Last night on my way to work I had a horrible encounter with some hideous guys.One of the places I work is 50 miles from my house,so I often take back, country roads, to make better time. About 10:30pm, my car started missing, and eventually died, pretty much in the middle of nowhere,at a 4 way stop. A man stopped and asked if I needed a phone, I said "yes, do you have one?", he said "no, but my house isn't too far", so I asked if he would call my husband for me,and tell him I was stranded and where. He said okay, but keep your doors locked, I said I would, and would not leave my car. I was afraid to go with him, because you just never know about people.{compounding my unease, last week when my s/o was out of town, for some STUPID reason, I was looking at some gruesome photos of horrid murders,on the net,and they were quite unsettling]. So the man left,I knew it would take my husband at least 40 minuets to get to where I was. Well, a few minuets later, an old, loud, truck pulled up and a guy got out and asked if my car had died, I said yes, and he said he would push my car off of the road,{I was already pretty much to the side of the road}, so he pushes my car further off the road, for some reason this guy scared me, although at that time he hadn't done anything alarming,maybe instinct, I don't know, so he pushes my car like 2 feet,then says "do you have some money, like 5 bucks",I did have money, but my windows are electric,and wouldn't open, so I would have had to open my door to give him some money, and he scared me so I said,"I'm sorry, but I don't have any money with me, I'm on my way to work". He got unbelievably angry, and started beating on my car and calling me names, "you fucking bitch"-------etc. etc. Another guy got out of the truck, and I could hear them talking loudly about what they ought to do to me, "the fucking bitch", after they hit my car a few more times, they finally said,"we're coming back for you bitch", and got in their loud truck and roared away. I was terrified, so I decided I would duck down in my car and wait for my husband, then realizing that this wasn't a good plan, because they would easily see me "ducking" down in my car,if they did come back, decided I needed a better plan.I may be small, but I am not a cowardly person by nature, but was trulely terrified of these assholes, they were so inappropriately angry,[ I had been by no means rude],so I figured they were high on something, and truley meant me harm,[and those hideous photos keep flashing through my mind]. There was a store cat-a-corner across from me, it was closed, but some lights were on, so I was hoping there might be an employee in there closing. So I waited till there was no traffic, and made a mad dash across the street, and pounded on the door, but there was no one in there.I was so scared, so I decided I would hide in the woods, feeling this was a much better choice than being a sitting duck, if these assholes decided to come back. I was truley thinking that they had probably worked themselves into a frenzy by now with their anger, and felt I would rather be attacked by a bear or other wild animal,than be at these guys mercy. So I went behind the store, to get the lay of the land, and formulate a plan. I decided that I wasn't going down without a fight,so took stock of what weapons I had at hand, not much, but my hospt. scissors and my hemostat. There are no rocks in southern Lousiana, its all detrial sediment, but I found a big chunck of concrete.I had on a dress uniform, pantyhose and clogs, not the best attire for hiding and running in the woods. I was ashamed of myself, because while I was scoping out my territory, I startled 2 sleeping cats, and actually screamed when they jumped out. I was trying to be quiet, in case these guys were back, so they wouldn't be able to find me, so I guess it just goes to show that we do not always act rationally under duress. I took off my glassses, so they wouldn't be able to see a reflection if light hit me, and am a compulsive smoker, but was afraid to light a cigg in case they saw the ember glowing[God, I never wanted a cigg so bad in my life] So I put my big chunk of concrete where I could grab it, my plan was to throw it through the store window and pray it would trigger an alarm if these guys came back. I headed into the woods, and felt soooo much safer,[I'm outdoorsy], I was cold and wet and getting pretty muddy, but at least felt temporarily safer. I stayed in the woods 45 minuets, and kept going to the edge of the woods every 10 minuets to see if my husband had come. At one point I heard a loud vehicle, and went much deeper into the woods, and was hoping they were to messed up to track me,[ I'm sure I left a pretty evident trail],[ hunting is pretty common here, so I was afraid they might come after me].I was praying that the first man had really called my husband, and wondering what I would do if he hadn't, and knew I would have to stay in the woods overnight.Which I still felt was a safer option. Well after about 45 minuets, on one of my 10 minuets checks, I THANKFULLY saw police lights , and came running out of the woods yelling "Here I am". Apparently, the first man had called my husband, then got his wife and daughter and come back to stay with me untill my husband got there, when he got back, and I was gone he called the police, fearing the worst. I have NEVER been so glad to see the police.I was shaking terribly, and tried to babble what had happened, and said I desparetly needed a cigg,cause I had been afraid to light up in the woods, and one of the cops smoked one with me.The police told me I had handled the situation very well, and wished more women would think rationally in these types of situations. I did not feel rational, I WAS SCARED. Finally, my husband got there, and we got home about 2:00 am.He yelled at me for taking back roads at night, and I was too upset to say anything. I was gonna post this last night,but was shaking too much. But I can tell you several things I learned during my nightmare in the woods: {1} there are still good people in the world[the first man who helped me] {2} there are people out there who wish you harm, for no reason {3} I will never forget my cell phone again {4} I will not take back, country roads at night again {5} and this is probably the most important, I KNOW what this asshole looked like, and will be watching for him, and when the tides are turned in my favor, he'll get a first hand dose of what TERROR is all about, as I said, I may be petite, but I can assure you, that I am a formidable force to be reckoned with, hell hath no rath like a womans fury, and I'll be waiting-------

