“Dear PoPville,
I’m writing to alert you that the coffee date predator is REALLY not giving up!
This is in reference to your posts, and I luckily found today after running into him last week and having the same experience as so many other women in DC!
He approached me – and everything that happened to the woman in your article ALSO happened to me. I was at the Safeway in Southwest,
right by the waterfront metro last Thursday afternoon. I had just walked in and paused by the cold drinks when he approached, aggressively friendly, and began to say he was new to the area from NYC and if I knew any coffee places. I did just as the woman in your article, and stupidly gave him my number, of which he immediately called while I was standing there to verify. I also told him I had a partner. I got away before he gave out any hugs or kisses – scary to know now that’s his MO – and grabbed what I needed at the store, all in my arms. As I made it around to the other side of the store, I was carrying so many things that when I did run into him again, a quick chuckle about having my hands full kept me en route to the register. Being a woman of my word, I kindly texted him later with some coffee suggestions, and he tried to turn the minimal conversation towards a more suggestive tone. I reiterated that I had a partner, and after sharing my disgust, I blocked him.
I turned to google and looked up his phone number which brought me to a name, and a google of the name led to this reddit where I found out that he’s been doing this since at least 2021. Thanks to local Redditors who posted screenshots of him on dating profiles, I was able to verify it was the same guy I had met. The hat, the clothes, the whole look, everything is exactly what he was like last week. One user also included a link to your posts, which is how I found it.
I’m extremely grateful for the DC women who posted because the guy isn’t technically doing anything WRONG or ILLEGAL – but it isn’t good either.
I just don’t want another woman to be caught off guard and feel obligated to give this person her number. “No” is a full sentence!”