One of the first rules that your parents teach you as a kid is to not talk to strangers. As a young woman, this point is emphasized even more. And yet, as much as a lesson is ingrained in a person, one can lose their faculties altogether and just go and do something really stupid. After a lovely day in DC, I was taking the metro back. The red line was predictably delayed due to construction, so I was waiting on the track. Some random dude sidled up to me and started making conversation. Not in a light, pleasant way, but in an invasive and creepy way. He asked where I was headed and my brain couldn’t come up with a lie quick enough, so not only did I engage with him, but I told him exactly where I was going. I then spent the rest of the day looking over my shoulder and cutting around corners to try to make sure I wasn’t being followed. I’m hoping my street smarts eventually improve.
Pro-Tip: Don’t be an idiot. If someone asks where you’re going, give some sort of vague canned response. Or give them a straight answer and roll the dice on them not being a serial killer.