way to go, you indeed handled that VERY well, I am glad everything is ok.

That's terrifying. Congratulations for keeping your head. When looking for weapons next time (hope there isn't a next time) don't forget your keys. If you make a fist with the largest, strongest key poking out from between your index and middle fingers it makes a good eye-gouging device. I can't imagine being allowed to wear clogs to work. But it's still the nursing dark ages here; I was recently admonished for having the open end of the pillow case facing the door. A haemostat makes a great roach clip.

Thanks. I still feel kinda nauseated, fear is a terrible thing.

WOW Taetia, you are a nurse and a cook! Can i come over when I am sick........are you somebodies mother or wife? If so, lucky fuckers!

Thanks, I didn't even think about my keys! We're not susposed to wear clogs either, so said, we won't be able to run for a code, but I like to make it a practice to break at least one rule each time I work------they're used to me by now, know I am a pratical joker-----My boss was giving an inservice the other morning,[mandatory],and I heard too late that she was in a bad mood, and had already used double sided sticky tape to mount my remote control fart machine under her chair, so decided it was to good of an opportunity to pass up--------so I let her rip--------well, it broke the tension, and she wasn't mad and we all had a good laugh.[ Lucky for me it didn't go the other way!]

Taetia and Czarina both nurses?! Cool. I'm an RN...male....and not gay despite the popular stereotype.

I must be a real pollyanna at heart. because I can barely believe that people could be like that. I mean, I know that there are random psycho killers and there are people who commit violent crimes because of jealousy/revenge/profit, but I have a hard time accepting that there are also these severe assholes who terrorize stranded women for fun. god that is weird. you did great, though, czarina. good for you.

I'm only a part-time nurse these days - I do weekend night shifts in the ER - because I went back to Uni to get a BA. And now I've finished the BA, so I have to figure out what to do next. I'm going to lie around all day eating chocolates and reading trash-mags, at least for a while. I've been attacked by patients, visitors, and even other staff, and the administration hasn't blinked, but I'm sure I'd lose my job if I played a fart-related joke on a doctor. Patrick: I'm someone's person-you-have-when-she-won't-get-remarried. I say "partner" but Americans say that's only for gay couples. All the other options are urky - girlfriend? lover? sig other? non-spousal unit?

de facto as in short for de facto wife (as opposed to de jure (legal) wife) How do you get the BA graduate off your doorstep? Pay them for the pizza! I'm a BA too!

what'd the sociology major say to the cs major? "you want fries with that?"

Czarina,what a miserable experience,glad you are okay,but you did the right thing.When I still had my business Fri.night was the longest for me,sometimes I wouldn,t be done till after 2a.m.,and a few times creeps would follow me,had to drive to the Tempe police station once,once in Mesa too,it,s why I go a cell phone in the first place.To be stuck out in nowhere,in the dark,being terrorized by some redneck crackheads,I,m not yelling at you like your husband,like you weren,t upset enough,but stay of those backroads at night:).

I well learned my lesson!!!!! [ but now that I'm safe-----------I'm REALLY pissed]{big talk from someone who is safe in her house in broad daylight!] But I will be watching for these morons,sometime fate is a funny thing, you never know, they just may show up in my hospital some night. I will never forget what he looked like, and will be watching for him, and I know what his,[annoyingly loud,redneckesque]truck looks and sounds like, and will keep a diligent watch for him.If I should find him/or his truck,I will find out where he lives, and do some dasterdly deed to him, although I am still scared of him,[probably psychological], so I will strike in a way that he will never know it was me. I haven't formulated a plan yet, but have confidence in my cunning abilities,that should the opportunity ever arise, I'll be able to come up with something,that will be ample repayment for what he put me through. If anyone has ANY ideas, I would very much appreciate them, and am not kidding when I say I will track him, and fulfill my revenge.

I,m sending you something check your e-mail in a while,it will keep you busy for hours,hehe.

"De facto" sounds so ugly, though. And I don't want to be any sort of wife, de facto or de jure or de bellum! I'm sticking with "partner" til I come up with something else. Ooo Freud's slip is showing - I first typed "til I come up with someONE else." Oops.