
They later found out it was a Justin Bieber appearance.
162points
#4
I lived a five minute walk from a grocery store. One evening, as I was leaving the grocery checkout I noticed a man at another register abandon his items without paying and walk out. I thought it was strange and kept my eyes open.
I realized the man was skirting around in the shadows following me so I stopped walking when I hit a busy corner and phoned my husband while the man hid behind some construction equipment.
My husband got our baby out of bed, strapped her in her car seat and drove down the street to pick me up and drive me home. We drove around the neighbourhood so the man would not see where we lived.
A week later that man was in the news, he was arrested for multiple r*pes in my neighbourhood. The cops chose to not warn women that a violent serial r*pist had been active in our neighbourhood. I was almost his next victim.
I never walked the 3 blocks to the grocery store again. Always drove. F**k Toronto police for not warning us about a monster attacking women in my area.
I realized the man was skirting around in the shadows following me so I stopped walking when I hit a busy corner and phoned my husband while the man hid behind some construction equipment.
My husband got our baby out of bed, strapped her in her car seat and drove down the street to pick me up and drive me home. We drove around the neighbourhood so the man would not see where we lived.
A week later that man was in the news, he was arrested for multiple r*pes in my neighbourhood. The cops chose to not warn women that a violent serial r*pist had been active in our neighbourhood. I was almost his next victim.
I never walked the 3 blocks to the grocery store again. Always drove. F**k Toronto police for not warning us about a monster attacking women in my area.
157points
#5
It’s weird I’m seeing this post right now because I’ve been getting that exact terrifying feeling about America. I don’t know why but my instincts have been telling me for weeks to get my passport ready.
138points
#6
Was 20F Raised in a very rural area. Had to fly to ATL for an internship interview. I had been on a plane before (this is 2000 btw) but not by myself and I had never navigated a large airport or city by myself. Knew I needed a taxi to get to hotel. Was met by a taxi driver IN THE AIRPORT who asked if I need a ride. What luck! On the way out the door saw that signs that taxi drivers must wait in a queue for customers. No I didn’t turn around, I was naive and he had my luggage. Luckily there was a cab. He took me to my hotel but it was a long ride and he asked inappropriate questions. I played dumb about what his meaning.
He got out of the cab at the hotel and followed me in!! Leaned across the desk where the clerk recognized the situation immediately and told him to leave.
This was my first contact with that jewel of a human- the middle age or elderly Black lady who takes care of strangers as if they were family. After he left she assured me they wouldn’t let him in. He did call and ask for my room which they refused.
Whew.
Amazing hotel clerk who identified the problem right away. .
He got out of the cab at the hotel and followed me in!! Leaned across the desk where the clerk recognized the situation immediately and told him to leave.
This was my first contact with that jewel of a human- the middle age or elderly Black lady who takes care of strangers as if they were family. After he left she assured me they wouldn’t let him in. He did call and ask for my room which they refused.
Whew.
Amazing hotel clerk who identified the problem right away. .
134points
#7
I was the only girl at a football team party. Got out of there so fast.
116points
#8
In the early nineties my mother would regularly take my younger brother and I along when we she needed to run errands. I was around 7 years old and my brother 6. On this particular day she needed to run into Walmart, this was the early days before super Walmarts, so the store was relatively small. My mom told me to lock the doors after she left and that she’d only be a minute, she then hurried inside. About 2 mins later this man with Dahmer vibes walks up to the rear passenger door. Looked to be mid to late 30’s, heavy set, serial k****r glasses, etc. It startles me but my little brother is unfazed, he was playing a game of some sort.
As he says hello I can hear what sounds to be him checking the handle on the door. I’ll never forget the creepy smile he had on his face. He sees that the door is locked so he tells me to open it. I tell him no and that my mom would be back soon. He tells me that he just spoke with my mom and that she sent him out to get us. I don’t know what it was but it didn’t feel right. For the next minute, as I refuse to open the door as he’s still trying the handle, I can see him physically getting angry. This is when my brother starts to notice something going on.
Then all of a sudden he looks past me, looks at me, and takes off. 20 seconds later my mom arrives, apologizing about how long it took, which was common, and I ask her if she sent some weird man to come get us. Immediately she says no! Why? I tell her and she freaks out. She drives around the parking lot a few times in hopes of me pointing the man out but I never saw him again. To this day I still wonder what could have happened if I opened that door.
