PanicStation.org
UK USA
uk Sexual violence & highly sensitive situations

What to do if…
someone you just met follows you and will not take no for an answer

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Do not go to your room with them. Move to a staffed or public area, such as reception, a lobby, a bar, or a common area, and get another person involved immediately.

Do not do these things

  • Do not let them walk you to your door to keep the peace if you feel uneasy.
  • Do not unlock your room door while they are beside you.
  • Do not go into a lift, stairwell, corridor, or your floor with them if you can avoid it.
  • Do not argue, justify, or negotiate; your goal is distance and support, not persuasion.
  • Do not accept a drink, phone “help,” or a private “one minute” conversation as a compromise.
  • Do not worry about being polite or fair while you are trying to get away.

What to do now

  1. Move to a staffed or public place immediately. Turn around and go to reception, the lobby, a busy café or bar, a common room, or anywhere with people and cameras. If you are already near your door, keep walking past it.
  2. Use one clear line, then act. Say: “I’m not going to my room. I’m going to reception.” Then stop explaining and focus on getting near other people.
  3. Bring a third party in right away. Approach staff or a group and say: “I don’t know this person well. They won’t leave me alone. Can you stay with me and ask them to leave?”
  4. Ask staff for a specific safety action.
    • Hotel or hostel: ask reception or security to stay with you, stop the person following you, and escort you only when the route is clear.
    • Student accommodation: call hall security, the duty warden, or reception and ask to be met in a common area.
    • Apartment building: ask concierge or security to deny access and help you get safely inside.
  5. Call someone on speaker and say what is happening. Say out loud: “I’m at [place]. A person I just met is pressuring me to go to my room and won’t leave. Stay on the line.”
  6. If you feel at immediate risk, call emergency services. In the UK, call 999 or 112 and say where you are, that you feel unsafe, and that someone is following or pressuring you and will not leave.
  7. Change the route or delay going to your room. Ask staff to escort you by a different route, help you wait somewhere safe until the person leaves, or move you to another room or floor for the night if that is available and feels safer.
  8. If they still will not stop, keep other people physically with you. Ask staff to remove the person from the premises if they can, and ask them to record the date, time, location, and description of what happened.

If you think you may want support or to report later, keep any messages as they are for now, but only if doing that does not delay getting to safety.

What can wait

You do not need to decide right now whether to report anything, complain formally, block them, or explain yourself. You do not need to prove that you said no in the right way. First, get safely separated and stay near people who can help.

Important reassurance

Feeling frozen, conflicted, or worried about being rude is common in moments like this. Someone not taking no for an answer is enough reason to change course, involve other people, and protect your access to your room.

Scope note

These are first steps to create distance, get support, and reduce immediate risk. Later decisions, such as medical support, reporting, complaints, or specialist sexual violence support, may need help from trained services.

Important note

This is general information, not legal, medical, financial, therapeutic, or professional advice. If you are in immediate danger, call 999 or 112.

If you have been sexually assaulted, or you are worried something might happen, you can usually seek confidential help and medical care even if you are unsure about reporting. Services and access routes vary across the UK’s nations; staff at a hotel, venue, accommodation, or campus can help you contact the right local service while you stay somewhere safe.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us