Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for January 2010

“He had no right to touch me”

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Some dude grabbed my butt when I was getting food late last night. There was plenty of room for him to walk and I gave him a wide berth, but he walked very close to me and touched my butt very deliberately, then walked off all cool like. I gave him disgusted and annoyed looks from across the room but he ignored me and kept talking with his friends, even talking about following his female friend home to “make sure she’s safe.” He sounds like a stalker-rapist and he had no right to touch me!!

– Heina

Location: Albatros in Mission Viejo, CA

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“The insanity”

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I currently volunteer with organization helping people find jobs. I do not have car so I walk there three times a week. It never fails that a guy will stop me ask me if I need a ride. Why would I take a ride from a total stranger. Once a guy circled around and stop me so that I was unable to cross the street. I typically curse them out and give eye contact when I do it. They typically speed off but what is going to happen when the guy does not speed off?

What is odd to me is, I am a college graduate and doing something positive in another person’s neighborhood and I am seen as a prostitute. This is absolutely insane!!!

-Natasha Toon

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From Australia to Canada: taxi drivers assault passengeres

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Periodically I check the news for sexual assault stories and inevitably I find one related to taxi drivers sexually assaulting female passengers. Here are two I found this week about the topic, one about a woman assaulted in Whitehorse, Canada and another about how women in Sydney, Australia are being urged to report taxi drivers who engage in “sexual misconduct.” A quote from the latter article:

“Women have reported sexual harassment and unwanted sexual advances by taxi drivers, with one saying a driver tried to kiss her, and another complaining she was constantly touched on the arm, neck and shoulder during her journey.

Three drivers were accused of exposing themselves, while a number were alleged to have groped their female passengers, News Ltd said.

Mr Campbell described such behaviour as ‘absolutely unacceptable’, saying he would try to involve police in future investigations.

He also urged women to keep reporting sexually inappropriate behaviour, so the government could stamp out dodgy drivers.”

I’ve come across at least two other incidents of taxi driver assaulters in Australia alone (one and two). I’m glad that the current approach in Sydney is to get rid of the assaulting drivers, rather than move to women-only taxis…

Has a driver of your taxi ever engaged in sexual misconduct? What happened?

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What a creeper

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I am not exactly happy to hear that others experience harassment as well, but it makes me feel a little better. So, I have this creepy guy at work. I am usually a very approachable, pleasant person, and even if someone totally creeps me out I don’t shoot them a dirty look. Perhaps I am too polite.

Ever get that feeling that you’re being whatched? Well, I had that feeling in the cafeteria, and I look over, and there is creepy dude, standing stock still, just STARING. I try to ignore it and finish my food, and look up like 45 seconds later, and he is STILL staring, unmoving. What a creeper.

When I see him in the hallway he stares. Only when I am in the faculty lounge by myself, does he seem to show up. But the last straw was him going past my classroom 4 times, eyeball fu****g me each time. Here I am trying to learn law, and he is like a shark, circling my class. His stares are predatory. I am moving forward with a sexual harassment grievance, but it is strange…I feel guilty, and confused.

– anonymous

Location: Auburn Hills, MI

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

Story shared with me by Holla Back DC! since it happened outside the DC region

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Vulnerable to street harassment on a Vespa

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I drive a Vespa in Dallas, TX to save on gas, but lately I’ve been wondering if it’s worth the hassle. There are a few things about a Vespa that make me very vulnerable to street harassment and unable to escape it:

1) There’s no protection around me, so horns honking are VERY loud and very scary.
2) If I’m stopped at a red light, there’s nothing between me and a man who wants to tell me “how hot my body looks on that bike”
3) It’s not very powerful, so I can’t speed away in a bad situation.

I’ve had men follow me in their cars, stand next to me at red lights and ask me out, and yell “sexy mama” while veering towards me in an intersection. It’s dangerous, threatening and scary.

As women, we shouldn’t have to make sacrifices in the way we get from A to B. We shouldn’t feel threatened because we’re out for a walk, riding a bike or driving a Vespa.

– ALG

Location: Dallas, TX

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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