u/hemorrohoids — reddlx

Possibly being followed by a customer

This could be an overreaction and I may be reading too much into it, but I’m still pretty creeped out.

So I (26 F) work as a bartender at a dive bar and have for awhile. There’s a guy who comes in every few weeks and has for maybe three years, but I do not know him really. When he first started to come in on my day shifts years ago he would come right up to the bar and only get a glass of water. He’s never ordered any food or drinks, I don’t think he even drinks alcohol at all actually.

At first we’d chit chat seeing as it’s pretty slow during the days and yes he was bit awkward and strange but I never found him threatening. He did make me uncomfortable at one point by telling me that he was a musician and that I needed to come to his apartment which was right behind my work to listen to his music. I turned him down and told him I had a boyfriend but he was pretty insistent and borderline aggressive about it.

He leaves and from that point forward for the next few months whenever he came in while I was working I would go straight to the back and hide until he left.

He never spent money anyways so my boss wasn’t worried about him being upset I wasn’t serving him. Keep in mind on these shifts I am working completely alone.

Anyways so for the next 3 years up until now I see him on and off anywhere from every few weeks to every other month or so. Except the only thing is whenever he comes in he walks a few steps into the building, stops at about the halfway mark to the actual bar, looks around and spots me and waits until it seems like it’s for me to see him, then walks right back out. Never talks to anybody, never stays to order anything.

Whatever. I never think much of it. I figure maybe he’s pissed I rejected him and never wants to be served by me.

We’re there maybe 5 minutes and in walks the guy. All he does is walk past my roommate and I, walks around the very small building, then walks right back outside and doesn’t come back. Didn’t talk to anybody or order anything. I ask the bartender if she knows the guy and she said no and that she hadn’t ever seen him before.

Another weird detail is this bar is all the way across town from my job, so 25-30 minutes away. I tried to brush off the weirdness of it.

As soon as he sees me walk out from the kitchen he turns on his heel and leaves immediately. I think he was confused at first as to why he didn’t see me behind the bar and was walking around to see where I was.

I ask my coworkers about this guy, even show them pictures of him from the security camera footage. Not a single coworker recognizes him or has seen him before on their shifts. I then ask my regulars, seeing as maybe he’s coming in possibly to buy drugs (we have a couple of regulars who sell, it is a dive bar after all) or maybe he’s there to meet up with somebody.

Absolutely NOBODY knows this guy or has ever talked to him which is strange because it’s the kind of hole in the wall dive where everybody knows everybody. Think Cheers. But a couple of regulars say they have noticed him before coming in only on my shifts just to walk around and look around for a second before immediately leaving.

It could all be a big coincidence and I’m overthinking. I’m just a little nervous seeing him at that bar right in front of my apartment 10+ miles away from my job because I’m worried he may have followed me from work that day and I did go home first so I’m a little concerned he may know where I live.

Update #1:

I asked a group chat I’m in that has a bunch of bartenders that work within a 5 mile radius of my job. Apparently one of the girls said he had stalked a bartender at her bar up the road from my job years ago and was doing the same stuff.

Also another guy said that he came in and sat down next to him one night and the guy said he was a battle rapper and a demonic curse was following him and his whole family.

Guy has a history of stalking female bartenders in my area and overall being unhinged.

This could be an overreaction and I may be reading too much into it, but I’m still pretty creeped out. So I (26 F) work as a bartender at a dive bar and have for awhile. There’s a guy who comes in every few weeks and has for maybe three years, but I do not know him really. When he first started to come in on my day shifts years ago he would come right up to the bar and only get a glass of water. He’s never ordered any food or drinks, I don’t think he even drinks alcohol at all actually. At first we’d chit chat seeing as it’s pretty slow during the days and yes he was bit awkward and strange but I never found him threatening. He did make me uncomfortable at one point by telling me that he was a musician and that I needed to come to his apartment which was right behind my work to listen to his music. I turned him down and told him I had a boyfriend but he was pretty insistent and borderline aggressive about it. He leaves and from that point forward for the next few months whenever he came in while I was working I would go straight to the back and hide until he left. He never spent money anyways so my boss wasn’t worried about him being upset I wasn’t serving him. Keep in mind on these shifts I am working completely alone.

Fast forward to about two weeks ago. I work the day shift. I get off at about 8 pm. I go straight home. My roommate and I then go to dinner, then we go to the bar right in front of our apartment that we frequent to have a couple drinks. We’re there maybe 5 minutes and in walks the guy. All he does is walk past my roommate and I, walks around the very small building, then walks right back outside and doesn’t come back. Didn’t talk to anybody or order anything. I ask the bartender if she knows the guy and she said no and that she hadn’t ever seen him before. Another weird detail is this bar is all the way across town from my job, so 25-30 minutes away. I tried to brush off the weirdness of it.

Then this past Thursday night I was working the closing shift. It was about midnight and pretty busy. I went to the back to grab something. As I’m walking back out from the kitchen I see him. He’s at the furthermost inside point of the building, right next to the end of the bar. I’ve never seen him walk so far into the building before. As soon as he sees me walk out from the kitchen he turns on his heel and leaves immediately. I think he was confused at first as to why he didn’t see me behind the bar and was walking around to see where I was.

At this point I mention the entire situation to my boyfriend. He’s immediately concerned and tells me I need to start letting my coworkers and boss be aware of the situation as it could be something. I ask my coworkers about this guy, even show them pictures of him from the security camera footage. Not a single coworker recognizes him or has seen him before on their shifts. I then ask my regulars, seeing as maybe he’s coming in possibly to buy drugs (we have a couple of regulars who sell, it is a dive bar after all) or maybe he’s there to meet up with somebody. Absolutely NOBODY knows this guy or has ever talked to him which is strange because it’s the kind of hole in the wall dive where everybody knows everybody. Think Cheers. But a couple of regulars say they have noticed him before coming in only on my shifts just to walk around and look around for a second before immediately leaving.