As he says hello I can hear what sounds to be him checking the handle on the door. I’ll never forget the creepy smile he had on his face. He sees that the door is locked so he tells me to open it. I tell him no and that my mom would be back soon. He tells me that he just spoke with my mom and that she sent him out to get us. I don’t know what it was but it didn’t feel right. For the next minute, as I refuse to open the door as he’s still trying the handle, I can see him physically getting angry. This is when my brother starts to notice something going on.
Then all of a sudden he looks past me, looks at me, and takes off. 20 seconds later my mom arrives, apologizing about how long it took, which was common, and I ask her if she sent some weird man to come get us. Immediately she says no! Why? I tell her and she freaks out. She drives around the parking lot a few times in hopes of me pointing the man out but I never saw him again. To this day I still wonder what could have happened if I opened that door.
101points
#9
When I was a teenager (14-15ish) I was sitting outside my sisters work. She worked at a building near a park with a track around it. I was sitting kinda away from the building and more towards the park. It was night and super dark in the park. I got a weird feeling and saw a man walking towards me quickly. I got up on instinct and ran into the building. As soon as he saw me stand up he started SPRINTING towards me. I can’t say for sure he was going to take me, but a part of me FELT his intentions before I even saw him.
99points
#10
One night I was vacuuming out my car at one of those self service car washes. The whole time I notice there's another car in the corner but I didn't see anyone inside of it. All the sudden, I look up as a van with the windows covered pulled in. I made eye contact with the driver and something in me said "get the F**K out NOW" so I jumped in the car and drove off with my trunk still open. I had to pull through the actual car wash part and barely made it out as the other car was attempting to block me in. Drove back around 3 minutes later to see if they were still there... and they weren't. I'll never forget the feeling i had when we made eye contact. I've never moved that fast without thought in my life. His eyes were jet black and his face was skinny like a skeleton. I am a 125lb very young looking woman so I'm vulnerable.
88points
#11
I was 16, waiting in the baggage claim for my dad, who I was picking up from the Detroit airport. A middle aged man started chatting with me. I was conditioned to be polite so I talked to him. He was asking a lot of personal questions (who am I with, do I live close). We start talking about running after I told him I liked to run. He says he has something in his car I have to see, a medal from a recent race. He gets insistent I follow him out to the parking garage so he can show me. Even grabs my arm at one point. I start to follow him. Get out the door. Freeze. Get a really creeped out feeling. And make up an excuse as to why I can’t go and run back inside. He never came back inside. I felt rude at the time, but in retrospect I’m convinced I saved myself from getting kidnapped.
81points
#12
I think about this now and then and still get the creeps. I am grateful to have grown up with a few street smarts. Otherwise, I, and my daughter, would probably not be here.
At the time this happened to me, there was a serial k****r on the loose in the general area, targeting people at rest stops off a major highway.
Maybe that was in the back of mind, too, when this strange man knocked on my door to ask to use the phone. It was the late 80’s and I was home on maternity leave with my infant daughter.
I lived on a dead-end street and often walked my baby girl in the stroller in nearby neighborhoods. I believe this is how I was targeted and from then on, would put my daughter in the car and drive to a public park to walk. Sucks being a woman sometimes.
So, guy parks in front of my house, tells me he has car trouble and wants to use the phone. I don’t open the door but talk to him through it. Also, I am the last house on a dead-end street. I tell him to wait until my husband is home in an hour (lie) and the guy says he has an emergency and needs to get going.
At this point, I say, hold on. I went around my house making sure every window and door was locked. I went back to the front door and told him I could make a call for him. He says he has to use his credit card to make the call. I could see his growing agitation through the peephole and hear it in his voice.
He’s ratcheting up, my baby’s crying, my milk is leaking and I’ve had enough of this fuckface. I tell him to get off my porch or I am calling the cops.
With much cursing and irritation, he walks out to his car, the one that was broken down? Yeah, starts right up. He makes a Y turn and hightails it out of there.
Two months later, a young woman, living alone, was r*ped and m*rdered four blocks from me.
At the time this happened to me, there was a serial k****r on the loose in the general area, targeting people at rest stops off a major highway.
Maybe that was in the back of mind, too, when this strange man knocked on my door to ask to use the phone. It was the late 80’s and I was home on maternity leave with my infant daughter.
I lived on a dead-end street and often walked my baby girl in the stroller in nearby neighborhoods. I believe this is how I was targeted and from then on, would put my daughter in the car and drive to a public park to walk. Sucks being a woman sometimes.
