by Frustration–I’ve goofed up some things today and I’m in a pissy mood.
I decided to do my run this morning since I was up early and had things to do this evening. I went to St. Ed’s park. When I turned into the parking lot, there was a car backed into one of the spaces closes to the road; I started to pull in next to it, as prefer to be out by the road as opposed to pulled in to the trees, but changed when I realized there was a man sitting in the car. I pulled into the spot across from him. That park is notorious for car break ins, so I sat there for a minute, watching to see what he was going to do.
It was odd; the windows were all rolled up, there was no front license plate, and he didn’t seem to be doing anything. I waited. I waited some more. He started the car, and I opened my door to get out. But he didn’t pull away. He sat there with the car running. I went about my business, getting my shoes on and my stuff together. He still didn’t do anything, only now he began gesticulating wildly at times, putting his hands in his head like he was upset, weird stuff.
So I got back in the car, closed the door, and got out my phone. It had been more than 10 minutes and so I called 911. They put me through to the Travis County Sheriff”s office, as the park was their jurisdiction. I described the situation and that it was off and seemed suspicious to me. They said a car would be out to check.
I figured I had two options–to leave in the car or get onto the trail. It seemed pretty clear he wasn’t getting out, and the sheriff was coming by, so I quickly got out and bunnied on down the trail. I turned to look, and no, he hadn’t gotten out of the car.
I ran from St. Ed’s over to the entrance at Bull Creek, the full trail. I was so dang slow but I just told myself time on my feet was important. Oh, it was hot. Ugh. And I was pestered unmercifully by a horse fly. But the run back was better than the run out and I was happy to get back to my car and find it alone and unmolested.
I pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards Loop 360. Now, there is a second, small parking area to the side of the road…and guess what I saw there? You guessed it, the creepy guy sitting in the car. This was two and a half hours after I’d called the cops.
Now, a grown man sitting in a car outside of a secluded park for three hours is just trouble. I pulled over as soon as it was safe and called 911 again; it took another 10 minutes to go over everything because the dispatchers were disagreeing on whether this was APD or Travis County. Suddenly, he pulled out of the parking lot and drove away. I got the first three digits of his license plate but he was going too fast (and had no front plates) so I didn’t get it all.
Just creepy.
If you’re at St. Ed’s and you see a guy parked in a metallic green VW Passat with no front plates, that’s him.
That reminds me of one time our running group met at that same lot. Before we arived, there was a single car there. It was an expensive car I think with tinted windows that looked out of place for that parking lot. Apparently it was a couple doing some, um, private things in the privacy of the empty lot (guessing at the activity, since we couldn\’t see clearly when they weren\’t sitting up). When they realized there were 10 or so runners parking and hanging out before the run, the car quickly drove off.
Ick… super scary. I am so glad you are okay. You did the right thing about calling 911!
Just FYI
at least at my running destination of choice (Walnut Creek), backing in to a parking spot is how you signal you\’re looking for a random hookup in the woods with another gay man.
Just FYI. It may have been someone breaking into cars and i think you did the right thing, just pointing out it *may* be something more victimless.
Re: Just FYI
lol Now I feel like I need to go knock on the window and say, \”Excuse me, but I think you want to be over at the other parkoff Bull Creek. This one is not well attended.\”