“Someone’s been leaving notes on my car at work, [and] this is the most recent and in-depth one yet. Nope,” the post was called in Reddit’s “Mildly Infuriating” forum under the username u/Zeddstar2000 where the woman shared a photo of the note and wrote. The post has amassed over 52,000 upvotes and more than 7,400 comments from Redditors, many of whom believe the woman has a stalker and should contact the police. You can read the full post here.
According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV), stalking is prevalent in the United States; one in six women and one in 19 men have been stalked in their lifetimes, and in many cases, the stalker was someone the victim knew. On Friday, u/Zeddstar2000 said this was true of her case.
‘Who Am I’
In the comments section of her post, u/Zeddstar2000 said Friday’s letter was the fourth message she’d received in recent months. The first two were short—they simply read “hi” and “have a good day,” she said—but Friday’s letter was much more in-depth.
“Who am I … Just some[one] who hopes brightens your day by reminding you of how beautiful you are,” the letter began. “I am the one who wonders if I would ever be so lucky…I am the one that daydreams about you a little more than I should.”
The note’s author went on to say that they are “a little more broken than others” and are unworthy of u/Zeddstar2000’s time. Though they didn’t leave a name, u/Zeddstar2000 said she was “pretty positive” she knew the author.
“My bosses are aware [of the letter], and I’m pretty positive I know who it is and where this note came from. There [are] cameras nearby that’ll tell me who it is as well,” u/Zeddstar2000 wrote.
Redditors React
Redditors called the letter “creepy,” and many encouraged u/Zeddstar2000 to contact the police.
“[This is] beyond mildly infuriating. [It is] completely creepy and you should [buy] a dash cam so you can figure out who this person is [and] perhaps [call] the police,” u/stefaniki said.
“That is terrifying. Please take that to the police and have them check [the] cameras. This person seems to think they are being romantic, but this is just cringe and truly scary,” u/mummylu wrote.
u/_overfiend added: “Take this serious[ly]. Do not brush this off. This creeped everyone out just reading it. I can’t imagine how you [felt] receiving it.”
Expert Advice
Kim Kavern, Senior Director of the Crime Victims Assitance Program at Safe Horizon, told Newsweek that people should reach out for help “immediately” if they believe they’re being stalked.
“Stalking is a serious problem that can put people at risk,” Kavern said. “If someone is being stalked, we recommend that they reach out for help immediately […] stalking is often, but not always, done by someone known to the victim.”
Kavern says victims should document everything—when and where they see their alleged stalkers, when and how they receive notes and/or gifts, and when their stalkers reach out electronically. She also advises them to contact professionals to help create safety plans.
“For example, you might arrange to text a friend when you leave work and when you get home so that if they don’t hear from you, they know there is trouble. You might arrange to carpool or to have someone walk with you to your car or public transportation, so you don’t have to travel alone,” Kavern said. “We don’t necessarily recommend changing your phone number because that can sometimes lead the stalker to escalate and try to find other ways to get in touch with you. Again, a professional can help guide you through what changes are right for you.”
‘Won’t Be Bothering Me Anymore’
But u/Zeddstar2000 didn’t reach out to local law enforcement or advocacy groups. Instead, she and her boyfriend contacted the alleged stalker’s boss.
“[The note’s author] was who I suspected it was, and as far as I know, they won’t be bothering me anymore,” u/Zeddstar2000 said.
Newsweek has reached out to u/Zeddstar2000 for comment. We could not verify the details of this case.
More Viral Posts
Last month, a man revealed to Newsweek that his daughter asked his ex-wife’s stalker to walk her down the aisle at her wedding.
In June, Redditors criticized a man who compiled a list of information about various women from his college campus and then shared it with his fraternity brothers.
And in May, a woman claimed she caught a “creepy” man staring at her through her bedroom window.
