The time I was Street Dumb

So there’s the term street smart right? Being aware of your surroundings, being alert, noticing people around you? Then there’s the term I made up on my very own called street dumb. Not being aware of people around you, trusting everyone, failing to read situations correctly. I am guilty of this times 10.

It all happened one beautiful day in Park City, Utah. Now I’m fairly certain that generally most of the people reading this knows where that is, or what it is. Many celebrities on The Bachelor and The Bachelorette have stationed numerous group dates, and single one on one dates here. Will Smith owns a house there. So on and so forth. To people that haven’t heard of it before, it’s a lush valley surrounded with ski resorts, numerous outdoor recreational activities, timeshares, and actually home to the 2002 Winter Olympics.

So to sum all of that up, it’s a very wealthy area. Where I live in Utah, which I will not name, my high school’s cheerleaders loathed playing park city. Some of my friends at the time said that the Park City cheer leaders kicked them out of the locker room and made them change in the hallway. That’s one account. Now my experience with meeting people from Park City is another account. Needless to say the people home grown there are interesting.

My family and I were at the Seven Eleven to get a snack before we went back up to our lodge. I walked out and saw some head nods from older men. I kept walking towards the soft drink dispenser. I sat there for a second. Waiting to fill up my water bottle while people were filling up their cups with soda. A man came up to me. Honestly he was attractive. I’d say his age was around 40. He was dressed nicely, ice on his wrist showing off his gold watch. Tall, dark, and handsome.

“Oh are you waiting to fill up your water bottle?”

I looked at this man.

Smiling at his question, I blinked towards him.

“Yes?”

“Oh no baby girl, the water here is disgusting.” He said pointing to the faucet of the sink.

“What why?” I said confused.

I also had just noticed that the tap was my only option for water, because the dispenser didn’t have that option.

“Park City is known for its’ coal mining. There’s all sorts of nasty minerals in this water.”

“Really?” I started, thinking about the mountain snow runoff, and how this water should be delicious considering that it was coming from fresh melted snow.

“Really.” He said winking at me.

“Here let me pay and then come to my car and I’ll get you a water bottle.”

“Okay.” I said happily.

He continued his conversation with me and asked me what lodge I was staying at. I told him.

Like I was in a haze, something all of the sudden hit me. Fear wracked my brain with the situation taking place.

Who is this guy? Why does he want me to come to his car? He’s so smooth, I didn’t even realize that I could possibly end up in the back of his car tied up after this. His features and suave, he had many similarities to famous psycho killer Ted Bundy.

We walked out together, I saw him gesture towards his car, wanting me to come over. Like how Ted Bundy abducted many women.....Great.

“No.” I finally said putting my foot down. “You can come bring the water bottles to my car, but I’m not getting in yours.”

I walked to my parent’s car briskly and got in. Closing the door. He got the water bottles and sauntered towards our car that I was currently in.

I opened the door to grab it to make him go away, and he LITERALLY stepped over me while entering the car.

He set the water bottles down in my lap.

Seeing my six foot male cousin, sitting in the seat next to me, I saw him back down a little bit.

“Oh hey you guys! Oh, man do you need something?” He said looming over me, looking at my cousin apprehensively.

“No man I’m good.” My cousin nodded to him visibly uncomfortable, and wondering like the rest of us, what he was doing in our Toyota Sienna Minivan.

“Oh this is a great car you got here.” He said stuttering and slowly losing his cool.

My mom raised her eyebrows.

“Thanks? It a minivan.”

“Oh did you guys need some water?” He said trying to be polite suddenly, and handing them out.

“No we’re all good. Hey, so we better get going, but it was nice to meet you.” My mom said, waving him away.

He quickly stepped out of the car, and I have never seen the Ted Bundy doppelgänger again.

To all of those women out there who are kind to strangers. I beg you, please just don’t. Protect yourself over being nice. You can be polite and say you’re not interested in them, but it simply isn’t worth it when you could possibly end up kidnapped and dead. Be more aware. Don’t trust people you don’t know. Go on a double date first when pursuing someone on a dating app. Carry pepperspray with you. Don’t ever go to a bar or party alone.

Lastly, please please, don’t be as stupid as I am.