Local or Special Events: The Older Men Attending Could Be Predators

Recognizing pickup lines and flag raising signals from seemingly non-threatening older men could keep you safe, out of danger and away from uncomfortable situations.

Some older men, whether they are a lonely, harmless single man looking for someone to date or a perverted dirty predator looking for a score, aren't always going online for targets. They may find a mark at local or special events.

The older man may decide to let the women come to him but in picking a mark he must first blend in and stand out among the crowds. Events with vendor and business booths can give the man a cover.

The trickster's guise might be to locate a booth where the occupants have left the banners and advertisements up but have left for the day. There the trickster will sit if there are chairs or stand at the booth as if with the booth. This gives them the opportunity to talk with anyone who stops at the booth and asks questions or make a comment.

If the older man is interested in someone they might ask a lot of questions that are personal but do so in a friendly casual manner. First they might ask, "What's your name?" following it up by pretending to know friends or relatives of yours that they pick your brain for the names of. Next its, "Where do you live? How old are you? Are you married?"

If the answer to "Are you married" is "No" they may become overly friendly and poke or lightly pinch you on the arm drawing attention from the interaction by gesturing about a passerby or pointing to another booth.

Remember if they are pretending to be with the booth you may be fooled into thinking they are asking questions because of a service they are offering. Hence the cover. If they tell you up front they are not with the booth but they are just using one of the chairs to sit down to rest or they are standing under they booth for shade you still need to watch out. Especially if they are talkative and friendly this may make you feel that they just want to have a casual conversation and mean no harm.

Their next move might be to ask for your phone number because they'd like to keep in touch. This may be because of the service they are pretending to be offering as they are with the booth or since they know, fill in the name of the friend or relative they've got from you earlier. So you give it to them. But before you can leave they want to buy you food from one of the food booths at the event.

They are quite insistent but so are you its getting late and you have things to do. This only makes them want to walk you to your car and they insist. They get up, if they are sitting down, and walk with you for a ways but you tell them that's all right I can walk the rest of the way.

To which the answer is, "My cars over that way how about I drive you to your car?" Your reply is hopefully "No" followed by "I'll be going." Followed by a brisk walk in the opposite direction.

And if he did get your phone number don't answer the phone when he calls.