# What to Do If You’re Being Followed



## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

Brett and Kate McKay | October 6, 2017
Manly Skills, Tactical Skills
What to Do If You're Being Followed

You arrive at your favorite coffee shop in the 'burbs and notice a guy in a green baseball cap standing behind you. You give him a friendly nod and go back to looking at the menu.

While you're taking a bite from your Arby's roast beef sandwich during your lunch break downtown, you notice that same guy in the green ball cap at a table outside. "Huh. Small world. What a coincidence," you think to yourself.

Work is over, and you roll up to the gym to get your sweat on. While you're walking to the entrance, you glance over and see Mr. Green Baseball Hat sitting in a car in the parking lot.

You get the sinking feeling that this third spotting isn't a coincidence and that maybe this guy is following you.

What do you do?

Why Would Someone Follow You?

Unless you're a criminal or suspect in some crime, you probably think you don't have to worry about being followed.

But even if you're a law-abiding citizen, there's a chance you could be followed at some point in your life by people who'd like to do you harm: an angry employee that you had to fire; a crazy ex; friends and family of said crazy ex; an unstable person you unintentionally offended at church; a weirdo you met once at a party who is now obsessed with you; the guy you accidentally cut off in traffic three miles back; a thief who's decided you're a good mark. The list goes on.

There's also a chance you might be followed by a private investigator due to a divorce, custody battle, or other litigation you're involved in. If that's the case, you want to provide as little information to the PI as possible to avoid inadvertently giving your legal opponent fodder that somehow helps their case.

The chances of these kinds of people following you are slim. But if you do find yourself in this situation, it's good to have a plan on what to do.

An Ounce of Prevention Is Worth a Pound of Cure: How to Be Less Followable

If you don't want someone following you, the best thing to do is to make yourself less "followable" in the first place. Stalkers, PIs, or people who want to do you harm count on the fact that you have a set routine that they can easily follow along with. You subtract that advantage, and make yourself less of an easy target, by making your schedule less predictable. If you can, mix up how you get to work throughout the week. Don't go to the same places on the same days and at the same times.

Also, don't broadcast your whereabouts on social media. Turn off location services that indicate where you're posting from. Would-be stalkers will check this info so they can pinpoint your movements.

How Do You Know If Someone is Following You?

You'd be surprised how easy it is to tail someone without them knowing, as most people aren't paying attention to their surroundings. So the first step to figuring out if you're being followed is to start keying in on what's going on around you. Maintain situational awareness while you're out and about and establish baselines. What's normal for the situation or environment you're in?

Once you've established baselines, pay attention to possible anomalies. Is someone looking at you more than is normal and making an unusual amount of eye contact? Does a car you don't recognize keep driving by your house? Has someone been showing up to your favorite coffee shop who doesn't fit the typical crowd? These are anomalies and should put you on the alert that someone might be following you.

One anomaly to register is seeing the same person, in three different places. Ex-CIA officer Jason Hanson gives this rule of thumb used in the intelligence community:

One time=an accident

Two times=a coincidence

Three times=enemy action

In addition to noting anomalies, pay attention to your gut feelings. You'll often intuitively know when something is wrong.

Then, if you experience those uncomfortable feelings, try to confirm them. How you do so will differ as to whether you're in a car or on foot.

In a Car

If you suspect someone is tailing you in a car, you can confirm it by doing the following:

1. If you're on city streets, make four right turns. If the car is still behind you after the fourth turn, they're probably following you. Most people don't travel in circles around city blocks.

2. If you're on the freeway, get off and then immediately get back on. If you can still see the car in your review mirror, you're probably being followed. Just as most people don't travel in circles on city streets, most people don't get off and then right back on a freeway.

You can also get over to the right lane of the highway, and slow down to 15 miles or so below the speed limit. All the cars behind you will soon pass by. If the one you've had your eye on doesn't, it's almost assuredly following you.

On Foot

1. Mix up your routine. If you've got a daily routine, you likely see the same people at the same time at the same places. For example, if you go to the gym every day at 6 PM, you're probably going to see the same people there. Thus, it's hard to tell if someone you always see some place is following you, or just has a similar routine to yours.

So if you suspect someone has been following you, you can further confirm it by mixing up your routine. Instead of going to the coffee shop at 7 AM like you usually do, go to a convenience store. If you see your potential pursuant at the convenience store too, there's a good chance they're following you. You can increase your certainty of being followed by going to different places at different times. If you see the same person no matter the time and no matter the place, you can be pretty sure they're following you.

