Hello Everyone,
Evelyn Here,
Tonight I am relating a true and personal experience that ending with the firing of a Walgreen’s manager. On Sunday, May 07, 2007, I was the unfortunate victim of a sexual predator.
The incident occurred on what appeared to be an ordinary and peaceful Sunday afternoon. As usual, I was volunteering at my parish, but before starting, I stopped at the Skyway Shopping Center on 62nd Avenue South and Martin Luther King Drive. I needed to pick up a few things, and I needed a battery for my alarm clock. My first stop took me to the discount store located next to the Walgreen’s Drug Store. When I left that store, I went to Walgreens.
When I arrived at Walgreens I immediately sought out someone to help me find and determine which battery I needed for my alarm clock. The first person I encountered was a young woman. When I came to the camera counter she rudely said, “What do you want?” I thought she might have been having a bad day and that her temperament had just slipped a bit. So I ignored her rude remark, and told her that I wanted help finding a battery. She pointed to the batteries section ofthe store.
After I reached to battery section, which is partially behind one of the store‘s check out counters, the store manager approached me and asked me what was I looking for. I told him that I needed a battery for my clock and I showed him the palm size alarm clock. I told the manager that my problem with the clock was that I could not remember what size battery it used and from the three choices that the store carried, I was unsure as to which to buy or whether I should buy all three.
As I related this information to the manager he started caressed his private area. I at first thought he was unaware of the fact that he had touched himself and that he had an itch. However, when he began caressing himself as if he was attempting to sexual stimulate himself, I got from behind the counter and stood between the two-checkout counter at the front of the store. By now, I just want I buy any battery and leave. However, the manager followed me and began stimulating himself again and in front passing customers. I then confronted him and told him to stop it. He quickly went on the defense and tried to pretend that he had no idea of what I was talking bout, and when I told him exactly what I was talking about he tried pretend that I was making the whole incident up.
I realized that the man was a snake and I had had enough. I then demanded the name and phone number of his district manager. He did not want me to have this information, and threaten to call the police on me. This was said by a man who had just sexually stimulated himself in front of me and other customers. I still demanded his district manager’s name and number and I called the police myself. Whether this manager called the police department is unknown, but I did and I did not leave that store until I got his district store manager’s name and phone number.
From the store I went to church where I intended to call Walgreen’s district office for this area, and someone in a metallic gray car followed me and circle the parking lot once before leaving to head back toward the drug store. I did call and left a detail message of what happened for the district manager and my phone number.
A friend showed up and I related the incident and still feeling shaken by it all, I went home and called the police department. When the officer came out, I made a written report of the Walgreen’s incident for my personal protection because I did not and still do not trust that former manager not to retaliate.
Since that incident, I spoken with the district manager and I related to him again what occurred in the store and by the end the conversation, I was informed that the incident had been investigated and that that manager had been fired and a new one had replaced him. I found this to be true when I went in pick up some medication a few days later. I was also told that I could shop in the store wherever I want and that I should call again if there are reoccurring problems. I believe the district manager knows I would make a call if necessary.
Other than a couple of jerks making remarks, one was attempting to pick me up and the other thought I had been frightening away from shopping in those stores, I have no serious problem in shopping in the center. I believe that both of these recent incidents are related to what happened on that Sunday of May 7, 200, but by reporting them they too will stop.
Still, I happy to say, that I am not sorry to disappoint everyone who thought that I would be frighten off. Why anyone would think that I would allow any man perpetrate such a crime is beyond me. However, these incidents has told me that the people who perpetrated theses acts did not and do not know me. It is also clear to me that they have neither read my blog nor looked at my links.
I have related this story because not only it is true, but also because it is a clear example of how sexual predators try to make the victim appear and/or feel like the guilty party. It is also clear that for reasons unknown to me that these people wanted to humiliate me. They did not succeed, but a man did lose his job. That is something to think about.
Why did he do it? I do not know. Why me? I do not know.
http://www.usdoj.gov/ovw/sexassault.htm
Evelyn out.
