Shenzhen Lately: WTF is Going On With All These Strange Encounters?!
-
Hey everyone, especially my fellow solo female travelers out there!
Listen up, ladies! You really have to stay on your toes while walking around at night! I just experienced something super scary and need to share it with you all so we can all be extra cautious and look after ourselves better!
Here's what happened:- After finishing shopping with a friend, I was waiting for a cab alone at the entrance of "Raffles City" (a well-known shopping mall).
- At that moment, a guy wearing a black t-shirt walked up to me and asked for my "WeChat". (In China, WeChat is a widely used chat and payment app. Sometimes strangers will use this as an excuse to chat with you.) I declined and moved to the curb to wait for the taxi.
- But then, he followed me and kept insisting that I add him on WeChat! I told him that I was in a relationship and it was not convenient to add strangers, but he just wouldn't give up, which made me feel uneasy. Finally, I had to put him off after some effort.
- Just as I was starting to relax thinking it would pass, I turned around and this guy was actually lurking behind a tree about 100 meters away, staring at me all the time! He pretended to fiddle with "shared bikes" (bicycles available for instant rental by scanning their code - common in Chinese cities), yet his eyes kept stealing glances at me!
- Honestly, I got goosebumps that moment! This guy stared at me unblinkingly for almost 5 minutes before he eventually walked away from another side, but was he really gone?
- When I started to feel a bit more reassured, holy cow! There was another black-clad man, appearing out of nowhere behind me! This one kept staring at me too!
- Can you imagine how scared I was? I didn't know what he wanted from me, but I made sure to watch him out of my peripheral vision with some space in between us.
- Thankfully, there were three or four other people waiting for a taxi near me. Thus, the second black-clad man never dared to go too close. I leaned closer toward the other occupants, not allowing him any chance to move forward.
- Finally, my cab arrived and I immediately ran towards the vehicle. As I looked back into the mirror once inside, I saw the man walking away the moment I boarded the car!
- So, I am certain that he was watching me purposefully, and my intuition was correct.
️ Important warning alert! Ladies, take note!- It's not something innocent like being watched a few times! I strongly suspect they organized a team, possibly a con man who specifically targets women or worse. They play together!
- Just think about it – if both men had acted together, running away would've been impossible regardless of your strength. The second guy was probably brought over by this first guy for help.
- And don't even consider, if no one was beside me then – I shudder just to think…
My travel safety tips:- Siblings, I sincerely urge you to stay alert while venturing out, particularly when solo:
- Never go to remote areas or places with low population! Safety first!
- Be cautious and observe your surroundings! You don't know when danger will knock on your door!
- Believe your instincts! If someone makes you uncomfortable or keeps staring at you, you must immediately protect yourself, trying to leave as soon as possible by making use of vigilance!
I hope my experience can serve as a warning for all of you! Traveling outside, safety comes first!
#Shenzhen #travelSafety #soloFemaleTravel #fraudPreventionGuide #beCautious - After finishing shopping with a friend, I was waiting for a cab alone at the entrance of "Raffles City" (a well-known shopping mall).
-
I've heard that recently in Shenzhen, groups of PUAs (pickup artists) who scam people for sex are practicing their 'skills' at malls like MixC World, Coco Park, and Uniwalk.
-
@Gezhiqin, you really have to be careful when you're out at the mall these days. Who knows if there are perverts or even pedophiles around.
-
A few days ago, I came across a comment section talking about those guys who 'teach' others how to pursue women. They deliberately add women on WeChat, chase them, and then share the entire process as a 'tutorial,' even recording videos to show off their so-called 'conquests'...
-
These male PUA training camps... Malls are major hotspots for them. This has been going on for years, and it's super frustrating that the law can't seem to do anything about it.
-
I once got asked for my WeChat at MixC World by this guy who was as skinny as a bean sprout but weirdly confident. He said he wanted to get to know me. He totally looked like a seasoned pro at asking for WeChat. I told him, 'Alright, give me a self-introduction, and if I'm satisfied, I'll add you.' He was completely stunned and asked, 'I still need to introduce myself?' I was like, 'Duh! Otherwise, you're interested in me, but I don't even know who you are.' He just said 'never mind' and walked off.
-
You'd probably have to make them do it in both Chinese and English then.
-
It's true about Shenzhen. If you go out wearing a camisole, a bunch of guys will stare at you. I've never experienced that in Guangzhou.
-
Seriously. A few years ago, the general behavior of people in Shenzhen wasn't this bad. Now you see a lot of uncouth older guys spitting on the streets and things like that.
-
But in Shenzhen, there are these 'grid officers' who keep knocking on doors from time to time to check and register the number of residents. Has anyone else experienced this? It's really distressing for people who value their privacy.
-
Yeah, I've experienced that. They used to check about once every three or four months to verify the number of residents. I even got to know the grid officers. They're doing it for residential safety, apparently because incidents have happened in the past. They mean well, so I guess we should try to be understanding.
-
Shenzhen has always attracted people from all over. Those of us who grew up here truly have a stronger awareness about kidnapping prevention than kids elsewhere! Back in the 90s, my parents made me memorize our home phone number, address, and relatives' names. They also had me watch crime news and read newspapers, warning me that even people from our own hometown could be kidnappers. One time, they actually asked a man from our hometown to pick me up from kindergarten, but I flat-out refused to go with him. My parents didn't blame me. If they ever forgot to pick me up, I'd just cling to my teacher and refuse to go anywhere. Another time, when I was home alone with the neighbor's baby, a man came to the door claiming my dad sent him to fix the water heater. I asked for my dad's name, told him our water heater wasn't broken, and even demanded to see his work ID – and I was only in kindergarten! I didn't open the gate, so he couldn't get in. To this day, even as an adult, I'm very reluctant to share personal information with strangers, always mindful of how diverse and complex the population in Shenzhen is, a real mixed bag. Still, I love my home, Shenzhen, very much.
-
(To the previous commenter) Wow, you're amazing! You've been so sharp since you were a kid and still are!
-
Downstairs from my place... I absolutely don't dare to come home late. Usually, I only dare to wear very plain or unflattering clothes.
-
That's terrifying.
-
Does anyone else feel like the overall atmosphere and people's behavior in Shenzhen have gotten much worse than before? I grew up here, but in recent years, I've started to dislike Shenzhen more and more. People cutting in line, spitting, and being incredibly arrogant and rude.
-
It's because there are more people from out of town.
-
The day before yesterday around noon, I was shopping at Uniwalk with a friend, and a guy suddenly came up, bent down, and sprayed something on my leg! I was so scared I jumped up and ran off immediately.
-
That sounds like someone trying to sell shoe cleaner.
-
The Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link... Is it because there are 'JD' (likely slang for prostitutes or something similar) in Shenzhen now? Things have been so strange these past couple of days.