Why Do I Attract Creepos?

I usually wind up taking the dog down to the dog park at Madison Square Park two or three times a week. It's a short walk, and it lets her get enough exercise that she doesn't turn into the "terrorier," which keeps shoes and rugs unscathed.
The dog park is usually great - sometimes I'll take something to read, others I'll just watch the dogs romp and play. Two days ago, I took Sasha to the park, plopped down on one of the benches that encircles the trees, and occupied myself watching the dogs. About ten minutes later, some guy plops down on the next bench over, which was odd since the entire other side of the bench was open. Now, I don't mind talking to people I don't know, but strangers who are, well, strange, are another story. Luckily, after a give a few one-word answers to questions about the dog, he decides I'm not the chatty type and picks up his phone to call whoever he was supposed to be meeting. A few minutes later, he picked up the plastic shopping bag full of kickboxing gear and headed out.
Ten minutes after that, a very nice-old-man looking gentleman comes in, plops down a bag and sits down in the same spot. A few dogs came over to check him out and start going crazy (in the good way) and licking his face. It was somewhat heartwarming, except usually people try to get dogs to stop after a while; at some point, obsessive licking gets annoying. Not this man, he says, "Be careful, puppy, I lick back." Fortunately, he did not actually start licking the dog, but I decided that then was as good of a time as any to head home.