Have you ever followed a stranger?

Only on Twitter. Never the way you described.

Interesting question. Funny enough, I just did this a few weeks ago. There was a woman walking roughly in the same direction as me from the train station who caught my eye. I followed her for about 10 minutes, just curious to see where she was going.

But then I felt like a creep for stalking her and I went home.

The last stranger I followed was the one hanging around a bit to close to my car…

No, never. I have found people of interest, and would like to have followed them, to see if I could get to know them, but I chickened out.

I did actually follow a man out of the opera house—ran after him, weaving through the crowd on the stairs, and pursued him down the street until he stopped to converse with someone. Then I lurked nearby for a minute or two, trying to keep him in view without calling attention to myself. This was in November. I did it because he looked like he exactly fit a character in the novel I was writing, and I was trying to fix his appearance in my mind so I could describe him.

He didn’t seem to be aware of me at all, but my friend, whom I left behind when I gave chase, did look a bit perplexed when she caught up with me.

Okay, don’t judge me but when I was 16 I lived in a small town. I used to follow the funeral director around the town while I was supposed to be in school. He was a very stout large man with fingers that looked like bulging sausages. He was about 50 at the time and always looked like a penguin in his black suits. I don’t know why I was obsessed. I was a stranger to him, so I suppose I did follow a stranger. Often.

Oh absolutely. An old women asked me to help her carry home her bags, so I did.

I a bit embarrassed to say, I have. And I’d wager that anyone who hasn’t has thought about it at least once or twice in their lives.

Yep. I followed him for about a mile. I knew who he was- same age as me and lives down my street but I never introduced myself so I was going to catch up with him (he was walking alone and I was walking my dog) about 1/10 of a mile a girl joined him and then it became really awkward.. so I hung back.

I enjoy people watching a great deal, and have sometimes photographed intriguing people in crowds, sort of with the same curiosity that @Jeruba describes above.

One such experience happened last spring in Washington DC. It was a very lonely time in my life, and I was completely taken by the joy and beauty of a couple I ran across.

I followed them in the crowd for a couple of blocks until I was able to snap a quick shot of them.

I think that candid shots of strangers can be tricky overall, but somehow that one worked out. I was able to capture the synchronicity of their gait, and the woman’s poise and quiet confidence.

@jamielynn2328 Wow. You and @Jeruba ought to hook up. That’s a colorful story.

@Jeruba and @mcbealer‘s story prove that art justifies almost anything. ha

I wished I’d had the nerve to snap his photo on my cellphone. I’m proud to say that I’ve taught my son more social courage than I have. He would have gone up to the guy, started a friendly, nonthreatening conversation, and in due course asked permission to take his photo—and got it.

This is making me think of a book that I read a year or two ago. I woman ran a art gallery, and noticed a very attractive man, and began following him. Unbeknownst to her, a man noticed her, and was following her. The second man observes that the woman is following the first man, and ends up befriending him. The name of the book escapes me. The first man has the odd habit of dropping safety pins places.

I have followed some interesting people who intrigued me, but not far and not obtrusively. I doubt any of them ever noticed me following.

I love people watching and will often “follow” conversations or people while they’re in my field of view. If it’s not too obviously out of place or clearly rude I’ll take a shot or two if someone is particularly animated or doing something particularly interesting. I remember getting a shot of a kid “bathing” in a pool of ornamental stones at a zen temple, then a couple of two monks cajoling him out – I eventually caught up to the exceedingly embarrassed parents, showed them one of the pictures, and got their email address so I could send them copies :) If someone or a group is particularly dynamic I might tag along for a bit not more than a block or so, I don’t imagine, to see where they lead but usually once they start walking away I just wander off.

…

Although once in college I saw this beautiful woman that I hadn’t realized was on the bus until I got off, then chased the bus for maybe a half mile so I could ask her out, she said no of course, but also that it had to be the most energetic proposal she’d received in a long time :) that was good enough for me~

@PandoraBoxx It sounds like something Ian McEwan would write.

