Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for April 2010

“Give us a look”

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I’m just 13 and from the UK and I’m sick of harassment too! I have large boobs which aren’t my fault, what do men expect me to do chop them off?! I should not be persistently harassed because of them.

Just yesterday me and my friend were walking up her street, there were two boys/men of between 20-25 in front of us. Suddenly one of them turned round, looked me directly in the eyes and wolf whistled. I, being used to this sort of thing ignored it but I could tell my friend was a little shocked. We walked passed them and then I heard the boy singing “Get your tits out, get your tits out. You’ve got big boobs you’ve got big boobs, give us a look” again and again. By this point me and my friend were a little scared and holding hands and to top it off there was another group of about 5 boys of about 15 ahead who kept looking. Suddenly the first boy ran ahead of us and screamed “I want you, how old are you? I want you” and my friend told him to please leave us alone. He wouldn’t so we began to practically run down the street, thankfully the boys ahead turned around and asked if we were ok and told us to walk ahead of them they “had our backs” but really we found the whole experience terrifying. If those boys hadn’t been there I dread to think what would have happened!

I don’t want to put up with this for the rest of my life. When will men learn it’s not cool, or funny? It’s demeaning and scary and HAS TO END!!!!

– Isadora

Location: UK

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He kept looking back toward me

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Last night I had a pretty uneventful ride home on the Red Line, until I was close to my transfer at Metro Center. At Farragut North, some kid boarded the train. He clunked down next to some woman across the aisle from me, but immediately got up and sat next to me, asking if he could sit next to me after he did. I don’t own the train and people can sit wherever they want, but I knew this boy had different intentions. I immediately got up and said “I’m getting off at the next stop,” which was true, but even if it weren’t I didn’t want this kid sitting next to me.

As I waited near the door to exit, that boy would not stop grinning at me. Even my giving him dirty looks and rolling my eyes didn’t give him the hint that I was not interested.

He then started singing loudly, not realizing how annoying he was. Then I noticed him walk to the opposite end of the train car—I knew he was going to get off at Metro Center also! I started watching him like a hawk.

At Metro Center, I noticed he was walking slowly and kept looking back towards me. I came to a standstill because I did not want to walk past this kid. He finally started walking again, and when he was far enough ahead of me I proceeded again.

The kid was still in the vicinity and he wouldn’t leave people alone. I caught him checking out one woman, he hovered around another woman, and he stood next to the escalator, seeming to be waiting for me. In retrospect I wish I would’ve spoken up when I saw what he was doing, but remembering how people reacted the last time I called harassers out I did not want to go through that again.

I think he had some kind of mental issue because I sensed a cluelessness about him in his actions, but regardless, he freaked me out.

– Tired of Being Harassed

Location: Red Line, Washington, DC

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What has eve-teasing got to do with clothes?

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The Indian Express has a good article featuring Blank Noise‘s efforts to raise awareness in India about the problem of street harassment by collecting clothing women were wearing while being harassed. Here’s an excerpt:

“We are told that the onus lies on us to prevent its occurrence. We are told to dress appropriately, to come back home on time, to not attract attention to ourselves. And the worst of all, we are expected to accept sexual harassment or forms of eve-teasing as a part and parcel of our societal culture,” says Mariya Salim, a Calcutta University student of human rights who is participating in the drive.

Besides acting as testimonies of eve-teasing all voluntarily donated garments exhibited at public places in Kolkata since last month, also serve as a sort of an outlet for the victims to purge their pent-up feelings.

Jasmeen Patheja, founder member of ‘Blank Noise’, a Bangalore-based volunteer led community arts collective, says it is a violation of a girl’s liberty when she has to think twice before going out of her house alone.

“Isn’t the perpetrator responsible for his own action irrespective of what time we go out on the roads wearing the kind of attire we want to,” she said.

Very true. Women who are harassed are not to blame, the men who harass them are! Learn more about the work Blank Noise is doing.

Via Blank Noise
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Helmets won’t protect you

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It was maybe around 11:30 on a Tuesday night last summer. I was unlocking my bike to ride home after a night of bowling with my friends. I was wearing a knee-length floral skirt. A group of maybe four young Hispanic guys approached me. I had my helmet on already, and still they felt the need to comment at me. Because I was wearing a skirt? Because I was bent over? I didn’t look up, but I felt creeped out. I wasn’t sure if I should feel complimented, but I decided pretty quickly, as my heart rate increased and my sense of foreboding mounted, that the whole encounter, brief as it was, was not ok and not complimentary. And maybe this is stereotyping, but now if I’m walking through an Hispanic neighborhood, I am much more aware of males.

I should not have to feel so defensive when out alone, regardless of time or place. It was disrespectful, and no one should have to deal with the feelings of shame that come along with such harassment. No one is asking for it, ever.

– Liz

Location: Dalton Street, Boston, MA

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Sexy in red…

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On Saturday, I was crossing a light right before it was changing to green, and right when I got to the other side a cab driver said either “Look at you, Sexy Dreads!” or “Look at you, sexy in red!” (I was wearing a red coat.) Regardless of what was said, I could definitely see him checking me out and it was gross. Of course he had to say this right before the light turned green so I didn’t have time to get a license plate number or cab number.

The second incident happened today when I was coming back from lunch. A man stopped right in front of my tracks and said “All this chocolate…why no smile?” or something stupid like that. Then he says “That’s it!” as if I gave him a smile as he wanted, when in actuality I walked past him and ignored him and whatever expression on my face was that of befuddlement and annoyance.

Compared to what I’ve been through recently, Incident #2 is benign, but annoying nonetheless. Why do these men think that intruding on a random woman’s day is cool? It’s not cool, it’s aggravating as hell!

– Tired of Being Harassed

Location: #1, Arlington, VA and #2, M Street, Washington, DC

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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