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Being told to 'turn back' in some woods...

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djshadow

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
Joined
Jul 10, 2011
Messages
75
Hello you Fortean folks. Long time lurker stopping by who just realized he already has an account here (for a few years I think) after he tried to sign up tonight.

So much time had elapsed I'd forgot about it, and also never posted before.

Anyway, thought I would post a few minor-ish strange things which have happen to me over the years, starting with this one...

This happened about 15 years ago in some woodland in the Midlands. Me and two mates decided to go walking in some woods at around dusk. Not that lonely an area but nonetheless quite secluded.

About 10 minutes walking two men stepped out from the side of the path & stood in front of us. The convo went something like this...

Where you going lads?

Just going for a walk, one of us replied

No you're not, you're going to turn around & walk the other way.

Now at this point my alarm bells were starting to ring. Something just did not feel right about it (them).

What struck me more than anything - The two guys were not overtly aggressive, just very very confident in the fact they did not want us to go any further & that we were going comply. They both just stood there with their arms folded, blocking our route further into the woods.

*The above paragraph is what got my alarm bells ringing - It just did not feel right - Even though there were 3 of us and only two of them.

One of us said this is a public path, we can walk down here.

We pretty much got the same reply. The other guy never said a word. Only one guy did all the talking of very few words.

Cutting to the chase for the sake of brevity - we just decided to walk back the other way. Nothing more happened.

I have my own ideas about who they might have been & what they might have been doing but I thought I would throw it out to the folks on here for their ideas.

Minor strangeness I guess, but thanks for reading.
 
Hate to say it but badger baiting?
 
Criminals (gangsters) burying a body or something illegal?
Poachers?
Plain-clothes military/secret service guarding something in the woods (such as a secret nuclear bunker)?
Gamekeepers keeping people out?
People keeping others away from a dogfight or bare knuckle fight?
People keeping others away from a dogging/shagging session?
People keeping others away from an illegal treasure hunting dig?
 
hunck said:
Hate to say it but badger baiting?
Click to expand...
Thanks for the replies everyone - Funny that after pondering over the occasion a number of times in the last few years I never even considered badger-baiting or poaching. I am glad I asked now. Those who said this could be right.
 
Mythopoeika said:
Criminals (gangsters) burying a body or something illegal?
Poachers?
Plain-clothes military/secret service guarding something in the woods (such as a secret nuclear bunker)?
Gamekeepers keeping people out?
People keeping others away from a dogfight or bare knuckle fight?
People keeping others away from a dogging/shagging session?
People keeping others away from an illegal treasure hunting dig?
Click to expand...

Yes I did consider the burying a body option and the military or security stuff. No Nuclear Bunkers round there (I think), but the two guys did come across as very confident - There behavior came across like currently (or ex) serving army types or maybe police.

Although, if they were on some sort of stake-out why would they blow their cover?
 
Bigphoot2 said:
MIB :eek:
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No I dont think so, they did not act robotic and have wax-like faces. Hang on though, they didnt say much and it was dusk so maybe their faces were a bit mask-like!

That was a close shave if so!
 
Maybe real "toughs" would act differently?
During an urban exploration we once strayed near a hells-angels clubhouse. The "guard" was not aggressive at all just watchful. And when I asked some questions he just replied calmly "You know ... that's really not important." I was not inclined to ask further but neither was I scared or irritated. We all thought "how the f**k did he manage to get such an effect with so little effort ..."
 
uair01 said:
Maybe real "toughs" would act differently?
During an urban exploration we once strayed near a hells-angels clubhouse. The "guard" was not aggressive at all just watchful. And when I asked some questions he just replied calmly "You know ... that's really not important." I was not inclined to ask further but neither was I scared or irritated. We all thought "how the f**k did he manage to get such an effect with so little effort ..."
Click to expand...

Yes & that is exactly how both of them behaved, and what I thought afterwards. Although only one of them actually spoke. They certainly did not look like a stereotypical 'hardman' and they never made any moves towards us. They just blocked the path, arms folded & exuded confidence.

