What to do if you are being followed

You walk into your favorite coffee shop and notice a guy in a green baseball cap standing in line behind you. And then you forget about it. During your lunch break at the cafe, you spot him again. The guy is sitting across several tables from you. “Wow, what a coincidence. How small the world is,”you think.

But when you see him in the evening, sitting behind the wheel of a car in the parking lot near your sports club, your heart stops inside. You begin to suspect that you are being followed.

Why is this happening? The answer is obvious if there is a reason. For example, you have committed some kind of crime, are a malicious debtor or are working as a spy. But they can follow you, even if you are a peaceful and law-abiding citizen.

The persecutor can be an unbalanced passer-by whom you accidentally hit on the subway, friends of your ex (ex), an obsessed fan from the last party, a thief who decided to profit.

How to know if you are being followed

surveillance: how to know that you are being followed

Professionals recommend following a simple rule:

Once is an accident.
Twice is a coincidence.
Three times - the action of the enemy.

If you see the same person in three different locations, chances are it really is surveillance. To make sure of this for sure, observe what is happening around. Perhaps someone is looking at you more often and holding their gaze longer than is acceptable for a casual passer-by.

Listen to your intuition. A sense of potential danger tends to exacerbate it.

If you are driving

If you are driving in a city and notice the same car, make four circles one block at a time. If the tail still hasn't come off, you are definitely being pursued.
If you are on the freeway, exit at the nearest bend and then back onto the freeway. The persecutor will be forced to do the same.
You can change lanes to the far right and slow down significantly. Cars driving behind will overtake you. And if someone repeats your maneuver, this is a reason to think.

If you are walking

Change your habits. If every day goes by a certain schedule, it is difficult to find out if you are being followed or not. Perhaps you just meet people with similar habits. Try to go to the store in the morning instead of a coffee shop. Change the time or place of lunch, go to the gym at a different time. And notice if your potential stalkers appear.
Change your walking pace. If you speed up or slow down sharply, the pursuer will do the same. A good way to spot him in a crowd.
Stop and turn sharply. Try acting out: pretend you want to do something. For example, tying a shoelace, checking your phone, or looking at someone in the crowd behind. Look closely at the pursuer. With a high degree of probability, he will betray himself: he will act unnatural, because you will catch him by surprise.
Change the direction of travel. Stop as if you forgot something, turn 180 degrees and walk back. The pursuer will have to follow you.

What to do if you spot surveillance

Don't go home. Otherwise, you will disclose where you live. Perhaps your pursuers don't know about this yet. You can return home only after you have made sure that the tail is no longer there.
Stay in crowded and well-lit areas. If you are driving, do not turn onto deserted roads. If you are walking, avoid lanes that are empty. If you spot a store being followed, try to walk to your car in the parking lot with other customers.
Maneuver while driving. This is best done on busy roads with many exits and convenient shoulder stops. Rebuild, change speed, get up on the sidelines - your task is to make the pursuer go further along the track. In the meantime, you can dive into the first suitable turn.
Collect as much information as possible. Write down the make and number of the pursuer's car, study how he looks, what he is wearing, what special signs he has.
Use public transport. Try to get on a subway or bus at the last moment.
Surprise your pursuer. One of the tactics that professionals advise is to approach the persecutor yourself and ask: "Can I help you with something?" or "Do you need something from me?" Often times, this aggressive behavior will force you to retreat. But it is better to do it in crowded places.
Call the police. If you feel a threat to your health and life, report it to the law enforcement agencies by phone. Or go yourself to the nearest police station, contact the traffic police patrol. Pass all the collected information and ask for help.
Don't post your location on social media. This is a great help for your pursuers.