So, guy parks in front of my house, tells me he has car trouble and wants to use the phone. I don’t open the door but talk to him through it. Also, I am the last house on a dead-end street. I tell him to wait until my husband is home in an hour (lie) and the guy says he has an emergency and needs to get going.
At this point, I say, hold on. I went around my house making sure every window and door was locked. I went back to the front door and told him I could make a call for him. He says he has to use his credit card to make the call. I could see his growing agitation through the peephole and hear it in his voice.
He’s ratcheting up, my baby’s crying, my milk is leaking and I’ve had enough of this fuckface. I tell him to get off my porch or I am calling the cops.
With much cursing and irritation, he walks out to his car, the one that was broken down? Yeah, starts right up. He makes a Y turn and hightails it out of there.
Two months later, a young woman, living alone, was r*ped and m*rdered four blocks from me.
79points
#13
My mom was a single mom with four kids. We lived in a single-wide trailer out in the woods. My two sisters were 18 at that time (twins) and I was seven. We constantly had prowlers and people broke in multiple times to cook themselves our food and use our shower and leave love notes for my mom and the twins. I got really sick with meningitis and was hospitalized for a good long while. Mom stayed at the hospital with me and my sisters were home alone until two guys harassed them one night by knocking on the windows and doors. They went to stay with my grandmother after that. Anyway, the day I came home from the hospital ... I had a feeling that something truly awful was going to happen. I just knew it. I couldn't get it out of my head. Something simply felt WRONG. My mom had gotten my prescriptions filled and tried to comfort me as the night went on but I was inconsolable. I kept saying that we HAD to go to my granny's house. Around that time, we heard men talking at the back door of the trailer - when we lived on about 100 acres of woods with NO ONE around. Mom called the cops and they searched but didn't see anyone. I was insistent that we absolutely HAD to leave and go to my granny's house. I was screaming it by that point, bawling my face off. We packed up the car and got ready to leave ... it was about 3 in the morning ... and mom remembered my medicine. She kept the car running and told my sister to run and grab the bag of meds from the fridge. My sister runs in and gets my medicine and rushes back out. She's halfway to the car when the front door of the trailer slams open behind her and there's this HUGE man just standing there watching us go. He had come in through the back bedroom window while we were leaving, I guess. My sister jumped in and mom floored it and we went to my granny's house. The police went and saw that the window had been opened and found that someone had urinated all over the inside of our trailer and slammed a knife through our dining room table and the knife was still there. We never went back there. My uncles went and packed our things and we moved in with my granny.
78points
#14
Tubbs Fire in Santa Rosa, CA. Woke up at 1am to smell of smoke. Went to the bathroom and was hit with a feeling of dread. Went out into living room and peeked through blinds, saw our neighbor running to her car with her cat in one arm and duffle bag in the other. Saw the glow of fire in the distance. Opened front door to ash falling. Woke up my spouse, told her we had 5 mins to get dressed and pack a bag. Started getting our wallets phones passports laptop and clothes into a backpack. She stood there for a minute confused and I had to yell at her to put on her shoes, there was a fire, and I wasn’t joking. Fire came within 2 blocks of our apartment. Completely leveled the neighborhood north of us.
71points
#15
I was about 13. My mom, at the time, didn't have her driver's license because she was undocumented, so we were already really nervous about driving around - but to add to that we were in a bad neighborhood, in a section of PCH with actual street hookers and pimps, and it was about 10PM. I was really unwell and having a lot of trouble breathing, and my inhaler wasn't helping, so we went to the ER.
On the way back from the ER (turns out I was having an allergic reaction to something), we were driving back on PCH and cop lights go on, pulling my mom over. We were already really nervous and she was hoping he would be kind enough to just let us go and have the car impounded.
The stop is normal at first, she explains why she doesn't have a driver's license and tells the cop I'm sick and showed the ER paperwork, tells him we were just going back home. He starts looking around, making us wait in the car, walking back and forth a few times. We start getting a really bad feeling about this cop. I start wondering if running is even an option and tell my mom we have to go - that we should just abandon the car.
Finally, he comes back and shines the flashlight in our faces again, looks around, and tells her that if she "cooperates" we can keep the car and go home. My heart drops. She's confused, but I know she understands what's about to happen. She says, "My daughter is in the car. I can't leave her alone here." They go back and forth, and she just keeps saying things like "My daughter is sick, I need to take her home." He starts threatening to deport her and that he'll make sure I end up with one of the pimps if she doesn't cooperate.