2. Mix up your walking pace. If someone is tracking you, he'll likely match your walking pace. If you speed up, he'll speed up. If you slow down, he'll slow down. If you pause, he'll pause. So mix up your pace and observe how your suspected stalker responds. If he matches your pace, there's a good chance he's following you.

3. Pause and turn. Hanson suggests this effective tactic for determining if someone is following you:

"While you are walking, simply pause, turn around, and pretend to do something - like check your phone, tie a shoe, or turn around as if you were looking for someone. Then look directly at the person you think is following you. Your typical amateur who is following you is going to get flustered and give herself away. She's likely to freeze or act unnatural because you have caught her by surprise. In other words, someone who is following you will not exhibit the same natural behavior as someone who is simply walking down the street."

4. Change direction. As you're walking, stop and turn around 180 degrees and start walking towards the person you suspect is following you (only do this in a public and crowded space). If your suspected stalker also flips around and starts walking behind you again, you can confirm that you're being tailed.

What to Do If Someone Is Following You

So you've confirmed that you're being followed. Now what? If possible, you want to avoid a confrontation, which all self-defense experts agree is better than needlessly getting into a violent encounter.

To do this, follow these two general rules, as well as guidelines that pertain specifically to whether you're driving or on foot.

Rule #1: Don't go home. Whether you're walking or driving, don't go to your house. It's natural to want to get home and lock the doors, but if your tail doesn't know where you live, you don't want to reveal that information by taking him there.

Rule #2: Stay in public, well-lit, and well-populated areas. Don't go anywhere that will put you by yourself with your pursuant. If you're in your car, stay on main roads that are well-lit and don't go down country roads or secluded streets. If you're on foot, stay in public areas where there are lots of people. You don't want to go down isolated alleyways where you can be cornered. If someone seems to be following you in a store, you also don't want to go out to your car; the stalker could ambush you in the parking lot or follow you home.

In a Car

Gather info. If you've confirmed you're being followed in your car, start getting information on the tailing vehicle to potentially look into yourself or pass along to the police. Get the vehicle's make and model. And if you can score the license plate number, even better.

Call the police. If you feel threatened, call the police to let them know what's going on. Or simply drive to your local police precinct, and tell them you believe you're being followed. Give an officer the information on the car that's following you and let them take it from there.

Use well-trafficked roads with lots of stoplights and stop signs. Your pursuant might get stuck at a light or behind more traffic, giving you the chance to shake him off.

Be ready for evasive maneuvering. While on the roads and at stoplights, maintain enough distance between you and the car in front of you that you can make an escape maneuver if needed. If you can see the tires of the car in front of you, you're good.

Only return home once you feel sure you're no longer being followed by your tail.

On Foot

Call the police. If you believe you're being followed on foot by someone with ill intentions, call the police and give them a description of your pursuant. Keep the police on the phone for as long as possible. If your pursuant is nearby, talk loudly so he or she can hear what you're saying. If there's a police precinct nearby, go to it.

Use public transportation to shake your tail. If you know the public transportation departure times, you can hop on a bus or subway at the very last minute to lose whoever's following you.

Acknowledge your follower. One tactic Hanson recommends using in public areas is to simply let your follower know that you know they're following you. Turn around and look right at them. If you're feeling brave, ask "Can I help you?" Or "What do you want?"

Most bad guys are criminals of opportunity. They'll only go after you if they think you're a "soft target" - that they have some sort of tactical advantage over you. Following you without you knowing is one such advantage. By acknowledging their presence, you take it away. Once they realize you're alert to their tail and they've been spotted, they'll often get flustered and immediately disengage. You'd be surprised how often a show of assertiveness will cause a would-be criminal to back down (at least if their behavior is of the social aggression rather than asocial type; if the latter, you should be prepared to fight back).

Again, you generally only want to use this tactic if you're in a well-lit and well-populated area, in case the stalker advances instead of retreats. You want witnesses.

But What If I'm On the Lam, Jason Bourne Style?

If for some reason you find yourself in an international, high-stakes espionage manhunt like Jason Bourne, the tactics above aren't going to work. In fact, you're pretty much hosed. First, it's going to be very difficult to even determine that you're being followed. Highly skilled, professional trackers will use teams of people to co-ordinate surveillance on you. Instead of a single person following you everywhere you go, they'll throw you off by having one person follow you in one area and another person follow you when you arrive somewhere else. They can even swap those people out to avoid you getting suspicious.