I think that I wouldn’t just follow for an hour – I’d definitely walk up and tell them I’m interested if need be.

@PapaLeo It may sound colorful, but it is true. My boyfriend at the time dug graves for him part time at night. One time my boyfriend’s parents and the funeral director were going to red lobster for dinner and I begged my boyfriend to weasel us into the plans. I was fascinated with the man. It was creepy. @Jeruba has an intriguing, almost romantically mysterious encounter. I wish I had some of those kinds of stories. But alas, my life is not intriguing, just flat out abnormal.

Love Creeps by Amanda Filipacchi YES! My memory is not entirely gone quite yet

When my hair has turned white, I’ll put it up in a bun, and people will think I’m harmless, just a harmless old lady—that’s if they even notice me at all. I’ll be invisible. Then I can go anywhere I want and do almost anything, and nobody will think a thing. I’ve been looking forward to that since I was about 28.

Yes. But people don’t seem to like it when I do that.

Ha! Probably at an improv party, by which I mean at some theater there was a party filled with folks who were taking different improv classes. There was a cute guy I didn’t know at the time who I “followed” around the room. Not so much physically, but I would look around every so often so I could see where he was. He ended up in one of my classes and it’s just as well we never hooked up.

As a young kid, fresh out of college and just starting my military career, I did this one time for a short jaunt. I used to take the train from Waukegan to Chicago all the time. This particular time I was alone and I noticed a girl. She was so .. attractive.. not just physically.. something about her demeanor .. that I wanted to strike up a conversation with her.

\I had trouble working up the nerve (being a simple country boy wandering around with city people) and ended up following her a little ways once we got off the train station. At one point, I stopped.. told myself to stop being such a pansy.. and I had finally worked up the nerve to talk to her. I went outside the way I’d seen her go and she had vanished.

…that drifter was never heard from again.

Back in the stone ages when I was a young girl of about 13, I followed a guy I would occassionally see when I would walk to my friends home. He would smile and say hi to me. So one day I followed him for a few blocks to see where he lived. That was as far as my courage would take me.

@Jeruba ~ I, too, long to have silver hair as well… I always tell my friends that I shall wear it in long pigtails and wear tons of silver/turquoisei jewelry

@loser – Oh, don’t be a sad orange! Smile and say “Hi!” to your quarry!

Can’t say I’ve ever intentionally followed a stranger. It makes me feel a bit odd to wonder if a stranger has ever followed me…

Not so much following but…

Once, at a party which involved a keg, I got in line to refill my cup. The line was about 5 people long, and I was at the end, standing behind some dude I didn’t know. Though the line wasn’t moving, I didn’t think much of it because the party was pretty crowded. The guy looked back at me and we exchanged a friendly “hey!” Finally after almost 10 minutes, and thinking it was getting pretty ridiculous, I looked around this guy to find that nobody was at the keg anymore and that I was just a creepy guy standing behind some random person for no reason. I’m sure the guy was probably wondering what was going on as well. In order to bow out gracefully, and not make him think I was a freak, I asked if he was in line for the keg. When he replied “No, go ahead!”, I laughed and said, something like “Oh, well now that’s pretty awkward that I was just standing behind you like that!” We both got a good laugh out of it. Oh, and yes, I was a bit drunk!

There is a certain perfume that mesmerizes me. On more than one occasion I have been walking down the street or through the mall and have a woman pass me going the other way, wearing Tabu. Without really thinking about it I have turned around and followed them just a short distance so I could smell that wonderful aroma a little longer.

One time, for just a few minutes, when I thought it was someone I knew. (It looked amazingly like said person from behind.) As soon as I figured out it wasn’t them, I left off. (I’m not sure this counts, since I didn’t think it was a stranger…)

@yankeetooter Could be someone in disguise. Maybe they’re in the Witness Protection Program and are living under an assumed ass.

Lol! @6rant6…