Having worked with some ex Paras (and other ex forces types) in my time its the kinda bluff (or even reality) they can put forward. You usually cannot do that unless you have 'form', so to speak.

I thought at the time - Ex or serving security or forces, but I'll never know now.
 
Shady said:
What were they wearing?
Click to expand...

I thought someone would ask this. One, I think in a short leather jacket and jeans. The other kinda the same. Like two blokes you would see down the pub having a drink. No camo gear, no equipment with them. Just a little extra - Maybe aged about 35 to 40. Normal looking blokes.

Which actually made it all the more unnerving.

I know people say 'trust your gut feeling' but yeah my alarm bells were ringing. Something did not feel right. I am glad I walked away. I even said to one of my mates when we got a distance away from them 'let them do what they need to do, I'd rather we walk away' - or something like that.
 
Good idea, i am suprised you wernt tempted to sneak around them
 
Mythopoeika said:
Criminals (gangsters) burying a body or something illegal?
Poachers?
Plain-clothes military/secret service guarding something in the woods (such as a secret nuclear bunker)?
Gamekeepers keeping people out?
People keeping others away from a dogfight or bare knuckle fight?
People keeping others away from a dogging/shagging session?
People keeping others away from an illegal treasure hunting dig?
Click to expand...

Oh and yes I did think it may have been two guys about to have some, er, 'fun'. If it was, that was an amazing bluff. Props to them both if so, they scared us away!
 
Shady said:
Good idea, i am suprised you wernt tempted to sneak around them
Click to expand...
My two mates might have done, but me being the eldest of the 3 of us acted more, ahem, sensible. I'm not into scrapping with strangers in woodland. I go out walking a lot on my own in woods as it is and I have kept alive thus far!
 
You say this was the Midlands - I'm curious as to whereabouts, as I'm from the area. Do you mind being a little more specific about which woods it was, or would you rather not say? Fine either way, of course!
 
I'd also like to know the area (google map link would be stellar) and a time of day, and day of week if u happen to remember. Maybe these details will set the stage a bit more.
 
My guess, badger baiting... unfortunately

real hard cases don't waste time with noisey proclamations. The confidence that they could undo you is worn like an external beacon. Perhaps it's a topic for another thread but I find it interesting that in society often without a word vamps can spot vamps, jokers can spot jokers, liberals etc.... and of course tough nuts...
 
milk23 said:
I find it interesting that in society often without a word vamps can spot vamps, jokers can spot jokers, liberals etc.... and of course tough nuts...
Click to expand...

Dont even think that it takes one to spot one. Years ago i had knew someone who truly had no filter when it came to reducing people to dust. You only had to look at his eyes.
From the way they were dressed it doesn't sound like they were doing much in the way of poaching or baiting-dunno what the sartorial choices for dog fighting would be though. Burying something in a shallow hole perhaps? Sounds like you made the right choice anyway. Did you ever go back that way afterwards?
 
milk23 said:
My guess, badger baiting... unfortunately

real hard cases don't waste time with noisey proclamations. The confidence that they could undo you is worn like an external beacon. Perhaps it's a topic for another thread but I find it interesting that in society often without a word vamps can spot vamps, jokers can spot jokers, liberals etc.... and of course tough nuts...
Click to expand...

I've a mate who is an ex-marine and he's like that. I remember one incident where some loud mouth in a pub came up to him and went into great detail about how he was going to give him a kicking. My mate waited for him to stop shouting and just said very quietly "No you won't."
It was like all the air was let out of loud mouth, he shut up and walked away. Then when he got to the door of the pub shouted "I'll get you the next time!" and legged it away :)
 
milk23 said:
My guess, badger baiting... unfortunately

real hard cases don't waste time with noisey proclamations. The confidence that they could undo you is worn like an external beacon. Perhaps it's a topic for another thread but I find it interesting that in society often without a word vamps can spot vamps, jokers can spot jokers, liberals etc.... and of course tough nuts...
Click to expand...

