He's not right!
I'm going to get a little off topic here tonight and talk about something that kind of relates to parenting, but kind of not. There is a guy at the local Wal-Mart that is known as Creepy Guy. No really, that's what everyone who works there knows him as. Yes, I used to work there, and yes I have referred to him as such. My wife still works there, and she had a bit of an incident with Creepy yesterday. Let me set the scene first.
This guy is probably late 50's, white hair and white beard. He is overly skinny and seems to have a bit of a hunchback. He used to always wear a Michigan ball cap, but now he wears a stocking cap and a Michigan jacket. He always rides his bike to the store and parks it outside. Now the really creepy part. This guy has spent time in prison for sex crimes. Because it was long enough ago, he doesn't have to register as a sex offender. This guy is really touchy with Wal-Mart associates, as well as customers. He has been banned from the store on at least one occasion, but has called Corporate and gotten the ban revoked. There is one WM employee in particular that he has been really creepy with. She will be known as T. She runs the Vision Center, which is the department my wife works in. He walks by the Vision Center and stares in at T in a leering sort of way. There has been a number of occasions where he has put his arm around T and made rude comments that dripped with innuendo. I have been told this guy goes to a local high school's football games and stands against the fence. Only he stands with his back to the game and watches the young kids play in the grass area next to the bleachers. Definitely creepy.
My problem with Creepy Guy.
This guy has put his hands on people other stores in the area, and been banned from them. WM is the only store in town that he can shop in because of this. Like I mentioned, WM has even banned him at least once. He complained to WM corporate that his rights had been violated when he was banned. I argue that his rights are not more important than the rights of the people who work and shop in that store. I think that WM has failed when it comes to T. She is terrified of this man and yet he is allowed to walk right by her place of work and for lack of a better word, stalk her. Like I said, he has put his hands on her in the past and made her feel uncomfortable. Especially knowing his past, poor T is absolutely terrified. When I still worked there I told T that whenever she saw him, to call me and I would come up and make sure he left her alone. Management informed me, and all other WM employees, that he was to be left alone and allowed to do what he wanted to in the store. They said that if he put his hands on anyone else, he was then banned for good. I contended that it shouldn't have to come to that. How do we know that the next time he touches someone, it's not with the intent to harm them? I also let it be known that if he touched, or so much as spoke to my wife, I would forcibly remove him from the store. Of course I was told that I would lose my job if it came to that. Not really an issue for me to lose that job if my wife is placed in an unsafe environment. Well, I don't work there anymore so that rule doesn't apply to me anymore!
Yesterday Creepy Guy was up to his usual tricks. He walked by the Vision Center and stared in at T. My wife got all fired up and told him to just leave. Of course she had a little attitude behind it. No wife of mine wouldn't! I guess Creepy and my wife went back and forth for a bit and he called her fat and told her to go sit on her fat ass! Needless to say, I'm looking for the jackass! My only problem is, my only real solution is physical violence. Where would that get me though? I'd kick his ass sure, but I'd probably be arrested. He would most assuredly press charges and then I'd have something on my permanent record. Plus, in his sick mind he may decide to go for vengeance against my family. He could try and go after my kids. That would not go well for him, but he could try. So, my question is, what should I do? I want to defend my wife's honor and protect T from any unnecessary harassment from Creepy Guy. But, I don't want any of the mentioned consequences. Maybe if I kicked his ass a little it would make sure he never bothers anyone again though. Anyone have any advise on this sort of issue? I just hate the thought of nothing happening to this guy and him getting to go out and hurt someone else. Maybe even a kid. I know if anyone ever laid a finger on either of my kids, I would probably go all Incredible Hulk on their ass and do things outside of my conscious mind!
Again, any advise? Keep in mind that I'd really like to kick his ass for what he said to my wife.
New subject.
My wife and I only have our cell phones and no home phone. Well, my phone basically sucked. I would constantly drop calls here in the house and on a number of occasions I nearly threw the damn thing out the back window into the woods. Well, I got a new phone today!!! I'm very excited. It's one of those Smart Phones, so it's really cool. I feel like I'm from the future when I use it. Really though, isn't it amazing how far technology has come? If someone had told my great grandfather that someday we would have phones that we walked around with, not to mention all the other capabilities they have, he would have said they were crazy.
I love my new phone! Have a great night.
omg I cant believe what creepy guy did to the Mrs.!! That should be enough right there to get him banned again..You cannot go around verbally abusing assoiciates, and still have the right to be in there...I know someone who has quit there job there at wm b/c management wouldnt do anything about the fact he kept herassing , touching, folowing stalking (whatever you wanna call it) her. This wass recently too, within the last 2 months, so obviously WM is not holding up there end of the deal on banning him if he assulted another person..I would take this to corporate, Denny!
ReplyDeleteHave her take a picture with her cell phone note time and date any any incident or comments he made. This will help her build a case for either the police or people at WM.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous #2 has the right idea. Take pictures of him and write down everything he does. If you could find out his name, you could write about him and rank on his name. Then, if he doesn't get the picture, you guy do some facebook advertising on him and target employees of walmart in your town. If you wrote anonymously, you could target Walmart corporate in your ads so they can know what's going on as well. That way, everybody would know the story and he wouldn't be able to get away with anything.
ReplyDeleteDefinitely do not use physical violence unless you have to protect someone else from physical harm.
Having a bit of experience in this area, not the creepy guy thing, on a corporate level. My recommendation is that your wife, her colleagues, continue to file grievances against him thru whatever procedure that Wal-Mart has....every time! In situations as this, he is creating a hostile work environment. WHile taking pictures of him glaring at people may seem as evidence, chances are it will not support as much as every if employee, where he consistently makes them feel uncomfortable, files a complaint. Eventually WM has no choice but to do something especially in light of his prior problems with them.
ReplyDeleteAddressing him directly should be done in a professional manner, with witnesses, so that he doesn't file a reverse grievance. In other words show kindness.
OR, you can hire a hit man to take him out....:-)
as a victem myself from different sex crimes from different people, T needs to go to wm corporate and wrn them if they do not do something now, they will get summoned to court. i would file charges with wm, their corporate office, and creepy guy. She needs to file a legal complaint and file charges through police dept. he has no rights, I have no words for what i would like to do with these types of people. i hope she can bring herself some type of justice, and get him out of there so others do not experience the same. best of luck.
ReplyDeleteas for your wife, glad im not a man..i dont think i would be so calm as you, i would have already been hurting him, your good, good job, very mature.
btw, new follower here
Kieth, you're right about not taking the violence route. Even though I really want to. I'd really like to take ChopperPapa's advise and hire a hit man! LOL! We have decided that she needs to start using her fancy camera phone to record Creepy every time he comes by. That way WM will see for themselves just what is going on.
ReplyDeleteMari, thank you for following my little blog here, and know that we will make sure this guy doesn't get away with what he's doing!
Again, I'm with ChopperPapa (and Mari) on this one.
ReplyDeleteViolence will only get YOU in trouble, and will not prevent him from returning.
Wal-mart is (I suspect) very aware of the liability that the continued harassment by one of their customers (one that has been trespassed from the store previously) puts them in, and if they don't - they should certainly be made aware of this.
It IS all about documentation. Photos, videos, dates, times, content - and of course any correspondence between the employees (plural) and management.
In the end, it will be the cool head, and a calm response that will prevail.
Suggestion - Can "T" get a temporary "restraining order" or "order for protection" from you local county Sheriffs' office??