Even if you do figure out you're being followed, because professional investigators work as a team, it's hard to shake them. You might be able to delay their finding you, but they'll almost assuredly get you in the end.

Long story short: try not to get into a Jason Bourne-style manhunt.

But if you're being pursued by a more garden-variety stalker, the tips above will help.

Paranoid Link here:
What to Do If You're Being Followed | The Art of Manliness


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## A Watchman (Sep 14, 2015)

Happened once, I maneuvered so that he was forced to slowly pass me .... then I pulled in behind him and followed him for a while. Never happened again.


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## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

That advice seems to be aimed at women or wussies. If someone is following me on foot, and I'm sure of it, then that is a threatening and aggressive act, and I will defend myself. I'm going to walk right up to the guy and tell him what's going to happen to him if I see him again. I'm not normally a violent person, but I can be.


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## dwight55 (Nov 9, 2012)

Happened once to me, . . . back when I owned an Olds 442 convertible, . . . 

Long story, . . . short version, . . . the only possible way he could have been going the same route I was going (once I figured out I was being tailed), . . . is that he was tailing me.

His vehicle couldn't keep up once I did the obvious, . . . almost high speed, . . . U turn and headed back the other way, . . . couple left/right, . . . left/right back alley turns, . . . 

Went home and got the artillery out, . . . just in case. Never saw him again, . . . never figured out why.

May God bless,
Dwight


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## Knotacare (Sep 21, 2016)

I have classic cars & I have been followed a number of times even buy LEO's and sometimes pulled over so they can look the car over. Never worried about it and will continue . I don't believe anyone wants to follow me.... got to many other things to worry about unless SHTF then it's a new ball game. I have been confronted a few people on my early morning walks, but the red or green laser flashing on the sidewalk depending on what gun I'm carrying gets there attention very quickly and they move in the opposite direction almost immediately.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

First off, it might not be "you" the person, but "you" the guy who opened his wallet at the iHop and showed a bunch of twenties.

You have a cell phone, take his picture and if you get the chance, his license plate number. For some reason, even seemingly brave guys know that pictures proves they were at a particular time and place.

And all of us have concealed guns. My paranoia level on strangers dropped to near zero when I got my CCW license six years ago. I do believe that an armed society is a polite society.


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## Back Pack Hack (Sep 15, 2016)

What about : Stop. Turn around. Face your stalker square in the eye, smile and kindly ask, "May I help you with something?"


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## Chipper (Dec 22, 2012)

IMHO it's a threat. So in a SHTF scenario it's an automatic Bang Flop.

Now, pre SHTF, the threat may just get a warning, MAYBE. All depends on what happens when I confront the idiot.


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## jim-henscheli (May 4, 2015)

I just start arguing with myself loudly..


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## RJAMES (Dec 23, 2016)

I was delivering Pizzas back in high school went by a bar where a guy was ramming his car into everything in the parking lot next thing I know he is behind me and when I take an immediate turn he follows I keep making a series of quick rights then lefts then more lefts and he just will not stop . I drive by a gas station - the kind you only see in the movies now it had a two bay garage attached with doors on both sides so you could drive thru. I drive by hawking and flashing lights but keep going as the guy chases me thru a couple more turns. My Toyoto pickup is never going to out run this guy it has been at least 10 minutes with no let up. I pass by the station again and they are outside yelling police on the way. Few more turns and I head back towards the station as I figure the police will be coming there . When I get to the gas station and see they got one of the doors open and are outside with a shot gun . 

I make anther series of turns so I am coming back to the station and pull into the garage as they shut the doors the guy is far enough behind he either did not see or wanted no part of the shot gun or was now concerned about the police starting to chase him. The guys had called the police the first time I went by . 

Never did hear what set this guy off . The boss was pissed as I had missed delivery and took forever to get back. Not until the police called to get a statement did he believe I had spent 20 minutes trying to get away from a crazy guy. 

Looking back at it I think staying in a small area were I knew the streets, making noise / flashing lights to get folks to call police was helpful. This was before cell phones. His car was just too fast for what I as driving to get away. The streets thankfully were empty as it was just after midnight so no one else got hurt but no way I could loose him in traffic. Turns out the guys at the station were working on their car and they had been closed for hours. 

