STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

weird neighbor

Teresa · Kate Spade

eek, i hate creepy men. I would be polite, but nothing more. say hi, but keep walking. He probably has fu*ked up things that happened to him that made him this way (not giving him an excuse to be creepy, just saying its prob. true) so just say hi and keep going. Your doing everything right. I'm glad you don't live alone. Do you have Mace or something for when you are alone, just n case? I'm not trying to freak you out, I just think you should be prepared.

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

thanks, collegegirl! i don't have mace, but i don't get the feeling he's dangerous in that way. just weird and inappropriate. i'll keep being polite and keep moving when i see him.

boobaby · Kate Spade

I had a creepy landlord once. Even though he was old and frail and I wasn't scared of him, the thought of macing him does make me lol!!!

He was like 80 years old and he once told me he wished he was thirty years younger 'cause then he would have sex with me. I was thinking "Thirty!?! Try fifty you old fart!" Instead, I told him to buzz off. He also told me he knew young girls like me struggled to make ends meet and sometimes have to "peddle their bottoms" to pay the bills. I told him he was nasty and keep dreaming! There are some other grosser stories, but I don't want to offend...

I think he was senile, so it was kind of hard to be too enraged. Most of the time he was respectful, but every once in a while, it took all the strength I had not to slap his face.

Suasoria · Chanel

He was no doubt fulfilling his birthday promise of getting drunk, and the liquid courage made him decide to do a pop-in.

He sounds semi-harmless, but I think I would feel obligated to be straight with him versus politely tolerating him. The next time he makes you uncomfortable, tell him so. You can always blame it on the generation gap: 'Look Jimmy, maybe it's because we're a generation or more apart, but I am really uncomfortable with your flirting. I'm sorry to tell you this because I know you don't mean anything by it, but it's beginning to feel creepy. Can we agree to keep it on a friendly level from this point forward?' He'll probably just be so offended he'll leave you alone.

Drew · Gucci

Sorry, but I would not be polite at all. This man is not being polite. In my opinion he is taking as much advantage of you as he can and is violating you. I would start being a bitch to him and tell him that I really do not appreciate his touching me in inappropriate ways, and that I did not appreciate the surprise kiss, and do not consider it inocuous. I find that being a strong, firm, and bitchy if necessary, is the best way to deal with creeps. If he is at all dangerous (you never know!) then you should not come across as someone that could be a potential victim, you want to come off strong and capable.

FashionPrincess · Hermes

I agree about being direct. He is being direct with you, so why not be just as direct back. And better safe than sorry!

scarlett · Marc Jacobs

You guys are right, he is crossing the line and I don't need to tolerate it just because he's an old man.

We think now he was coming by to drop off these two catalogs which were addressed to me -- they looked kind of beat up so I don't know if he had them for a while or what, but even with that excuse, it's still weird that he came by at 11:30 on a Saturday night.

I'm not good at telling people to back off unless I'm really really steamed, which is something I'm working on being better at, and I also don't like feeling uncomfortable in my own home. The next time there's any touching or inappropriateness I need to tell him to quit it.

-- Edited by scarlett at 20:28, 2007-11-01