I am 20 years old. I was waiting for the train on 59th street in NYC and rubbing my eye because it was dry, when a middle aged man approached me and leered at me. He said, “Don’t cry baby,” flirtatiously, moving close. I gave him a dirty look and raised my voice, declaring, “Nobody’s crying. And don’t call me baby, I am NOT your baby.”
I moved away from him and everyone was staring at him (and at me). But at that point, I didn’t care. I had put up with stares and harrassment all my life in my own neighborhood and couldn’t even commute without the daily dose of harrassing behavior, including from a guy who sat next to me in an empty train car and told me to take my headphones off because it was “against the law” according to him, since he wished to speak to me.
I am sick of that sense of entitlement that some harrassers have towards women. I DON’T owe you anything, and you need to st op invading my space.
– SA
Location: 59th street & Lexington train station, NYC
