One lady in a motel in Seaside Heights, New Jersey when I was like 10. I was in a pool and this woman was staring at me. I was going back up to our room after I saw her there. She stopped me and asked me what I thought about my parents. I told her a wholesome answer, something like even though they can be tough on me at times I love them very much. She told me her son "wasn't here right now" and she "missed him very much". She asked me for a hug which I gave her since I didn't know what to do. I went up to the room and told my mom. My mom came down with me back to the pool and my mom could immediately tell this woman was high out of her mind. The woman stared at me in the pool for a while longer and then said that her room was stinky and her and her husband were going to leave. She asked me to go into the room with her and my mom told her no. My mom said we would go back up to our room. The woman wanted another hug from me, which I gave her. After we walked away I never saw her again.

  • thisonethatone [he/him]
    ·
    1 year ago

    I went to Fangoria (horror movie convention) by myself as a teen (dad was too cheap to get a ticket). I entered a theater for some obscure horror movie from the 60s.

    The theater was nearly empty, so it was very obvious when two guys came in, whispered something to each other, pointed at me. and separated.

    This 36 year old obese man with a puca shell necklace and bleached tips sat next to me. He asked me my name and I was polite and just said "hi, I'm 16"

    "I'm 36"

    Then he followed me out of the theater.

    Me., a true crime junkie at the time, was thinking "fuck no I'm staying near the crowds" so I went to the artist alley and talked to a bunch of people while he kept following me. Then I hopped into a crowded showing for a film preview. He got cold feet and finally left me alone.

    I wish I had the sense back then to tell the staff about him, bit I was so shaken that I just went home instead.

  • cut_throat [comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    Not as weird as yours, but one time i was at :disneyworld: (we need a burning Disney logo/flag emote) as a very young kid eating a huge turkey leg. My parents were getting our drinks and an old couple just sat down at the table with me. They were staring at me for a while, and I was a social kid so I said hello. They started smiling really wide and said “That’s such a big Turkey leg for a little guy.” I agreed. Then they asked to take pictures of me eating it. I didn’t think about it and kept eating while they took pics of me with an old digital camera. My parents came back and they rushed away in a hurry. Weird shit.

  • Kestrel [comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    1 year ago

    When I did swim lessons at the Y some teen who was supposed to be looking after me fell over and pretended he was dead for like 10 whole minutes and I had a complete freakout meltdown. Totally cool prank to do to a 6 year old

    Actually I think I must have been 3 or 4

  • RION [she/her]
    ·
    1 year ago

    In 2nd grade there was some kind of puppet show (I think it was for D.A.R.E.? Was supposed to be teaching us something anyhow) and one of the ladies made her puppet flirt with me. I don't remember what she said and it couldn't have been too inappropriate because nobody did anything but I remember feeling deeply uncomfortable, but didn't really know what to do so I never said anything.

    Told my mom and sister on a whim a year or two ago and they didn't take it seriously. Smiled and laughed a little and only stopped when it was clear I didn't think it was funny.

    I was AMAB and still identifying as a boy then. I know the whole "but what if the genders were reversed" argument gets abused frequently but I still have to wonder if things would be different, both at the time and later when I said something, if I'd been a little girl and the puppeteer was some random man flirting with me.

    • MiguelParenti [he/him, they/them]
      ·
      1 year ago

      I felt this same uncomfortable feeling so many times from adults as a child even up to being a teenager and i never understood why and could never tell my parents about it cause i couldn't explain it myself