“What Is The Most Terrifying Thing To Happen To You In A Well-Lit And Populated Place?”: 30 People Tell Some Terrifying Stories

I'm not sure it was the most terrifying thing that happened to me, but it was the most terrifying thing that happened to me at that point in my life.

I was about 11, in Cape Town - South Africa, visiting family.

My parents were walking in front of me, and I was walking with my little cousin directly behind them. We were in a shopping mall (Tyger Valley Center for any South Africans out there).

Anyway, I think my parents had stopped to get some money out of an ATM, and my and my cousin were just being silly, as you do at that age.

This guy, maybe in his mid-20s sat across from us on a bench, pointed at us, then my parents, and then dragged his finger along his neck. He then pulled open his jacket, and pulled a gun out of a pocket.

I don't know if that was a real gun, and I didn't care to find out. I told my parents immediately, and we kind of circulated the security personnel before eventually leaving.

Was a bit of an uncomfortable situation.

I was 18 or 19 and picking up a prescription at the pharmacy. While I was waiting in line, a man (who I guess was waiting in line as well) started taking pictures of my feet with his cell phone. He wasn't even trying to be subtle, just kind of bent over and aimed his phone at my feet. I moved a few feet away and he just followed me. The pharmacist saw the whole thing and mouthed "do you know him?" I shook my head with my eyes wide, grabbed my prescription and bolted away from the counter. I hid in the store until I saw him leave and drive off because I was afraid he might follow me.

Maybe not terrifying, but definitely unnerving and creepy. Still creeps me out thinking about it.

I was alone at the park and I was either 5 or 6 and these girls in grade 8 (there was 3 of them) started yelling at me to get off a swing I was sitting on. Apparently it was 'their swing'. I just sat there and stared at the sand cause I was terrified until one of the girls walked behind me and then violently pushed me off the swing. Then they proceeded to kick me, throw sand at me, and shove my face in the sand till I couldn't see and barely breathe. Then they took of my shoes and threw them in a tall tree. They were those Mary Jane shoes (Powerpuff girls wore them) and my mother had just bought them for me 2 days ago.
I walked home bare foot crying and not one person did anything. The park I was at was surrounded by apartment buildings. I'm sure somebody saw. I never felt so helpless in my life.

I'm a 20-something lady. I was heading home from the gym (tired) dressed elegantly (on my way from work) along a large, well-lit street. About a block from my house, a man first tried to catch my attention and then to grab me and pull towards the bushes on one side of the sidewalk, having already partly removed his pants.

I screamed bloody murder and ran home. After calling the police and describing the attacker, they asked what I was wearing. I was going to get mad, but it turned out he matched the description of a local pedophile suspect that preys on young girls form the nearby school. I was wearing a rather girly navy blue skirt with a white shirt that day.

He was never arrested.

Seeing the guy who raped me stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart. I walked into an aisle and there he was. This feeling of dread washed over me. This guy looked familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then it hit me. I knew and I froze. It had been seven years and he looked so different now. Next thing I remember is sitting in my car shaking and trying to get the keys into the ignition.

Edit: I would like to say thank you to all the people who had such kind words to say. And to the people with similar stories- I'm sorry. I know that it's hell. People keep asking why I didn't report him. I wanted to but when I seeked support from my friends I received nothing of the sort. Instead I was told that it was my fault. I went to his house willingly so I had to have known that he wanted sex. One friend even made a comment about him being cute. These were my best friends. If they didn't support me, how could I depend on strangers? I rationalized in my head somehow. He wanted me *that bad*. When I hear stories of people getting attacked and raped while walking home, I feel like my rape was so mild compared to that. I know that it's an unhealthy thought process but I still don't want to believe that it happened to me. I stopped thinking about it until I seen him that day.

An addict wanted money from me down town, but I literally had nothing but my clothes on me. So I said sorry man, all out.

Dude lumbers towards me slowly, pushes me over, and stab me in the thigh with a Swiss Army knife.

I booked it to the hospital for stitches. Didn't hurt until I actually looked at it. Adrenaline didn't stop pumping for a very long time.

Edit: Lot of people asking "why didn't you run if he was lumbering towards you?"

A: I was 13, he was a full grown adult, I had a bad haircut, he pulled a knife on me, I froze in fear.

Fistula rupture of a patient in my hospital. Blood everywhere. Blood on the floor, ceiling, workers, and everywhere else you can imagine. Splurging everywhere. Doctors and nurses worked on her for 45 minutes, but nothing they could do to save her. It looked like someone had been slashed open with a sword in the room, and the worst part is that her 3 kids were there to see it.

Almost drowned as a 6 year old in a populated adult pool. I was floundering for what felt like a minute, quickly loosing breath and swallowing water. No around me heard my gargled cries. No one helped. Thank god my mother pulled me out before it was too late.

And that's how i developed my fear of water.

Junior high, first year. 85 Ib loner book gal. Get followed by much larger (150Ib+) boy, boy kicks legs out from under me, I pick up books walk on, boy shoves me face forward, I get to my feet and continue. Boy is enraged by my lack of resistance. Punches me between back of head and neck. Everything flies, saw neat colors. Stumble and struggle to pick up papers, books etc. There were at least fifteen or twenty kids watching this unfold, no one helped. No one said a word. I was lucky that I wasn't knocked out or hurt worse. But I lost a lot of faith in humanity that day. Now? Still lose hope in people, but work as tech in ER and there's always, AT LEAST one thing that makes your heart melt and feel like life's more than worth it, everyone's lives are worth it. Trouble is you can't be scared to intervene when needed.

My dog and I are stopped at a crosswalk and he barks and scares this woman. As soon as he barked the walk dude came up to cross but the lady started yelling about my needing to control my dog and she pulled out a taser. I'm just trying to get across the street and she starts making even a bigger scene saying how she's going to shock me. My dog is barking at the crazy lady we are standing in the street now, at a busy intersection and I thought to my self I'm about to get tased in front of all these people.