I stayed 3 feet back.

When I was 15 I was walking along the road on my way to my mother's office. This part of the sidewalk was very wide with a fence along one side. A car, Cadillac I think, did a u turn and drove up onto the sidewalk where I was walking. The car parked diagonally across the walk blocking my way. The driver rolled down his window and said he wanted directions. I knew something was up but I felt trapped. There was no where to go.

When the driver asked me to step closer I did so because I wanted to keep him calm. He had already driven across my way close so I just stepped forward one or two steps. I stayed about 3 feet from the car. All at once the driver grabbed my arm and began to open his car door. Because I was 3 feet away, I still had the advantage and was able to wrestle my arm away. I took off running back the way I came as fast as I could.

This particular road was a raised road that had some stepped alleys down to a lower road. The lower road also led to my moms office. Her office was at the point where these two roads converged.

Anyway, there weren't many people around so I ran as fast as I could to my moms office. I ran in the door and started telling my mom what happened. But she had seen the car coming our way and she told me to hide. Meanwhile she used the radio to call her coworkers (gas line men) and then used the radio to contact police dispatch.

The man who tried to grab me came into the office screaming “where is that little bitch!” . The line men arrived back at the office and the police very shortly after.

According to the police no crime had actually been committed and so the best they could do was escort him out of town.

I am not sure my life was saved that day, but by staying 3 feet back from the car, I did save myself from something terrible.