never wait for anyone more than 10 min, at least not without receiving a call asking for the same and providing a valid reason for being late.

And run I did! Well, not really, but I got out of there as fast as possible. I was too embarrassed about being stood up and being accused of watching kids to have a sharp wit and a good response. An excuse was mumbled and I got out of there! And 54, I wouldn't normally wait longer than a half hour at most, but I suppose I was pretty hopeful for this date!

As a fellow human being, I'm sorry your date stood you up. Hopefully you'll find someone who will join you next time, or who will be honest enough to decline and save you the hassle. As a feminist, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry you were accused of creeping on kids. Unfortunately, our society has this idea that if you're male, you're automatically a violent sexual predator around women and children. Keep your chin up, OP. Things will get better!

There was no luck involved, just a bad date

#3: Yep, unfortunately people assume a man sitting by himself is somehow a pervert waiting to strike. (I'd make a joke about that line if it wasn't so sad.)

Plot twist: the date was set for another bench... The girl was waiting for an hour as well.

Plot twist: The person accusing him of perving on their kids was his date!

Some people are just extremely paranoid. Where I live, there was recently a case that a "concerned citizen" reported all over social media that "a pervert had tried to invite a child into his car, but luckily the child had escaped". The licence plate of the car was all over media, police launched a wide manhunt to catch the predator. Later it turned out that the car driving by was the kid's grandfather who offered the child a lift, but the kid refused, saying he's going to a friend's place instead. TL;DR - some people just jump to conclusions way too hastily.

I must say more and more people in our society is getting paranoid. That's why I can't go to my community pool, there are a lot of kids in there and having nobody going with me all the time is just too risky for me to be accused of something like this.

Tell me I'm paranoid after reading this: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/19/missing-girl-abduction/5603679/ There are some screwed up people in this world. Not saying this is common, but all it takes is one instance where you aren't paying attention and you may never see your child again. That risk is too high for me to not be concerned. Maybe it's different for you.

39 - that doesnt mean you can just go around acusing people of being creepers/child abductors when theyre not

if youre that paranoid then LEAVE THE PARK YOURSELF instead of acusing innocent people. just because you can show an article showing child abductions happen, doesnt give you the right to but in other peoples lives

This is just one instance, whereas there are millions of children in US. Your child is a lot more likely to be killed in a car crash or a gun accident than to be abducted. Of course you should teach them to be safe and to keep an eye on them, when necessary - but paranoia gets you nowhere.

#39 you're paranoid (you asked for it). The fact that lots of people are being killed in a daily basis doesn't give me a reason of accusing a random person of being a killer. So, same thing with abductions. There's nothing wrong with taking precautions but not to the point of violating other people's rights or freedom.

It's not like OP was sitting there taking pics of people's kids. I love going to the park and just relaxing since it's right by my house.

#46: But that makes too much sense, and we can't have that! /sarcasm.

Maybe where OP lives there isn't a cafe near her home.

Parks are open to the public, not just mothers and their children. Seriously.

I know parks are open to all. Just if in cafe can buy drink and wait and no-one will chase him off. People do get suspicious of single adults just standing around in a park nowadays.

doesnt matter, doesnt give strangers the right to be like that. OP has every fuckin right to be there even if theyre by themselves, have a problem with it dont bring your child to the park...

Hey I agree. Just trying to give other option for next time rather than OP being made to feel bad

#43 & #53: You're both right. Peace an' love, breddahs an' sestahs!

OR parents could stop being so overly paranoid. parks are generally for everybody not JUST kids, unless specified

It's not paranoid. I don't know about where you live, but multiple kids have been grabbed within 2 hours of my house. And their bodies found hours later. I'm sorry, if a child in responsible for is outside, I'm keeping both eyes on him/her. It's not paranoia. I wouldn't ask somebody to leave or anything. But if I felt they were a threat, I'd at least go talk to them and see what's up. You don't take risks like this when there's children (specifically your children) involved.

#24: What kind of bullshit twisted logic is that? There's a man in the park (or just alone in a public place?), therefore he must be looking for a child to murder? From men everywhere, fuck you.

Saying he might be, not that he is. And I'm not taking the risk. Like I said, I don't know where these people live, but where I live you don't let your kids play out front alone.

i think its sooooo fucked that people are bitching at op, you have NO BUSINESS asking a man thats alone what hes doing there, have problem with it get you and your kids ass home and stop trying to restric other peoples park acess.

38 there's a difference between having your kids play out front alone at home and your kids playing at a park while you're watching them. If something makes you uncomfortable, you should leave, not talk to the person to see what's up. Odds are the person isn't creeping, but if it is the person near you killing people, do you really think he'd leave because you asked?

I also don't really see what going up to a guy who you think is shifty and asking him what he's doing is going to accomplish. It's not like a paedophile is going to say " oh don't mind me, I'm just looking for a kid to kidnap, rape, and murder and yours is looking pretty good!" If he really does have evil intent then he'll obviously lie. If you see someone suspicious then you really are better off either keeping your child close or moving them somewhere else.

Not to mention that going up to them just puts the focus on your children specifically rather than a random child in the park. IOW you're literally putting a neon sign on your childs head if the guy/girl is wanting to kidnap them.

#38: If it's too dangerous for your kid to play in your front yard, it's too dangerous to let your kid leave the house. Everyone has a right to public parks; if you can't handle that, don't go there.

That's like telling a woman not to go out alone to avoid being raped.

#63: No, it's more like a woman accusing every random stranger she meets of being a rapist. The OP has done nothing wrong, but he was accused of being a sexual predator because he was in a public park.

woah stranger danger @#9, creep alert right here.

But #9 is from canada she wouldn't do such a thing

You never know 22 the people are nice but those moose are shifty as hell

Plot twist: the moose is the mastermind!

Quote or not,that was not cool.