Street Respect: “Times like this remind me that I don’t need to be afraid of everyone”

This is part of the series “Street Respect. “Street respect” is the term for respectful, polite, and consensual interactions that happen between strangers in public spaces. It’s the opposite of “street harassment.” Share your street respect story and show the kind of interactions you’d like to have in public in place of street harassment.

I wanted to share two really awesome stories about interactions that I’ve had with male strangers in my city. Although I have definitely experienced my fair share of harassment while walking around the city I think it is also important to focus on the amazing genuine human interactions that can happen.

One night as I was walking home from class I passed a man who I noticed was staring at me while I walked by. He then quickly stopped and said to me, “Excuse me miss, what is this?” pointing at a patch I had on my jean jacket. I told him that it was a merch patch for an artist who plays harp that I had seen once. “Really that is so awesome,” he said. I told him that he should check her out and told him the band name and he was like “awesome I definitely will thanks!” and turned around and walked away. It honestly kept me smiling all the way to class because this guy did not seem like he would be into harp music at all and he was genuinely interested and kind while we were talking.

Another time that I was walking down the street I noticed an older gentleman trying to lift boxes into his car off a cart. I stopped to ask him if he wanted help and then put a few boxes in his car before another guy stopped and started to help as well (probably seeing that I am pretty tiny and was struggling a little as well). After we got all the boxes into the car the man thanked us and I proceeded to walk away when the other guy stopped me and said, “I just wanted to thank you for inspiring to do a good deed today.”

He then just smiled at me and walked the other way.

I know that not all men (or women) are necessarily like this when you interact with them on the street, but times like this remind me that I don’t need to be afraid of everyone when I am walking alone through the city.

– Anonymous

No location disclosed

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