This may be very, very triggering for some people so if you get triggered by street harassment I would suggest you don’t read this.
One time I was walking down the street in a summer dress to get some bread and happened to be smiling – I remember a man in a car started yelling at me about my smile.
Another time I was walking to the tube station in a cardigan and leggings when a van pulled up beside me. I was in a nice middle-class area where people often have work done so I assumed the driver was working there and kept walking.
The van kept following me – no big deal, the driver might be going to some other place. The van pulled up besides some other workers and the driver motioned to me to get in as I passed them. I assumed he was talking to the other workers but no, he kept following me – even when I turned a corner, at which point I was getting quite terrified. The driver pulled up on the far side of the road and motioned to me to get in again. At that point I walked far more quickly into the tube station and fortunately nothing came of that.
Both times I was 16 years old.
– Anonymous
Location: Hendon, London, UK
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