Would you find it freaky if a co-worker who lives far away runs into you in your neighborhood?

[Anonymous]

I get it OP. A guy at work who was a creep kept talking about moving into the same neighborhood where we lived. I dreaded that I might run into him. Never happened thankfully.

[Anonymous]

Last year I ran into two of my sisters in Chantilly. One of them was in Costco and then when we drove on over to Target there was the other sister. All three of us do not live near that shopping center. It was kind of weird!

[Anonymous]

So you think your co-worker brought his entire family to stalk you at a playground and somehow convinced one of your neighbors to pretend to be his wife's friend?

You are not only paranoid but have incredibly inflated self importance.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just go up to him and say "this is my neighborhood. Mine" in a toddler voice. But in all seriousnes, I've had a couple of coworkers who sound like yours and I'd be none to thrilled to run into them outside of work hours. That said, try not to overreact too much.

Not the OP. We get it. People like you were the bullies and the in-crowd in high school. You have no idea what it feels like to be the one picked on. When you are the victim, you do retreat into your world for a feeling of safety from the cruel outside world. And when one of those a*hole bullies like the co-worker intrudes into what you thought of as your sanctuary, you feel violated. Give the OP a break. She's acknowledged that it's not entirely rational. If she were to call it a "vent" would you vultures be less nasty about it? Probably not.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Ok, I am not actually paranoid that I suspect this guy in anything or afraid of him. It was just an unpleasant surprise. The nature of my feeling is different altogether.

I just don't want to see the people from my office I actually don't like to deal with when I am off. That's all. Of course, it's a public playground and I don't get to control who goes there, so it's a stupid feeling. I want to stay away, because I've been burnt by him, he put me under the bus, and my working situation became very tough to the point where I considered quitting. It took time for me to even want to exchange a few words with him at work after this. I want to keep my distance and I honestly, just don't feel comfortable around him, and I am not the only one who feels this way.

I just was worried for a second that if he starts coming here more often to see this friend it will be hard to avoid him, hard to just not have a conversation, after all we work at the same office. I will be sort of forced to be more friendly, KWIM? Since I haven't seen him before, maybe his wife just recently became friends with the woman who lives nearby and what if they become better friends and I have to see this guy more often. I don't want to have to start avoiding the playground a few steps away from my house, where I go every day. I know it is an irrational feeling, but this is what I felt, I felt like my space has been invaded.

You are more than paranoid, OP.