I go from being virtually harassment-free for months to getting harassed twice today during my lunch break.
I wanted to grab a doughnut and coffee from 7-11 to add to my lunch. I had forgotten my cell phone at work and in retrospect regret it. 14th Street seemed to be the hangout for sketchy men today! It was dull outside due to the rain so I didn’t wear my shades, leaving me without a way to prevent eye contact with these men, and I wasn’t in the mood to wear my MP3 player. All this made me vulnerable.
I didn’t want to walk back down 14th passing the men hanging out on the street, so when I left 7-11 I opted to take Rhode Island Avenue to get to another street back to work. Right outside the 7-11, a man who I’d passed by said, “Ooh, sugar pie, honey bunch!” to my butt. (Who does this fool think he is, one of The Four Tops?)
With my cell phone accidentally left at work I had no way to take this creep’s photo, nor did I have any way of calling the police if things got out of hand, so for my safety I didn’t respond. I felt vulnerable without my phone! This guy kept making comments like, “Yeah, walk, girl!” and mess like that. I can’t believe this fool thought that mess works! It obviously doesn’t because I wanted to get as far away from him as possible, not closer!
Minutes later, I pass through McPherson Square, where Occupy DC is, and I pass by this man who looks like a sketchy Santa Claus. He says, “This is a no-frown zone!” at me. What, am I supposed to smile on command for these men?! Hell no! Once again, I chose not to engage him.
When I finally got closer to my office building, I saw a man on a bike and I just got a bad feeling that he’d say something to me too, so I ended up cutting through my building’s alley/parking lot to avoid the possibility of being harassed a third time.
I haven’t been harassed like that in ages, so for it to happen like that threw me off guard. While I am cordial with my co-workers I’m not buddy-buddy with them, so I didn’t have anyone to share my experience with when I got back to the office. However, I am grateful that I do have friends and family that I can talk to about this, and who would listen.
What shocked me was how calm I was about it when I returned to work. Sure, I was upset, but I wasn’t fighting mad and enraged about it like harassers usually make me feel. I also surprised myself by how I didn’t engage the men and call them out like I usually do. At the time, my objective was to return to work safely and without drama, and I achieved that objective.
If there’s a next time (and there probably will be, since harassers don’t stop harassing), I will make sure to have my phone on me. I refuse to be caught off guard again.
– Anonymous
Location:
1st: Outside the 7-11 on 14th Street NW and Rhode Island Avenue
2nd: McPherson Square (15th Street NW & K Street), Washington, DC
Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.
