Keystonecops

A tricky post to write but bear with me please as I’ve been asked by the lovely WPC I just spoke to at West Mercia police to post in an effort to keep other people safe. I’m a big fan of walking and one of my favourite places to walk in my home town of Shrewsbury, is the Quarry Park. It’s beautiful all year round. The River Severn edges the park and the footpaths are wide which leaves lots of room for families, runners, walkers like me & cyclists. There are lots of bridges crossing the river and you can walk from one end of the town centre to the other which is what I did today. It’s incredibly misty here today as yesterday (photo I took yesterday below) so as you walk on days like today, you get enveloped by the mist. I walked past the St Julian’s Friars car park and noticed a guy walking from his parked car towards me headed into the park behind me. As I turned back to the path ahead I was turning into an empty space by the monument and I noticed a cycle tyre level with my right leg and incredibly close to me. I thought the cyclist was a bit close but also expected it to pass me. But it didn’t, it stayed level which made me stop and look up. Very close to my face was the face of a man on the bike. I stopped because he was looming over me. He said “Excuse me Lady”. I felt incredibly unsafe. I felt scared. He had something in his eyes, which frightened me. I thought about the other guy, the guy walking into the park behind me and so I turned around. I walked up to the guy who was behind me walking out of the car park and said really loudly “Oh god I thought it was you I haven’t seen you for years how are you?” Then I dropped my voice and said “I’m so sorry I know you don’t know me but that guy on the bike is really creepy.” and then I burst into tears. The nice guy checked I was ok, patted me on the shoulder and as cyclist guy was gone I carried on walking. I was so angry. Angry that I was just walking. Angry that the cyclist had invaded my personal space and angry that he’d made me feel afraid. He didn’t touch me he didn’t have to, he was just too close and scaring me. I have no idea what his intention was but his demeanour was one that as a woman in my late fifties still made me feel the fear that all women & girls learn to recognise. Anyway. My reason for posting is to alert people. I don’t want pity or sympathy. This isn’t the point. The point I suppose is to say if you can be the type of man who scares women walking alone, or the type of man who helps in that moment, be the latter. Nik xx