As they're arguing, several blocks down, it sounds like a shooting takes place, and he goes back to his car and just speeds away.
On the way back from the ER (turns out I was having an allergic reaction to something), we were driving back on PCH and cop lights go on, pulling my mom over. We were already really nervous and she was hoping he would be kind enough to just let us go and have the car impounded.
The stop is normal at first, she explains why she doesn't have a driver's license and tells the cop I'm sick and showed the ER paperwork, tells him we were just going back home. He starts looking around, making us wait in the car, walking back and forth a few times. We start getting a really bad feeling about this cop. I start wondering if running is even an option and tell my mom we have to go - that we should just abandon the car.
Finally, he comes back and shines the flashlight in our faces again, looks around, and tells her that if she "cooperates" we can keep the car and go home. My heart drops. She's confused, but I know she understands what's about to happen. She says, "My daughter is in the car. I can't leave her alone here." They go back and forth, and she just keeps saying things like "My daughter is sick, I need to take her home." He starts threatening to deport her and that he'll make sure I end up with one of the pimps if she doesn't cooperate.
As they're arguing, several blocks down, it sounds like a shooting takes place, and he goes back to his car and just speeds away.
69points
#16
I was in Miami with friends for a wedding. My friend is a bartender at a bar in south Beach and so we're at the reception at the bar. This girl starts chatting with me and being super over friendly. Complementing everything I'm wearing, hair, you name it. I don't think anything of it and keep hanging with her and some of my other friends but she's alone. Should have been my first red flag, *all girls* know not to travel alone in Miami. She's chatting up my other friends the same way and then says that she loves d***s (d***s, not a specific one, just any) I tell her that she's in the right place, Miami is full of whatever you're lookin to find. But I'm not interested. She mentions going to her place and I'm trying to get her social media to connect later but she keeps dodging my questions. We go outside to smoke and I let her know that I have lots of friends with me and point out about half the crowd outside. She glances at some man and then quickly says she has to leave. Again, try to get social media but she said her Uber had arrived. She didn't have a phone. She got into a car parked suspiciously in the road. One man got on the other side of the vehicle while another followed behind her, getting her to the middle seat in the back. The three of them plus the driver drove off in that SUV with tinted windows and at that moment, I realized I was almost trafficked. I'll never forget that poor girl because she was a victim too.
61points
#17
I was running late at night in a not so good neighbourhood in my home town in Finland (ie. Still relatively safe) when a car drove past me reeeeaally slowly. It drove on behind a bend in the road. I then noticed from the movement of the headlights that the car made an U-turn and started speeding towards me. I quickly hopped a fence onto someone's yard and looked through the cracks in the fence as the 2 guys in the car got out of the car and scanned the area for a while supposedly trying to find me.
58points
#18
Was at a bar with friends, and some dude kept staring at our table all night. Like, not just glancing, but full-on staring. After about an hour, I told my friends we needed to leave ASAP. They thought I was being paranoid but agreed. Found out later that same guy pulled a knife on someone else that night. Trust your gut when something feels off.
57points
#19
My friend got roofied by the bartender at a concert. She was acting very off and I saw the bartender come out to the crowd. Weird. I got creeped out so I took her into the bathroom and she was crying over the sink and the female worker came in saw us and told us we had to get out of there. so I had to drag us both out of there. When we got outside she was laying on the ground completely off crying which was so not like her. I told her we have to get out of here cuz we were alone outside and I had no idea what could happen next. She also lost her wallet which is weird.
54points
#20
Back in the 80s in Brussels, I was partying in a punk disco with my BF and friends. Suddenly I felt the urge to leave but my BF begged for us to stay half an hour more, as planned, since a friend would drive us back home. Told him hé could stay but I was leaving *right now* and taking a cab. Hé came with me, not happy at all.
Half an hour later, a b**b exploded on the street we would have drive bye if we had gone back with the friend.
A few years later, I overslept and miss a class. My mom called me in panic because there had been a b**b in a classroom in my university. If I had gone to class, I would have been walking by that one right on time for the explosion.
Half an hour later, a b**b exploded on the street we would have drive bye if we had gone back with the friend.
A few years later, I overslept and miss a class. My mom called me in panic because there had been a b**b in a classroom in my university. If I had gone to class, I would have been walking by that one right on time for the explosion.
54points