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I have a similar story to share.

Some years ago I was leaving the library on campus (I'm not making this part up!!) at about midnight and heading back to my apt about 5 blocks away. It was a poorly lit road but I walked it a million times. This was when I lived my life naively in the Green I think. :) Anyways, I'm on this one-way street walking on the sidewalk and this pickup truck rolls up from behind up next to me and cruises real slow right next to me. Rolls down his window and asks for directions to some Hwy I didn't know. I told him sorry and kept moving. He had stopped I think and he rolls up again next to me now. He asks me for a cigarette (I was smoking at the time). I flung one into his driver's seat keeping a safe distance. I wanted him to get away from me so I figured be friendly and toss him a smoke and he will leave.

It's right about this time I notice a cop sitting back at the previous intersection. Now the cop is looking RIGHT AT ME (thankfully he noticed!!) and he is waiting because he has a stop sign but no other cars in sight. So I knew he was waiting and watching.

So now the truck driver asked me if I want to buy any steaks... "Four Porterhouse Steaks" I'll never forget how he said it. I just looked at him stupid and shaked my head and kept walking. He finally took off and drove down the road.

I quickly memorized his plate but more importantly, the cop pulled up along side me now. He wasn't wanting a cigarette. He didn't want to sell me a steak either. :) He asked what was that guy's deal I told him the facts and then suggested I thought he might be drunk - he was using some liberal words and was just way too talkative with me). I honestly thought he might try to get me in the truck with him, so I was already in fear of my life at this point. I told the cop I was scared and I lived right over here and was walking home. He immediately took off after the truck and pulled it over about a block away. I ran into my apt and called the police to report it and give them my name/number. I also had to drop off my backpack so I could run back to lurk in the bushes and watch the police do their work. :) It seemed like an hour or so but they finally had what they needed and arrested the guy. They got a tow truck to come in and tow his vehicle too as it was in some other apt parking lot now.

I never did hear what fully transpired that night, but I will never forget it. I'm not sure if it's "the night that changed me" but I like to think of it as an eye opener. There's WAY too many "What If"s that could come from events like this.

Oh and the best part?? Yeah, well I didn't get to sleep until about 3am. I was really emotional about the whole thing, being like 19 and all by myself for the first time in 19 years. So emotional that I ended up sleeping in in the morning. My alarm went off but my brain said I need way more sleep and skipping a class won't be the end of the world. Well, it turns out that my brain forgot to remind me that class (EE) was having it's mid-term exam that morning. WHOOPS!! :D Long story short, the teach told me to pound sand, the police couldn't help, I got an F and it made it basically near impossible to pass that class. I stopped going and took the F like a man. :) Anyways, it gave me time to figure out what I really wanted to do. The 2nd semester I switched majors from ME to my favorite hobby (Computers) and it turns out I make for a pretty darn good information security expert now. :)