Strange Behavior Question

[Faramir2]

Strange, unclear title, I know, but I was having trouble coming up with a better one, and the question requires describing a couple of scenarios to even ask it.

Here's the scenario: End of last week, my mom and sister were in the grocery store with my one-year-old nephew. My mom was letting him walk around in the aisle while my sister shopped. A couple stops to comment on how cute he is and narrate his thoughts—normal behavior from a middle-aged couple. Another lady passes and says, "I might just pick him up and take him home with me." Wasn't a cute tone, either, in the ooey-gooey, "Oh, he's so cute, I could just take him home and enjoy having him be cute" sort of way some people do. Everyone looks at her aghast, my mom ushers him away. Then she passes the lady later—and this is when it got weirder. The lady looks at him and makes this chewing, chomping sort of motion with her bared teeth at him, leaning toward him a bit. My mom made tracks elsewhere.

Couple of days later, we're sitting outside at a coffeeshop. I'm along this time, and I had seen this crazy-looking tall, skinny black dude trying half-heartedly to look like a lady come walking up the ramp to the front door. Wide eyes, unpredictable expression, looked like he was randomly falling over, grabbing the fence, and pulling himself back up with this flamboyant flourish. A little while later, he comes back out, as my mom is walking my nephew about. He says my nephew, stops to interact with him, and picks up his foot. Tells my nephew to pick up his foot, too, then says it much more sharply, when my infant nephew obviously doesn't get it. My mom picked up my nephew and skirted about this weirdo—as she does so, weirdo leans in and makes the same teeth chattering, chewing motion.

Does anyone have any idea of what the teeth thing is about? I can't find anything online about it but am convinced it was not coincidental. Two people behaving perversely and acting thoroughly as creeps, both doing that toward a little child? Too strange a set of circumstances to dismiss. I didn't intervene in the second scenario, but if weirdo dude had moved much closer to them, I was going to go hands-on and direct the dude elsewhere. Didn't actually do so, but it was exceedingly strange. Anyone got a sense of whether this was a drug thing, something else? The dude looked like he might be possessed, his expressions were that odd and contorted. Looked too healthy to be a regular tweaker, although it crossed my mind.

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[LawDog]

Looked too healthy to be a regular tweaker, although it crossed my mind.

Tweaker teeth take time. They don't all fit the visual image that we expect. But whether it is drugs or mental illness really doesn't matter from our perspective. We aren't looking to treat them; just to avoid them.

I'm trying to visualize the teeth chattering/chomping but having difficulty seeing it in my mind. There are too many variations. My own twisted mind goes immediately to cannibalism, but I realize that's pretty low odds.

I think people are often too trusting with strangers who approach their kids. Even if somebody isn't evil or high, they might just be really clumsy and hurt your kid accidentally. I wouldn't advocate for people to be helicopter parents, but it's reasonable to place yourself like a wall between your kid and other adults. If I walked up all interested in someone's child, I'll bet their protective instincts would kick in. But when a woman or an old man does the same thing, they don't act. In one sense, that's reasonable. There are very few female pedophiles. But women are just as likely to be idiots. Until you know that someone is safe--which includes both a lack of malice and also a certain minimum level of competence at life--they should be kept at bay. My own approach is a bit more gentle than Gabe's, but it's closer to Gabe than to Mister Rogers. I can smile with my mouth and still communicate with my eyes that I'm prepared to decapitate someone.

Encountering this bared teeth thing twice in a short time is weird, but probably still coincidental. If it really became widespread, I'd start worrying that we're at the beginning of World War Z.

[chad newton]

It’s the vaccinated.........

[jlwilliams]

Seeing a weird behavior like that twice in a short time is odd. My brain thinks "coincidence" but my gut doesn't believe in coincidence.

[coastalcop]

In the grocery store we they perchance near the fava beans or chianti ? ;)


I havent seen "chomping" around here, however jaw motion , thrusting of the jaw, and various tics are all side effects of several psychotropic drugs

[Redbug]

I knew a guy at work years ago that would do the chomping bit at times. It was anxiety.

But I could see how it could be psychotropic drugs since they are prescribed a lot.

[That Guy]

There are very few female pedophiles. But women are just as likely to be idiots.

While I don´t have statistics on this, I came across a few cases in which women were working in organized crime searching for suitable victims of kidnapping for either extortion, human trafficking or worse.
From the tactical perspective of OC it makes sense as women are seen as less threatening and are more likely to gain trust of children on average.

Conclusion: I´d react protective regardless of gender.

And I agree, the first thing I thought of was cannibalism. The second coincidence pointed towards a cannibal cult or a cannibal couple stalking you but that´s just my "professional paranoia" ;-)
The mental health or drug side effect explanation is the most likely cause.

[LawDog]

I came across a few cases in which women were working in organized crime searching for suitable victims of kidnapping for either extortion, human trafficking or worse.

The "honey trap" is a very real thing. I don't know the full story, but I'm familiar with a guy who destroyed his career with the Department of State because he couldn't resist the Russian beauties. It even occurs in the animal kingdom: in Alaska, a female wolf who was in heat would go prancing around the neighborhood to entice the male dogs to take off after her, then she would lead the dog back to the rest of her pack, where he would become dinner.

I suppose that's an identifiable danger to TRT that you guys who are on the sauce should worry about.

[Faramir2]

Thanks for all the responses. Definitely going to be less nice to people in the future, although not quite bite the head off immediately.

I will note that I don't think the movements were involuntary due to drugs. More intentional coming motion, as though imitating eating. Hopefully that's a more clear description. Doesn't sound like these two were moving their jaws like that (I would recognize those movements).

More thoughts and questions this evening.

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[Redbug]

Cannibalism! Good God! That really happens? Some real sickos. Silence of the Lambs.