“He continued saying the most dirty things he could, as I walked away”

Most of the worst street harassment stories I have are from when I was a teenager. That’s why I believe that many men who harass women look for those of us who might look more helpless, or somehow naive. I’m now 24 and in most case, putting on an angry face and talking loud makes them stop what they are doing…

I remember walking downtown with my mother, talking about some stuff and not giving any attention to what was going on around. Then, I hear some skateboard sound behind, and a guy screaming: “Nice hooker boots!”

I turn around and a young man was staring at me, with his friend laughing. I was wearing some standard punk/goth black boots. Not interested in speaking to him, I turn around and do a middle finger in his direction (OK, I was young). He and his friend start screaming: “Yeah, I’ll do that to you! Right in your p*ssy! Ouh la la!”

I felt so embarrassed that my mother had witnessed that, but she told me not to worry, that she had had a lot of those comments in her life and that I was NOT the problem.

Another time, I was walking down the street on a warm day. A man comes out of his car and does the classic number: “Hey! I know you! I’m sure I know you! Where did we meet?”

Of course, I was sure we had never met and told him so, but he was used to this and said, “Where did you study? We must have been in the same class!”

I tell him I’m still a student, so I’m quite sure we weren’t in the same class when he was still studying (he was in his 30s and I was 17), but then he comes with other questions (“Oh, in my dance class maybe?”) and just start talking about himself, like if we were friends. I didn’t know what to do so I just listened to him for a minute, than showed signs that I was going back on my way.

That’s when he starts saying: “Don’t go! We could have sex! Come to my house! I have a big erection, you can’t believe how big and hard my penis is! You’ll like it!”

He continued saying the most dirty things he could, as I walked away, looking for a shop I could go in. He even had the nerves to say: “Give me your phone number! You won’t regret it!”

This man should be ashamed. Unfortunately, when I told the story to people I knew at that time, many of them shrugged it off as thought I was actually trying to brag because a man had told me that. For a few years after that I was very ashamed to report any street harassment stories to some of my friends, since they had thought of it that way, instead of supporting me.

– Anonymous

Location: Montreal, Canada

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.