#ThatAwkwardMomentWhen: You're followed on a desolate street in the middle of hipsterville

Oct 13

We interrupt this post to bring you a pick up tip from our friends at DateMySchool.com: When working out of a coffee shop a good pick up line is, "can I borrow the plug?" (True story, I've used that one myself.) Okay, carry on.

What the hell was the hipster going to do to me anyway?

Strangle me with irony and bury me in deep rooted resentment for all things popular?

Weird.

Anywho, so last night I got hit up by a buddy of mine inviting me to this house party in Silverlake.

Yes .... Silverlake.

I live in West Hollywood, and in almost 9 years of living in LA, I can genuinely count on ONE hand how many parties I have ever been to in Silverlake.

It's not like I'm entirely mad at the scene, they do have some cool art galleries ... HOWEVER, it's just not my tribe o'peeps. (I'm more of a Venice, SaMo, beachy but like the bars kinda girl.) I only live in West Hollywood because it is so convenient to everything that I do and it also feels like a little neighborhood. I genuinely say hello to all the business owners when I go on my little walks, and I see the same people every morning on my run. In a city of so many millions of people it's nice to have a little nook of comfort and familiar faces.

Anyway ... SILVERLAKE on the other hand is filled with flanels, hipsters, and super expensive coffee shops. It's just not my scene!!! Never has been - never will be.

Either way, I dig this friend a lot (and we are professionally involved as well so I also just had some catching up to do), so I made an exception.

I then got on the bus around 10:30 and headed east.

About 15 minutes into the ride, this dude with a wheelchair gets on (a LOT of disabled people take the bus). Nothing unusual at first, he was stationed directly in front of me - I thought nothing of it.

5 minutes into his ride, he starts losing.his.shit. screaming and waving his arms around.

The bus driver stops and the passenger starts screaming that we need to let him off.

The driver makes no fuss (watching these guys stay SOOOO calm in situations like this is INCREDIBLY inspiring. Don't FUCK with the bus drivers.) and goes to lower the ramp letting him down.

The guy doesn't want to wait so he continues his cussing rant and then tries to get off the bus without the ramp.

At this point, everyone starts looking away to not get involved so I lowered my head in unison.

Seconds later he is off the bus, and the passengers start clapping.

I was just trying to help him, said the driver.

You weren't in the wrong man, said one of the passengers.

As the bus pulls away you can hear the guy still screaming in the street flipping off the bus driver.

Trippy, I thought.

I then get to my stop, and pull out my google maps app (I REFUSE to upgrade to the new ios) and figure out where to go next.

I then look over and notice that the map is telling me to hang a right - the only problem with that is that there is no road to the right, only stairs.

Does google want me to ACTUALLY go up these unlit, creepy as fuck looking stairs?

I check the GPS and I am immediately on the blue dot.

NOOOOOOOOOO, I think, it does want me to go up here.

Fine, Friel. Just do it, I said to myself.

I then took off my headphones (to stay more alert), turned on my flashlight app and began runnniinnnnngggggg up the flights of stairs. (There were at least 6 in all.)

Just get through this Friel, just get through this.

I then get to the top, walk about another half mile up and down some pretty gnarly hills and get inside to the party.

It was pretty chill, everyone was just playing kings cup and drinking some beer. Definitely my kind of scene.

The kids who were throwing the party were from the bay area in town for some meetings. They're super fancy pants so instead of crashing at hotels and stuff they just go and rent houses.

Totally normal.

I struck up some really AH-MAZING conversations with people, but by 1:30 my tired bones were ready to go home.

I then said good bye to everyone exchanging numbers and twitter accounts, and prepared myself for the walk back.

When I walk late at night I always always always have a hoodie on so I can immediately go into ninja mode putting the hood up and appearing slightly less attractive from the "lowest hanging fruit" perspective.

I made it around the corner and up the first REALLY big hill before I notice a shadow behind me.

Now, Silverlake at this hour is DEEAAADDDD. I'm in a SUPER residental area, and you could literally hear a pin drop. Super super super freaking quiet.

The shadow then gets closer.

I cross the street.

I make it a few more steps before I see the shadow cross the street with me as well.

Shit, I think. My heart begins to race as I cross the street again.

The shadow follows.

One more time, I think - one more time ...

I IMMEDIATELY cross the street again.

The shadow follows.

I turn around, place my arm out and yell NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO as loudly as I could (even managing to wake up some of the neighbors).

The guy looks at me COMPLETELY stunned.

Miss, miss, he said, I'm just looking for my friend. I mean no trouble.

IF YOU CONTINUE TO FOLLOW ME LIKE THIS YOU ARE GOING TO GET TROUBLE, I SCREAM back.

I then continue to walk, he doesn't follow.

No harm to the dude, I have absolutely no doubt he either thought I was someone else or was just super fucked up on god knows what ... either way though, that was HIS problem, not mine.

I then made sure he wasn't still following me as I then DARRTTEEEEDDD down the rapey stairs and back onto the main street where I caught the bus.

Fucking hipsters, I thought as I sat and waited.

A few minutes later the bus arrived and I got dropped off in Hollywood.

Home sweet Hollywood, I thought.

I then started walking down Sunset and a car stops me.

The passenger is literally hanging out of the car. (It is almost 2:30 at this point, btw)

Hi, he shouts at me.

I'm not a prostitute, I screamed back.

(After walking so many places solo, I literally can't begin to tell you how many men have thought I was a prostitute. It has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with the way that you dress either - it's just the fact that NO ONE WALKS IN LA let alone a single female, let alone late at night.)

I think you're really cute, the guy said back.

IT'S AFTER TWO AM!! STOP TALKING TO ME!!! I yelled back as I crossed the street to get out of the way.

ANNNNDD now I'm home, and have a date tonight that I've been looking forward to ALL week!! This guy on paper sounds pretty freaking rad AND he's taking me to a concert at a cemetary tonight. Odd that sitting next to crypts and tombstones will be LESS creepy than 24 hours earlier, but I'll take what I can get.

Lesson Learned: When in Silverlake, get a fucking cab.

Rock on!