The Criminally Stalking Pimp At Horton Plaza, San Diego, California

Beyond the taxis to be cautious about, around the U.S. military bases, there was a required amount of time, where I had to be in military uniform, off-base, upon first arriving in San Diego, at my naval "A" school command. This attracted a particular pimp-looking, neon purple, zoot-suited, 30's, African-American,  male gangster at Horton Plaza, in downtown San Diego. He kept stalking me there, and trying to get me to go to his "places." He mentioned having a large amount of girls, that he took care of, and said I would be a good addition to his collection, as if females were collectable dolls. He sat down next to me at the soft pretzel place, where I was eating, to harass me. Then, he followed me to the movie theater in the same open-air, shopping plaza, where I went to see a film. I remember being extremely relieved to run into a Navy SEAL candidate/fellow school mate at the public bus stop, right after I left Horton Plaza.

This was a popular, tourist-filled shopping plaza. There, I went to see movies, like "Mr. Holland's Opus," or buy souvenirs from the Warner Bro's and Disney shops to send to my nephew, back in Virginia. I remember a downtown San Diego, where double rainbows, airplanes and criminals were always in abundance. Unfortunately, I enjoyed buying country music CD's too. I was clearly not a Californian and had just turned 18 years old at the time. Sometimes I was mistaken for a Japanese tourist in civilian clothes. I would go there (to Horton Plaza), in Converse sneakers, jeans and thermal, long-sleeved shirts. Sometimes I actually wore a flannel shirt, as a light jacket. I was the same Virginian that knew how to square dance. I also grew up saying, "y'all" or "y'alls" which I quickly learned was not socially respectable anywhere else than in Virginia. In my free time, I was often looking at antiques or visiting friends of other U.S. Navy radioman friends from base.