• About Us
    • What Is Street Harassment?
    • Why Stopping Street Harassment Matters
    • Meet the Team
      • Board of Directors
      • Past Board Members
    • In The Media
  • Our Work
    • National Street Harassment Hotline
    • International Anti-Street Harassment Week
    • Blog Correspondents
      • Past SSH Correspondents
    • Safe Public Spaces Mentoring Program
    • Publications
    • National Studies
    • Campaigns against Companies
    • Washington, D.C. Activism
  • Our Books
  • Donate
  • Store

Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Home
  • Blog
    • Harassment Stories
    • Blog Correspondents
    • Street Respect Stories
  • Help & Advice
    • National Street Harassment Hotline
    • Dealing With Harassers
      • Assertive Responses
      • Reporting Harassers
      • Bystander Responses
      • Creative Responses
    • What to Do Before or After Harassment
    • Street Harassment and the Law
  • Resources
    • Definitions
    • Statistics
    • Articles & Books
    • Anti-Harassment Groups & Campaigns
    • Male Allies
      • Educating Boys & Men
      • How to Talk to Women
      • Bystander Tips
    • Video Clips
    • Images & Flyers
  • Take Community Action
  • Contact

“Hey, mami, come back to my apartment!”

July 16, 2010 By Contributor

One morning, my family and I were walking from our resort to the beach in the town of Tamarindo  in Costa Rica. A truck full of men drove by, honking at my sister. Because my sister is Deaf, she could not hear them, and thus gave them no response. My dad or mom signed to my sister that men had just honked at her.

A few minutes later, the same truck drove by again, honking once more and, this time, yelling things in Spanish. Because I speak some Spanish, I knew what they were saying (they said things like, “Hey, mami, come back to my apartment! Let’s f*ck!”). My dad was angry and told my sister to button up her shirt all the way, even though she was dressed appropriately.

I was 13 at the time, and this incident of street harassment was once of the first I had experienced. It ruined the rest of my day, which should have been a pleasant day at the beach.

– Erica

Location: Tamarindo, Costa Rica

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.

Share

Filed Under: Stories, street harassment Tagged With: Costa Rica, sexual harassment, Stories, street harassment, Tamarindo, vacation harasser

Comments

  1. Golden Silence says

    July 16, 2010 at 12:08 pm

    I wish your parents had stood up for your sister as opposed to blaming it on how she was dressed. I’m sorry that happened.

  2. Tbg says

    July 16, 2010 at 2:49 pm

    Sorry your sister had to go through this. I don’t know what to say, better be safe than sorry or stand up against street harassment. It’s a very hard decision.

  3. friday jones says

    July 16, 2010 at 5:53 pm

    Your Dad was wrong to react to this incident by telling your sister to button her top button. She could have been wearing a tent, and they would have done the same thing as long as the tent was pink.

  4. LS says

    July 23, 2010 at 3:05 pm

    In the case of sexual and public harassment of women by men, what the woman was wearing is always scrutinized. Women are always being sent the message that we are to blame. In doing this, societies are sending a dangerous message to harassing men who are already clearly irresponsible. The message is that it’s ok to blame what a woman wears for their actions. The message is, what the harassing man did is all the woman’s fault and the man has no culpability.

    Men are being taught that it’s ok not to take responsibility for their hateful behavior. On a systematic level, they are supported by society in finding some aspect of the woman that is responsible for her being treated badly. Of course this works great for men in male dominated, patriarchal societies because women always end up the losers.

    But there are other messages and they are not compliments to men in general and harassing men in particular. It’s basically saying that men are such mindless, out of control animals that they can’t even handle a woman dressed in a sexy outfit without losing control of the words that come out of their mouth or their actions. Not only that, they can’t even handle seeing a little skin. That’s pathetic.

    What is also being said is that men are easily controlled by women. All we have to do is wear something sexy and low cut and they can no longer exercise self-discipline and turn into harassers. Finally, the other message is that men lack self-respect and are not all that respectable. Because if they did have self-respect, they would not allow themselves to behave in such undignified ways towards women, allowing all the world to see how immature, emotionally undeveloped, and foolish they are.

    Boys will be boys? If I were a man I would feel insulted by this. In fact I have have spoken to some really great men who can’t stand harassing men because they make life more difficult for the good guys. The harassers perpetuate the idea that men can’t be trusted and men who can be trusted suffer because of this.

Share Your Story

Share your street harassment story for the blog. Donate Now

From the Blog

  • #MeToo 2024 Study Released Today
  • Join International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2022
  • Giving Tuesday – Fund the Hotline
  • Thank You – International Anti-Street Harassment Week 2021
  • Share Your Story – Safecity and Catcalls Collaboration

Buy the Book

Search

Archives

  • September 2024
  • March 2022
  • November 2021
  • April 2021
  • March 2021
  • January 2021
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • February 2020
  • December 2019
  • November 2019
  • September 2019
  • August 2019
  • July 2019
  • June 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • March 2019
  • February 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018
  • July 2018
  • June 2018
  • May 2018
  • April 2018
  • March 2018
  • February 2018
  • January 2018
  • December 2017
  • November 2017
  • October 2017
  • September 2017
  • August 2017
  • July 2017
  • June 2017
  • May 2017
  • April 2017
  • March 2017
  • February 2017
  • January 2017
  • December 2016
  • November 2016
  • October 2016
  • September 2016
  • August 2016
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • February 2016
  • January 2016
  • December 2015
  • November 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • November 2014
  • October 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • December 2012
  • November 2012
  • October 2012
  • September 2012
  • August 2012
  • July 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012
  • April 2012
  • March 2012
  • February 2012
  • January 2012
  • December 2011
  • November 2011
  • October 2011
  • September 2011
  • August 2011
  • July 2011
  • June 2011
  • May 2011
  • April 2011
  • March 2011
  • February 2011
  • January 2011
  • December 2010
  • November 2010
  • October 2010
  • September 2010
  • August 2010
  • July 2010
  • June 2010
  • May 2010
  • April 2010
  • March 2010
  • February 2010
  • January 2010
  • December 2009
  • November 2009
  • October 2009
  • September 2009
  • August 2009
  • July 2009
  • June 2009
  • May 2009
  • April 2009
  • March 2009
  • February 2009
  • January 2009
  • December 2008
  • November 2008
  • October 2008
  • September 2008
  • August 2008
  • July 2008
  • June 2008
  • May 2008

Comment Policy

SSH will not publish any comment that is offensive or hateful and does not add to a thoughtful discussion of street harassment. Racism, homophobia, transphobia, disabalism, classism, and sexism will not be tolerated. Disclaimer: SSH may use any stories submitted to the blog in future scholarly publications on street harassment.
  • Contact
  • Events
  • Join Us
  • Donate
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Tumblr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Copyright © 2025 Stop Street Harassment · Website Design by Sarah Marie Lacy