Romantic Gesture or Creepy Stalker?

Summary

A woman's discovery of a mysterious sticky note with a phone number on her car leads to a humorous investigation into whether it's a romantic gesture or a sinister ploy, ultimately revealing an unconventional marketing strategy by a hail damage repair shop.

Abstract

In March, the author found a charming post-it note on her car with a phone number and an invitation to call, sparking romantic fantasies reminiscent of 80's RomComs. Despite her initial excitement, she also considered the possibility that the note could be from someone with malicious intent, such as a serial killer. Seeking advice, she turned to her Facebook community, which offered various theories and suggestions, including handwriting analysis that pointed to an elderly woman as the potential author. The mystery was resolved with a reverse phone number lookup, revealing the note was part of a marketing scheme by a hail damage repair service, which targeted her car that had suffered in recent hailstorms. The author expressed relief at not being the target of a stalker or killer but also a tinge of disappointment that the gesture was not genuinely romantic.

Opinions

The author harbors a romantic side, as evidenced by her nostalgic reference to a scene from the movie "Sixteen Candles" and her hope that the note signaled a chance at romance.
She has a dark sense of humor, joking about the possibility of the note being from a serial killer, specifically referencing Ted Bundy.
The author values her community's input, as shown by her decision to crowdsource advice on Facebook regarding the mysterious note.
She demonstrates a mix of skepticism and optimism, being both intrigued by potential romantic gestures and cautious about the intentions behind them.
The author is resourceful, using a reverse phone number lookup to uncover the truth behind the note.
There is a sense of relief and humor in her reaction to discovering the note was a marketing ploy, rather than a genuine romantic advance or a threatening situation.
She expresses a playful frustration with the universe, feeling teased by the prospect of a romantic encounter that turned out to be a business strategy.

Yes, I’m an 80’s RomCom Addict

So of course, I was transfixed. My heart fluttered back to that moment in Sixteen Candles when she silently mouths “Who Me?” to Jake Ryan as he leans against his red Porsche across the street. I cant be the only Gen-Xer who holds that moment sacred.

Obviously I stole this from the internet. I dare you to not curate me (like that was going to happen anyway)

Was this sweet missive a sign that my (often suppressed and rarely mentioned) romantic dreams were not hopeless? I pretend to be a complete cynic but I’m bizarrely attuned to signs from the Universe.

But I’m Also Obsessed with Serial Killers

Alternatively this could be millennial Ted Bundy cleverly toying with my emotions. Deliberately targeting my single-mum-status-Subaru in the hopes of fashioning himself a new skin suit. What to do? What to do?

Author pic: the actual window of my Subaru from that fated day in March

So I did what any sane person would do. I crowd sourced on Facebook for advice.

Please note that I blurred out the phone number so my pervy friends wouldn’t harass this poor soul before the mystery was solved. How considerate of me.

The FB hive went straight to work. There was a lot of discussion around the merits of calling versus texting. Perhaps using a “burner” phone. And plenty of offers from friends willing to call on my behalf.

But we needed to know more. There was an in depth analysis of the handwriting. Perhaps an elderly lady, indicated by the gentle slope of the cursive script. That seemed to be the consensus anyhow.

But what did she want with me? Was she stalking me for my skirt? My shoes? After all, old ladies do love Mary Janes.

Eventually some bright spark suggested I do a reverse lookup on the phone number.

Wow! It’s Option Three: Underhanded Marketing

That’s right, the reverse number lookup led me straight to a hail damage repair shop in Greeley.

Note: if any of my readers are searching for this kind of attention, you’ll just need to never fix your car after a hailstorm (mine is the battle worn mistress of three recent barrages).

But thank god we’d collectively solved the mystery. The interwebs is truly a marvelous thing. What did sane people do before? I marveled.

I was also relieved that I wouldn’t be harvested for body parts. Or my shoes (let’s face it they were expensive).

Yet, a part of me was devastated. Why is fate such a fickle master? Where was my Jake Ryan? Is it really necessary to play such cunning tricks on Gen Xers and their Mary Janes? You hail damage Lothario, you!

Romantic Gesture or Creepy Stalker?

Uncovering the mystery behind an innocent sticky note left me wanting more …

Yes, I’m an 80’s RomCom Addict

But I’m Also Obsessed with Serial Killers

Wow! It’s Option Three: Underhanded Marketing

Still Hopeless

How Young Should I Date?

Or how old? Does age disparity influence your search for a soul mate?

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