Maybe I'm paranoid... or....
In the last month or so I've experienced a growing conern about safety. Almost nightly I go for a walk or bike ride around Menomonie; and on nearly each walk or bike ride I experience at least once a passing driver or group of people who either yell obscenities at me or verbally attepmt to engage me (and not the friendly "hi how ya doing" kind of way... It has made me feel uneasy and at times unsafe. Oddly enough this usually happens on and around the campus. Once day, it happend twice, once while I was working (pushing a cart up to the print services building) and then later that day when I was walking back from the tanning salon. I don't understand why this is happening so frequently lately; I do not do anything to draw attention, I walk normally, I dress normally, I mind my own business and stay in high-traffic areas. Yes I suppose it could just be Menomonie red-necks with nothing better to do; but it still makes me feel uneasy. Typically speaking, verbal aggression can be just as dangerous as physical aggression--not to mention the effect it has on my confidence and sense of security. I'm really not sure what I can do to either level the playing field or make myself feel better. If it keeps happening I may contact the Chielf of Campus Police to see if she has any good ideas (she knows me fairly well since I'm an RA and call her frequently for other things). Perhaps I'm just being paranoid.... *shrugs* What do you think? Most of the time I can't make out what's being said because I try to tune it out--but I can tell you it's not friendly and it's usually a laugh at my expense or an insult being hurled.