Minding my own business on the CalTrain, a man gets on, sits in front of me, and leers back between the seats several times before lusting, “Nice legs, very sexy.” I give him the total death stare and he turns around. He looks back a few times, and I stay firmly quiet.
I assess that the situation is safe, then as I am about to exit the train I stand up, lean over him, and say calmly but firmly (and loud enough for others to hear): “The reason I did not respond to you is because what you said to me was sexually aggressive and made me feel threatened. If you want to say anything to a strange woman, try ‘you look nice today.’ You made me feel threatened and that is a really terrible feeling for me.”
He apologized, I think sincerely, and seemed really ashamed. Was it a teaching moment? I hope so. I certainly felt better.
– Anonymous
Location: Caltrain, leaving San Francisco
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beckie says
what a great story. Good for you! That took guts!