Never been followed on foot that I know of but learned to keep from flashing money and to stop and look back when walking back home from bars . Have fun but do not get wasted do not make yourself a target .


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## Urinal Cake (Oct 19, 2013)

sideKahr said:


> That advice seems to be aimed at women or wussies.


Well we have a few Wussies here, I see...


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I always check my six, when walking or driving, take note of what is behind.

Had on a summers night two guys follow me over 18 miles, over many different roads.

I had left them a bit behind me and pulled into a spot. when they pulled up along side , at a crouch,

I snuck up to the drivers window and put a Mod 19 .357 Mag. to the drivers temple,

and told him to put his hands on the wheel, and said, take them off and you both die.

Wanted to know why he was following me, he wanted to kick my ass for stealing his girlfriend!

Wrong guy!!! I was dating another girl who lived in the same building and who looked similar.

He was all sorts of apologetic, I told him if he got behind me again, 

I would kill him and whoever was with him outright, no talking.

There is no legitimate reason to follow me, none, I won't put up with it.

I have put many in prison who would like to get even with me today, 

most are out of prison now and I have had threatening phone calls but no action yet.

I always have a gun on me even going out in the yard, I trust no one, anywhere.


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## Jammer Six (Jun 2, 2017)

I've never worried about it, and never will worry about it.


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## The Tourist (Jun 9, 2016)

Jammer Six said:


> I've never worried about it, and never will worry about it.


Sadly, I'm beginning to feel the same way.

The Chinese said that if you sit by a river long enough, all your enemies float by. I've passed that stage in my life long ago, now it's my friends that float by.

Because of my mentors, I automatically and unconsciously use "hyper-vigilance" as I walk into any new environment. I deflect such actions as "situational awareness." I even have my own table at the coffee bar--I told the manager, a very sweet and dedicated woman--that I can see all three exits and sit with my back to the wall. Then I sit quietly and relaxed and read my book and drink _over-priced, substandard coffee_.

This is a joke between us since her café permits CCW, and most Starbucks do not.

The reason I agree with you, Jammer Six, is the world is full of creeps and easy riders. If I had to watch and document every one of them I'd never get any reading done and my coffee would get cold...


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

Jammer Six said:


> I've never worried about it, and never will worry about it.


Your a liberal. All of the thugs are on your side. Until the food runs out that is.


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## Smitty901 (Nov 16, 2012)

Touch something metal to ground the current from the tin foil hat. If after that you still think you are being followed move to a place where others are. Do not move to isolated places.


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## MaterielGeneral (Jan 27, 2015)

SOCOM42 said:


> I told him if he got behind me again, *I would kill him* and whoever was with him outright, no talking.
> 
> I have put many in *prison who would like to get even with me today*, most are out of prison now and I have had threatening phone calls but no action yet.


LOL, did you smell a fecal odor when you told him you would kill him? He had to have crapped his pants.

I have mentioned before I used to be a correction officer and a member on the Emergency Response Team (ERT). After I left the prison for active duty national guard (AGR). My first supply room was South of Detroit. A female soldier friend and I went to a really big mall on the South side. She doing what females do best was looking at clothing. I saw a group of black males and females. There were around 4 guys. One of them looked really familiar and he looked at me and had the look of I know you but don't know how. After a couple of minutes I realized he was one of the gang members from the prison that I have done use of force on him many times. Either cell extraction or out right fight.

His look soon transferred to a look of anger and a scowl. He then started to whisper to his male friends. I told my friend we had to leave, now! She was like why. I repeated it and again she said why. finally I am like we need to leave right F'ing now and gently grabbed her arm and we started to walk out.

I then explained myself and the history and she did not think much of it. Turned out later she was into thugs or should I say it in reverse, LOL. I had to keep checking my six on the way out and I put my phone on 911 but did not hit enter. Ran into another prisoner that I always got along with in Monroe, MI. That was no biggy. I mean awareness was up but I was not on red.

Before I left the prison it was a wintertime home guard drill weekend and another C/O that I worked with and was in the same guard unit with and other guardsman buddies went to the local club. As we were leaving we ran into one of the ex inmates. It was actually funny. That turd had about 4 hot chicks with him. We talked for a bit and then he had to leave to have fun. You would be amazed at the hot chicks that come to visitation.

