A female secondary school student has expressed concern that a man in her neighbourhood might be following her as she walks home from school each day. Writing on Reddit, the student shared:
“So basically, I walk home everyday from the same route. Over the past few, around 2 years, there’s this guy, he looks like he’s in his 20/30s, who was always sitting at the HDB flat ledge with his phone and earpieces in. He doesn’t seem to have a job either, because he’s sitting there EVERY DAY.”
Revealing that a teacher made an announcement last year about this man and warned pupils to be careful, the student wrote that she continued taking her usual route home since she did not believe the concerns of her classmates.
It was only this week that the student realised a teacher made an announcement about the same man she sees on her route and became worried. She decided to change her route home but the new route intersects with the old route at the halfway point.
The student wrote: “It’s been a week, I was walking home on the new route today and I SAW HIM AGAIN. And god was I scared to death. I quickly took a second detour and got home safely. The scary part is that he was walking around an area which was really close to my house.”
She added: “I’m planning to tell my teacher tomorrow. I haven’t told my parents and I’m not planning to. What would you guys do in this situation? I need some advice right now.”
Netizens urged the girl to inform her parents and her teacher as soon as possible. One netizen advised: “Definitely tell your parents and teachers immediately. Also, give a call to your local police station at the non-emergency hotline – they will send more patrols to your area. Here is the list. Hopefully this will scare the guy away.”
Another netizen gave similar advice. Especially urging the girl to seek help from her parents, the netizen wrote:
“If it is happening very near your school and a few schoolmates are targeted, you should inform your school. Find a reliable teacher that would help follow up. Schools have a point of contact with the police and the police may assess the situation to be enough to do a stake out or simply observe the situation.
“Also, inform your RC or neighbourhood watch, if there is one. Do not under estimate the willingness of your residents in organising additional patrols or planning patrols during the key hours to help keep the neighborhood safe.
“If he follows you, go to a place with CCTV (but not the lift because dead end). E.g. supermarket etc. Get his face captured under surveillance would help, if he takes a step further.
“Also, I’m a father and would be miserable if my child hide something that would compromise her safety from me. Tell your parents. But assure them you are taking steps to handle the situation.”
The student, who said that she does not plan on telling her parents “because i don’t want them to worry that much” and that she will immediately inform them if she sees the man again, later updated her post.
Revealing that she has decided not to do anything just yet, she wrote: “Thank you for your concerns and advice, I will follow them closely. I’ve decided not to do anything just yet, because I do actually think I’m being paranoid, but better safe than sorry.
“I will keep observing my surroundings to see if he’s trying to follow me. Thank you for taking your time to reply and give me advice, I really appreciate it.”
