A Creepy Man Blocked My Exit at the Library
44sViewers will immediately relate to the fear of being trapped by a creepy stranger in a public restroom.
▶ Play ClipAI Summary
In this personal story, a VTuber recounts a nerve-wracking encounter with a creepy stranger while running an errand to get a library card. Relying on a childhood book from the 1970s, 'The Know How Book of Spycraft,' they use counter-surveillance techniques to confirm they are being followed and successfully lose the tail in a crowded shopping center. The video highlights the value of trusting your gut and the practical lessons that can stick with you from childhood reading.
Chapters
[00:02]
A routine errand turns threatening
The author goes out for a library card and notices a creepy man blocking the southern exit of the public toilets, triggering an intuitive sense of danger.
[01:02]
Trusting subconscious instincts
The author recalls how an earlier gut feeling about a car door opening saved them while cycling, explaining that the brain processes environmental clues faster at a subconscious level.
[01:32]
The man follows through another door
After the author exits via the northern door, the stranger stops blocking his original spot, crosses the washing area, and follows, raising the author's alert level to 'ready to act.'
[02:21]
Childhood spycraft lesson
A 1970s book, The Know How Book of Spycraft, taught that to tell if you are being tailed, take a circular route—only a follower would also complete the loop.
[02:50]
Testing the tail with a loop
The author descends to an underground car park, crosses it, and climbs back up, with the man continuing to follow the entire time.
[03:02]
Using CCTV as an evidence trail
The author deliberately stays within view of the council's panopticon-style CCTV cameras so there would be evidence if harm came.
[03:47]
Losing the follower in a mall
In the crowded shopping center with many exits, the author breaks line of sight by entering the food court and immediately leaving through a separate door.
[04:46]
Safe after repeated evasions
After a few more maneuvers, the tail is gone; the author has an adrenaline crash and heads home, wondering what the man's intentions were.
The author successfully escaped a potentially dangerous situation by applying practical spycraft from a children's book, underscoring that simple, well-learned techniques—and trusting your instincts—can genuinely help in real-world danger.
Mentioned in this Video
Study Flashcards (5)
According to "The Know How Book of Spycraft," what route should you take to check if you are being followed?
easy
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According to "The Know How Book of Spycraft," what route should you take to check if you are being followed?
easy
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Take a route in a circle—the only reason someone would go in a circle is if they were following you.
02:34
What did the author do to leave an evidence trail while being followed?
medium
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What did the author do to leave an evidence trail while being followed?
medium
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He kept himself in view of the council's panopticon-like CCTV cameras.
03:02
Why did the author choose the shopping center as the place to lose his tail?
easy
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Why did the author choose the shopping center as the place to lose his tail?
easy
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Because it was crowded and had many entrances and exits.
04:19
What method did the author use to break line of sight in the mall?
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What method did the author use to break line of sight in the mall?
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He entered the food court and then quickly exited via a separate door, so the follower couldn't determine which door he left from.
04:19
What earlier incident convinced the author to trust his gut instincts?
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What earlier incident convinced the author to trust his gut instincts?
easy
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His intuition told him to avoid riding close to a car, which then suddenly opened its door as he passed, almost hitting him.
01:02
💡 Key Takeaways
💡
Gut instinct as fast processing
The brain can pick up environmental clues at a sub-vocal level faster than conscious reasoning, which is why trusting your gut can save you.
01:02
🔧
Circular route tail-check
A simple, actionable spycraft technique: walk in a circle to see if anyone follows; a normal person wouldn't complete the loop.
02:34
🔧
Using CCTV as insurance
Staying in camera view is a clever way to create an evidence trail during a potentially dangerous situation.
03:02
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Breaking line of sight in public
Entering a busy area and exiting through a separate door is an effective way to lose a tail because they can't tell which exit you used.
04:19
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Childhood knowledge pays off
A quirky 1970s kids' book turned out to be a life-saving reference decades later, showing the lasting value of what we learn young.
05:01Full Transcript
[00:02] a very dangerous situation but thanks to a kids book published in the 1970s no harm came to me this is the story of what happened one day when I ventured what happened one day when I ventured out to get a library card a few months
[00:16] ago I ventured outside to get a library card due to the limitations of my mortal and biological body I was required to use the toilet the public toilets just outside the library have a common sink area for washing up after doing what is
[00:34] unfortunately necessary I had just washed my hands and was about to leave but there was a man standing in the southern exit just leaning against the
[00:46] side of the door frame the man was Well Creepy when I saw this guy something in my subconscious said you should be worried about this guy it was the type of intuitive sense that once told me to avoid riding too close to a car because
[01:02] it was about to open its door this actually saved me because it did open its door suddenly as I rode past I guess your brain can pick up environmental your brain can pick up environmental Clues and work things out at a sub vocal
[01:17] level far more quickly than you can reason it out so I've always felt that it is wise to follow my gut also the guy was just standing in the door blocking it who the hell does that so I left through the alternative door on the
[01:32] Northern end the guy stopped blocking his door walked through the washing up area and followed me out through the northern door my internal awareness scale went from my normal moderate plan and prepare to the high of the ready to
[01:52] act however this creepy guy could have been totally innocent I might have just been anxious and so difficult because I'm a naturally anxious and socially difficult person
[02:05] why do you think I'm a vtuber was this guy really following me or was it just a massive coincidence that he happened to be going the same direction as me when I was in a primary school I read a book from the' 70s called The knoow Book of
[02:21] from the' 70s called The knoow Book of spycraft it contained information about spycraft it contained information about spy techniques one of these things was how do you tell if you are being tailed and the advice was take a route in a
[02:34] circle the only reason a person would be going in a circle would be if they were going in a circle would be if they were following you so that's what I did below the library and the library Plaza is an underground car park with two sets of
[02:50] stairs leading down to it on either side of the plaza so I crossed the plaza and went down on the east side stairs he followed me me I went across the car
[03:02] followed me me I went across the car park keeping myself in vision of the council's pan Opticon like closed circuit TV cameras so at least if I came to harm I'd leave an Evidence trial he was still following me I climbed up to
[03:17] was still following me I climbed up to the stairs and returned to the side of the plaza where I had started and he was still behind me climbing the stairs oh my alertness went to the extreme take action now to save life and
[03:32] property I had to escape from this situation and thankfully the book had some advice for me so from the plaza I some advice for me so from the plaza I continued across a destrian bridge to a
[03:47] nearby shopping center the mall on the other side was my target but for the instructions to work I would need a little bit of space between me and my little bit of space between me and my tail I incre my space of walking and
[04:02] then when I reached the mall I broke line of sight with the man by quickly entering into the food court this shopping center had all the features I needed to lose this creep first it was crowded but also secondly it had many
[04:19] crowded but also secondly it had many entrances and exits so as soon as I was in the shopping mall I entered I exited via a separate door this meant when he was following me he would not be able to
[04:33] work out which through which door I left after a few more repeats of this technique my tail was nowhere to be seen and I relaxed and let my alert status
[04:46] fall to moderate and then had an adrenaline crash so after I recovered from that I headed home wondering what this guy's issue was and did a book from this guy's issue was and did a book from my childhood actually save me from some
[05:01] my childhood actually save me from some sort of assault abduction weird sort of assault abduction weird religious propaganda who knows