My last story is at the same local club. It was guard weekend, same buddies plus some invited correction officer buddies and I were partying and then there was a group and our group started to go nose to nose. My buddy and I were talking to one of the other guys and he just got out of prison and some of his other buddies are ex-cons and then the rest were just regular assholes. After we told him we were ERT and and bunch of guardsman on drill weekend his eyes about freaked. He hurried up and started to talk to his friends and they left. It was funny you had to be there.

Disclaimer: Assholes are everywhere 
and 
the only difference between you and me is that you didn't get caught and I did.

If you are not familiar with the second comment its a criminal justice saying and its true.


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## SOCOM42 (Nov 9, 2012)

I should add, I do not worry about it, ever, what ever happens, happens.

I am not paranoid, just practice security as an everyday thing, I do not operate out of fear.

I have survived many violent encounters over my life, I feel I live on borrowed time from everyone of them.

If I would worry, it would be more over some asshole with his/her/its face buried in an I phone while doing 50 MPH.

Watched a guy yesterday, in front of me in a Toyota truck, holding his phone up and to the right, dialing, while doing 60.

Drifted right off the road and down into a drainage ditch, saw pieces parting company from the underneath.

My thought was as I drove by, ASSHOLE! 

That is right, I just drove off, who cares, have played good Samaritan far too many times in the past, today I don't give a shit.

Same road two years ago, girl just graduated from HS, was alone driving her graduation present.

As she was taking a selfie, she hit a tree at 70 MPH, received a Darwin Award first class, they put the parts in a plastic bag.


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## Daddy O (Jan 20, 2014)

I've been doing it all wrong. If I thought I was being followed I'd try to lead them somewhere devoid of witnesses. I wipe down all my rounds before loading them so they don't have pesky fingerprints all over them.


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## 1skrewsloose (Jun 3, 2013)

Good answer, just use a wheel gun and not worry. I thought everyone had throwaways. These days and times should be required.


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## preppermyA (Aug 19, 2017)

If I'm in my truck, I'll just let them get real close and slam on the brakes. With that big-ass hitch ball mount, they'll be put out of commission.
In fact, I did have a guy rear-end me in a little Ford Ranger years ago. I had some paint on the ball mount. He had to be towed.


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## Steven (Oct 30, 2017)

Yea, If I noticed I was being followed on foot I would probably just keep going in circles until they stopped and left, if I saw then 15 min. later I'd repeat. That or I would stop at a coffee shop, get a cup of coffee and stare at them. It depends on the mood I'm in if I feel more confrontational or not. If they are following you late at night stop off at a urban place like a gas station that is well lit and may have security cameras.


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## redhawk (May 7, 2014)

I have had this happen to me twice, once years ago with some drunks tailgating me one night. I pulled into the parking lot of a store and went in where it was pretty busy, they finally left and have never seen them again. The second time was my wifes ex stalking me and threatening me over the phone...he pulled in behind me going down the road after picking her up from work one day and I just drove to the police station, needless to say he did not follow me in. I ended up taking him to court and got a restraining order. On an ironic note...he passed away the day after the restraining order expired from a massive stroke.


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## NotTooProudToHide (Nov 3, 2013)

Couple things here. Most of the time when somebody thinks somebody else is following them its a case of paranoia. Usually they are on a popular street that goes to popular areas and the follower is simply taking the short cut to Walmart just like your are. However there is always an exception to the rule so it pays to be safe. 

If your on foot you need to go to a well lit public area where there are other people. An example would be a 24 hour gas station or store. Contact the police on your cellphone if you have one or the store phone if you don't. Give your location, the location of the person following you to the best of your knowledge, a accurate description of the person following you (most importantly gender, race, and clothing). Stay at this safe location until law enforcement arrives, at the worst they will escort you to an area where you feel safe and ensure nobody follows you there.

If your in a vehicle then start driving towards the nearest police station and go ahead and call them if you have a cell phone. Give your vehicle description, a description of the vehicle following you and the vehicle occupants if possible. If you know the way let them know which route your going to take to get to the police station. Again the police will intercede and make sure you get where your going safely.

I'm a CCW permit holder and always carry and these are the courses of action I would take. I wouldn't directly confront the person unless there absolutely no choice and that would be after a 911 call had been made. That way if I had to defend myself there is a record that I attempted to call for help and that would reinforce the case that I feared for my life.


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