How to avoid unwanted attention from strangers

People are sharing tips on how to avoid unwanted attention from strangers. Photo / 123RF

Most people have experienced some form of unwanted attention while they are in a public setting.

Maybe you are sitting alone at a bar or on public transport when a stranger comes up, parks themselves next to you and just won't leave you alone.

Their intentions are clear but no matter how many polite rejections you offer or hints that you are not interested, they just don't seem to get it.

So when British journalist Amna Saleem shared her own encounter with a pestering stranger on Twitter, many people — particularly women — were quick to sympathise with her.

According to Saleem, she was alone at a London bar when a man came up to her and kept insisting that she have a drink with him, despite her numerous refusals.

Another woman noticed the situation and intervened by pretending to be Saleem's friend and checking that she was OK.

guy: ...just one drink
me: no thank you
guy: come on it's just a drink
me: look, i'm sorry I just want to read my book while i wait for my bf
guy: what ur bf doesn't let you have friends?
random woman: Clara? Hi! *hugs* (whispers) u ok?

women are great

— Amna (@AGlasgowGirl) January 20, 2018

The tweet clearly resonated and has since been shared over 100,000 times, with people offering their own stories and creative tips on how to deal with unwanted attention when the other party just doesn't seem to get the message.

The sheer number of comments give an insight into how common these types of situations are, but also show there are many people who are willing to help.

Here are some of the best stories and tips from the post:

"Some dude was bothering this lady once on the train and she was alone so my brother pretended to be her husband and the guy left. 10 years later he is her husband," wrote Jamiel.

"Creepy guy was checking me out on the bus. When I got off the bus, so did he. Instead of going to my car, I sat down on the benches, faked a call on my cell, and said: 'Hi honey I just got here, come pick me up so we can go to dinner'. The guy stared at me and walked into the mall," Robin wrote.

Years ago in my pub days I stepped in for a girl who was having that kind of trouble. We became good friends after that.
It's a much more effective way of helping than stepping in as a hero & starting a fight. I've seen that way too often.

— Simon Evans (@Se77Evans) January 22, 2018

Marissa commented: "In Florence while studying abroad I got separated from my friends in a club. A guy grabbed me to dance and all I had to do was look at a random girl to save me, and she came over and excitedly screamed like we were long lost besties, and got me out of a bad situation. Women know."

Some users have even gone as far as faking a family emergency to get out of a situation. "I had a guy walk over and tell me our Mum was in the hospital and he'd meet me there. Dramatic, but effective," Amy said.

Others wrote about times when strangers took extra precautions to ensure they were safe, even if no danger was immediately apparent. TokuSwag said: "I once was sitting in a bus station late at night and one of the male off-duty bus drivers chilled with me outside in the cold. He was 20 feet away from me but stayed so I would be safe. [He said]: 'It's late and I don't want to leave you out here by yourself. Never know what could happen'."

Legionseagle offered: "I was once rescued by my rescue service when my car broke down. The driver got out of the truck and said: 'I brought my girlfriend with me because I thought you'd be happier if there was another woman with us for the drive back.'"