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Following someone.

Is following someone an aggressive act?


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You think people should be arrested for following, regardless of "excuse", to make sure we get the pedos and rapists before they strike?


when the police had to get involved there it got pretty weird. Strangely enough it was I who had been kicked out of the local police station and told to never visit that town again.

Nevermind. Pretend I didn't respond.
 
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Is following someone an aggressive act?

Simple question, simple answer.

I don't believe that it is. If it was then police would not be able to legally follow people. Investigators (PI's) would not legally be able to do it. Paparazzi would not be able to do it.

Did somebody get caught stalking? :mrgreen:
 
Put yourself in the position of someone being followed. Would you fell threatened? Put yourself in the position of a parent whose child is in the act of being stalked. Would you view it then as a threat?
 
You'll never know. :twisted:

Seriously though, I have been known to follow people that I thought was suspicious.

And if such following leads to a confrontation which results in death, you could very well be liable. See Trayvon Martin.
 
Put yourself in the position of someone being followed. Would you fell threatened? Put yourself in the position of a parent whose child is in the act of being stalked. Would you view it then as a threat?

Feeling threatened doesn't mean that the following is aggressive.
 
Feeling threatened doesn't mean that the following is aggressive.
To who? Id say your response is a pretty good indicator. Actions have consequences.
 
I think in the case paparazzi there is a point where it is harassment.The ones who try and take a picture of some women's breast falling out her top.Imagine that as a defense "why where you following her ?" "In hopes i could take a picture of her nipple as she got into a taxi"
 
Feeling threatened doesn't mean that the following is aggressive.

If someone verbally threatens to cause you physical harm (and imagine them waving a closed fist in your face), do you consider that being aggressive?
 
Stalking is following in many cases and is a crime or something can be done. The examples don't seem to fit. The paparazzo can be destructive and in a way stalk people.

Stalking is different than just following someone. Stalking under the law requires repeated attempts to follow so it is not quite the same thing. Now if it is a one time deal? No problem under the law. If you continue to follow the same person around, it can become a threat and lead to restraining orders etc for stalking.
 
If someone verbally threatens to cause you physical harm (and imagine them waving a closed fist in your face), do you consider that being aggressive?

Total strawman. Has nothing to do with his statement. You are trying to compare waving a fist at someone (assault) to simply following someone which is not a crime.
 
Stalking is different than just following someone. Stalking under the law requires repeated attempts to follow so it is not quite the same thing. Now if it is a one time deal? No problem under the law. If you continue to follow the same person around, it can become a threat and lead to restraining orders etc for stalking.

Why would you follow someone? Are you a police officer or a private detective?
 
Total strawman. Has nothing to do with his statement. You are trying to compare waving a fist at someone (assault) to simply following someone which is not a crime.

Actually, I interested in what Kal'Strang considers "aggressive." This is the problem when you take people's posts out of context. I was somewhat shifting the focus onto Kal's interpretation of "aggressive." I wanted to see if he viewed threatening behavior in general as aggressive.
 
Is following someone an aggressive act?

Simple question, simple answer.

I don't believe that it is. If it was then police would not be able to legally follow people. Investigators (PI's) would not legally be able to do it. Paparazzi would not be able to do it.

The police can't follow you without a solid reason.

So - likewise - any old joe shouldn't be able to tag along behind you, either.

If someone is being blatantly followed - and they feel threatened - I don't feel it would be wrong for them to confront the person in order to ask 'why' and to get them to stop.
 
It can be, sure.

Hell, even without laws or humanity, pursuit is a hallmark of predators, it's what they do to prey.
It's also not an uncommon thing we experience, see on TV, etc., that occurs prior to being robbed, mugged, raped, etc.
I bet a number of travel and anti-rape guidlines involve being on the lookout for people tailing you, esp. alone, in the dark. Good lord, seeing otherwise reasonable people flip-out on this and start to actually claim that following is not aggressive because they "feel" a particular way about the Zimerman case, is awful.

I have seen in the home-defense type threads similar individuals who claim that the simple act of having both feet just past their property line, is sufficient justificaiton to kill the person. But following someone at night...nah, business as usual? Mind-boggling.
 
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Great post, Mach...
 
I always looked at stalking following people repeatedly and it can be in different forms not just physically following, as in someone calling your employer to see if your there.

Back to OP per physically following people: As my kids were growing up I always let them know that they should not trust strangers, don't stop, talk, etc... The one thing that I did do with my kids as they grew older is to let them know that some suspicious looking person physically following them is a sign of danger.
 
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I've been marginally involved in a custody case where one of the parties was following the other, as a means to intimidate.
There are times and circumstances where it should be illegal.
 
Why would you follow someone? Are you a police officer or a private detective?

Yes I was a police officer and I am still a security officer. So I do follow people but that has nothing to do with anything as that is professional. I have on the other hand followed people outside of work for other reasons. Looked like they were up to no good or even just being nosy. It had nothing to do with being aggressive or stalking and ended when my curiosity was satisfied, or I had to call the police.
 
Yes I was a police officer and I am still a security officer. So I do follow people but that has nothing to do with anything as that is professional. I have on the other hand followed people outside of work for other reasons. Looked like they were up to no good or even just being nosy. It had nothing to do with being aggressive or stalking and ended when my curiosity was satisfied, or I had to call the police.

Read Mach's post about predator behavior..........
 
The police can't follow you without a solid reason.

Yes they can. I did it many times. Person leaves a bar, could be drunk driving even though they have done nothing wrong. Or we are just running random plates and we follow them in case something comes back.

So - likewise - any old joe shouldn't be able to tag along behind you, either.

Nothing illegal about it.

If someone is being blatantly followed - and they feel threatened - I don't feel it would be wrong for them to confront the person in order to ask 'why' and to get them to stop.

I absolutely agree.
 
Read Mach's post about predator behavior..........

I did and I think he is wrong. No evidence to back up anything he has said. It is like the rest of our posts subjective and his opinion like this is mine.

I only agree with his initial statement about it can be.

Perfect example; I am no predator and stay out of trouble, and yet I have for various reasons followed people. So that is that.
 
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"Following someone" in what way? Walking behind them and going wherever they go? I would certainly feel threatened if someone did that to me.

Should you be able to legally pull out a gun and kill them?
 
I've been marginally involved in a custody case where one of the parties was following the other, as a means to intimidate.
There are times and circumstances where it should be illegal.

In that case again as I have mentioned where it is repeated, a restraining order is the way to go. It is illegal.
 
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