This woman’s story about ordinary situations becoming very, very scary went viral because it’s terrifying and a salutary lesson
16.
UPDATE 2: called the police, they were VERY helpful & said I’m in a great spot for rotating cars to sit outside as much as they can tomorrow. Going to see about taking my little one & spending the day at a friend’s house tomorrow just in case. Thank you to everyone for support.
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
17.
A final comment about this: when I was stuck on the steps with that dryer & he was saying that disgusting shit, I just wanted to escape. I was scared but was calculating how to get out of the situation. Later, as I typed up this story, my fear had given way to rage & disgust.
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
18.
And then tonight, when he came back, any fantasies I may have harbored earlier while I was typing this story about telling him to fuck off, leave me alone, etc – ALL of those disappeared immediately. I saw him and felt nothing but terror. This wasn’t a man who’d physically hurt
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
19.
me. He didn’t rape me. Never even touched n me, in fact. He just said gross shit as I struggled with a heavy appliance. Not that it was nothing, but in the grand scheme of things, my experience was nothing compared to the evil shit people do to each other every day. And yet what
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
20.
I felt when I saw him tonight was nothing short of terror. I will never, ever, be one of those movie heroines who seeks revenge and stands up for herself to teach the bad guy a lesson. I’m the girl who starts crying & shaking so badly she can’t say the words “that’s him” clearly
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
21.
And if I’m being honest, I’m ashamed of that. For all my marching and fist-waving and dreams about screaming at bastards like Kavenaugh in some restaurant one day, the truth is that in the moment, I crumbled. I cried when I typed this update & when I called the police.
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
22.
The rage that I felt earlier when I told this story hay not have been productive, but it felt good. I enjoyed thinking that this rage would protect & strengthen me if this ever happened again. But then when he showed up, that rage turned to mist. Nothing had changed in me. There
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
23.
was no newfound bravery or empowerment, no matter how much I wanted it to be so. And that’s ok. I know it is ok to be scared. But I could’ve lived without having my fantasy disproven so quickly. It was warm & made me feel good about myself, and I’ll miss it. So, attention you
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
24.
asshole from letgo. It wasn’t enough that you said those things & trapped me in my house & scared me & that my back is killing me now from holding that thing & moving it so fast. It wasn’t enough that I’d never felt scared on my house before you showed up here tonight. On top of
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
25.
all of that, you also took from me any hope that I would be one of those women who could turn fear to strength. I’m not one. But I would’ve liked to believe I was, & you took that from me, too. And damn it, fuck you for that, whoever you are. Just please, please don’t come back.
— SaraSuze (@tragedythyme) October 8, 2018
And this is what people were saying about it online.
This thread. Men, you're never allowed to get offended because a woman refuses to trust you. Our mistrust is our survival instinct. https://t.co/aZgzQPrc7z
— Amanda Weaver (@AWeaverWrites) October 8, 2018
Thread. For men. https://t.co/9HBT7oLHS7
— Samuel West (@exitthelemming) October 8, 2018
Remember one time getting off a bus late at night, and fellow passenger happened to be walking pretty much same route as my route home. Ended up having to detour quite a way, cause she was clearly terrified I was following her.
— Matt Leach (@nextcontext) October 8, 2018
Glad you’re safe, but that is some really creepy stuff.
— Kevin Phillips 🇨🇦🇩🇪 (@theReal_KPHILL) October 8, 2018
I’ve slowed down when I realised I was behind a lone woman more than once, in daylight even. Stop and take my phone out to look at it for a few seconds, etc. Changing routes is sometimes really impractical but I hope I did right at least increasing the distance between us.
— Max Worrall (@MaxWorrall) October 8, 2018
This is super important.
This makes it hard for me to have a repair man over when I’m alone. This makes me request female masseuses. This makes me cross to the other side of the street if someone’s behind me & lie about someone else being home when something is delivered. https://t.co/DDweS6wWKE
— Sarah Spain (@SarahSpain) October 8, 2018
Men need to read this. Yes, all men. https://t.co/1YNwGZpULP
— Chuck Wendig (@ChuckWendig) October 8, 2018