Yes, that would be a good thread topic! This is something I'm interested in but I don't even know what to call it to do any research...besides "it takes one to know one" or something like that. I became quite intrigued by this when attending a speech by Bill Clinton when he was on the stump for his wife. The auditorium was full and the streets were crowded with onlookers who wanted to see the ex-president, but had no intention of voting for Hillary. Somehow I was pulled in and given a seat, and I know it was because they spotted me as a liberal and actual potential voter. I've always wondered how they knew.
It's not as if I was dressed like a hippie. I was wearing proper clothes an' everything. :p

Sorry for the OT. :oops: If someone could give me a heads up on where to start researching, I'd be grateful.
 
Bigphoot2 said:
I've a mate who is an ex-marine and he's like that. I remember one incident where some loud mouth in a pub came up to him and went into great detail about how he was going to give him a kicking. My mate waited for him to stop shouting and just said very quietly "No you won't."
It was like all the air was let out of loud mouth, he shut up and walked away. Then when he got to the door of the pub shouted "I'll get you the next time!" and legged it away :)
Click to expand...

Hahaha, brilliant! Reminds me of a similar thing that happened to me. I was driving in Clydebank, at work, and for no reason at all a guy came out in the street behind me waving his arms and clearly shouting obscenities. I could see him in my mirror, so I went round the roundabout and came back along. He saw me and came out again going absolutely mental. I have no idea who he was or what he thought I'd done but I rolled down the window and shouted out, "I'll be back to see you later." I thought that was hilarious.
I expect he got some friends round, tooled up, ready for me coming back. :p Obviously I didn't, I went home and forgot all about it until now.
To this day I haven't the foggiest idea WTF was going on there.
 
XEPER_ said:
Hahaha, brilliant! Reminds me of a similar thing that happened to me. I was driving in Clydebank, at work, and for no reason at all a guy came out in the street behind me waving his arms and clearly shouting obscenities. I could see him in my mirror, so I went round the roundabout and came back along. He saw me and came out again going absolutely mental. I have no idea who he was or what he thought I'd done but I rolled down the window and shouted out, "I'll be back to see you later." I thought that was hilarious.
I expect he got some friends round, tooled up, ready for me coming back. :p Obviously I didn't, I went home and forgot all about it until now.
To this day I haven't the foggiest idea WTF was going on there.
Click to expand...
Probably just one of the mentally ill.
 
Perhaps it was smart to retreat. Remember what happened to Ned Beatty in Deliverance. :)
 
I'm surprised no-one's suggested "devil-worshippers". Or perhaps it's just in this part of the country that that would be the first thought?
 
milk23 said:
My guess, badger baiting... unfortunately

real hard cases don't waste time with noisey proclamations. The confidence that they could undo you is worn like an external beacon. Perhaps it's a topic for another thread but I find it interesting that in society often without a word vamps can spot vamps, jokers can spot jokers, liberals etc.... and of course tough nuts...
Click to expand...

Partly agree with this yes. I am convinced they had form. Neither of them made any attempt to be overtly aggressive, but there was a clear (unspoken) dynamic going on that said 'you really do not want to f**k with us'.

That is how it appeared to me anyhow. Which is why I walked away.
 
jacolantern said:
Dont even think that it takes one to spot one. Years ago i had knew someone who truly had no filter when it came to reducing people to dust. You only had to look at his eyes.
From the way they were dressed it doesn't sound like they were doing much in the way of poaching or baiting-dunno what the sartorial choices for dog fighting would be though. Burying something in a shallow hole perhaps? Sounds like you made the right choice anyway. Did you ever go back that way afterwards?
Click to expand...

I did state up-thread that possible badger baiting had not occurred to me before, it was only after posting on here and getting those suggestions I thought yeah maybe. But they did not really appear to be dressed for yomping through woodland late at night or poaching etc.

Maybe burying something yes. Weapons cache perhaps?

No I have never been back there since. I'm not sure even how to get to the place again, so their secret will possibly remain one forever now.
 
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