Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for August 2010

Street groper in Leeds

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I walked right the way across town back from my friends house, through 3 neighbourhoods where I’ve had trouble before. I was tense the whole way, expecting trouble. I got within 20 metres of my house and was starting to relax, amazed that I hadn’t been harrassed. Then a group of 4 men in their late teens/early 20s came the other way down the pavement. I stepped to the inside of the pavement to pass them and instinctively felt unsafe because I could be penned in against the railings rather than have access to the road.

As I passed them, one of the men just lightly put his hand out and brushed my breast – subtle but absolutely intentional. I was expecting homophobic aggression rather than any kind of sexual harassment so was totally taken by surprise. I was a few steps beyond them before I turned round… I don’t think I even said anything. But the one guy kept looking back really quick, I stared him out but was too shocked and surprised to shout at him.

This was in broad daylight on a busy street, next to a park that was hosting a family festival. I spent the rest of the day trying not to let it bother me, because I already have a lot of stress in my life from homophobic abuse and the threat of physical violence. But I feel a small surge of shame every time I think about it, even though I know it’s not my fault.

– K

Location: next to Banstead Park, Harehills, Leeds (north England)

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Harassers fall flat on their noses

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There’s a cremation ground here in New Delhi which I pass by often. Outside it there’s a huge sign that says, “Do one good act a day.” I just did mine like 30 minutes ago and I thought I should write it here.

I was driving my car, and right now is has been raining cats and dogs for the past hour in the city. I nudged two guys on a bike and made them fall flat on their nose and injure themselves nicely.

This is my good act for today.

There was this girl sitting on the back of a bike with some guy in the front. She was dressed in something like linen pants maybe, and the torrential rain made the pants see through. These other two guys on a bike were constantly ogling at her and I could make out she was very uncomfortable. There was a lot of traffic and no one could do anything about it at that time.

I was sort of pissed off at the whole situation, and when I saw a little break in the traffic, I nudged my car forward and nosed it at an angle that it was right behind the two guys on the bike. I sped forward, banged the back of their bike hard, made sure they fell nicely, and then I raced away. I could see the girl and the boy race away too, and as they passed me I could see the smile on the girl’s face!

So now I have a huge scratch in the right side of my bumper, and it’s a new car, but what the hell, it was worth it seeing the ecstatic look on the poor girl’s face.

Tonight, I’ll sleep alright. I’ve done my good deed for the day!

– Tbg

Location: South Delhi, New Delhi, India

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Egypt, Indonesia, and the United Kingdom

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What do these three countries have in common? Besides all starting with vowels, the commonality is that I’ve read a street harassment-related article from each country in the last 24 hours. Here’s the scoop:

Egypt: Justin D. Martin, a journalism professor at The American University in Cairo wrote a great opinion piece for the Christian Science Monitor about the widespread problem of men blaming women for sexual harassment and why.

He points to studies like one from 2008 which showed that 50 percent of men blamed women for the harassment they inflicted on them, and a new study from the Population Council which showed nearly 80 percent of Egyptian boys and men ages 15-29 agreed that a woman who is harassed deserves it if she had dressed provocatively.

And he explores how Egyptian men aren’t wired to blame victims of sexual harassment, instead they are taught to do it. Proposed legislation against sexual harassment would help, he says, but what’s really needed is an ideological shift. Definitely!

Indonesia: AFP reports today that Indonesia is joining many other countries in creating women-only public transportation to reduce the rates of sexual harassment. Right now these carriages are only found on the Jakarta to Bogor line. They are distinguished from the other cars by their pink seats and they are located at the front and back of the trains. “We want to improve our service and protect female passengers so they feel more safe,” rail official Makmur Syaheran said.

Sounds like another band aid fix to a serious problem…

United Kingdom: Earlier this month Dawn Foster began the blog 101 Wankers where she calls out the men who harasser her while she rides her bicycle around London. Yesterday she shared her experiences with harassers and with creating the blog in a Guardian article.

Let’s hope she doesn’t reach 101 incidents of harassers, but if she does, at least it will be cataloged for the world to see and have to acknowledge. Way to go, Dawn. Call out the wankers!

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“I give him my best death glare”

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I was on my way through a busy bus station on the way to my stop, lost in my own little world and minding my own business.

As I walked past a row of seats I heard a loud ‘all right, darling,’ which startled me and made me look round. An older man in grubby looking clothes, seated alone, is leering back at me, and repeats himself just in case I didn’t hear him the first time. As usual I’m too dumbfounded to retort, so I give him my best death glare and hurry on.

I sit down at my stop, and while waiting for my bus eye the man down the other side of the station warily. He chooses to stare lingeringly at young girls walking past him, but ignores the older women. I can’t remember whether he saw me watching him or not, but suddenly he is sat five or so people away from me on my row of seats. He switches places twice, and I get a bit nervous. I stand up to let someone else sit down, and turn back to see him watching me through the crowd in front of him. I am freaked out by this point, but am simultaneously preparing myself to make a fuss if he comes too close. I choose to sit somewhere different so he can’t see me, and he at last loses interest and gets on a bus. I wish I had thought to take his picture, for as far as I know he could have been a nuisance to women at the station before.

– Hannah

Location: Isle of Wight, United Kingdom

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“You look like a 46 dollar whore, and 40 is for the bike.”

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I was sitting at a red light on my bike minding my own business when I realized a guy sitting on a nearby bench was talking to me. I didn’t acknowledge him because I was alone, but being aware gave me the displeasure of hearing what he was saying.

“You look like a 46 dollar whore, and 40 is for the bike.” Insulting to me and my bike. The whole time, a cop was standing about ten feet away. He didn’t even make a comment. The loser was still flapping his gums together as the light turned green and I rode away.

I was left feeling unsafe, with the unpleasant reminder that some men really do think of me a nothing more than an object. To top it off, men who don’t harass sometimes don’t understand how distressing it is, because they never see it. They don’t realize how scary it is and how powerless it makes you feel.

– MR

Location: Charles Street at North Avenue, Baltimore, MD

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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