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**Exclusive**
Michael Jackson
is chased by fans while shopping on Melrose
Los Angeles, California - 15.11.07
* THRILLER AS JACKSON BRINGS LOS ANGELES SHOPPING DISTRICT TO A STANDSTILL
MICHAEL JACKSON brought trendy Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles to a standstill on Thursday (15Nov07) for a little clothes shopping.
The hooded pop superstar and a female friend spent 30 minutes shopping in stores Unica and Moist Wear before dashing back to a dark blue Jeep to make a hasty getaway from a small gang of fans.
In an effort to shop in peace, Jackson, wearing a black hood, blue baseball cap, black blazer a pyjama-type trousers asked the bosses of clothing store Moist to close the shop - and lock out fans and curious passers-by who had gathered to catch a glimpse of the pop star.
One fan managed to speak with Jackson and get his autograph before the pop superstar went into lockdown.
He says, "He seemed very nervous and begged me not to tell anyone he was there. He said, `Don't tell anyone...' over and over.
"But he was very gracious and signed an autograph for me. I asked him what he was doing on Melrose and he said, `Just trying to be like you.'
"I shook his hand and I could tell that he was shaking a little. He tried to cover up his face but I could see the bandages on his nose. He looked nothing like the guy on the latest cover of Ebony magazine, where he looked good.
"His hands were pale and scaly too."
The unnamed fan also reveals it was only when he heard Jackson speak that he knew who he was.
He adds, "I had an inkling as I walked by him; he was just propped up by a wall outside one of the stores - he just looked like a homeless guy. But then it clicked!
"Despite his appearance, there's still something magical about the guy. He was very gracious."
As Jackson and his pal left Moist with three new shirts, he was swarmed by 10 photographers who followed the pair through an alleyway to their getaway car.
And, just when Jackson felt his low-key shopping trip couldn't get any worse, his associate realised she'd picked up a parking ticket on her windshield.
Ironically, among the unsuspecting shoppers who passed Jackson on Melrose was Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria. (KL/WN