Archives for December 2012

I was on the subway for only two stops, so I didn’t have my music plugged in, or a book in hand to ignore any street harassment that might come my way. I looked across from me and I saw a man, maybe in his 30’s, looking at a girl in her late teens early 20’s whose back was facing me, stroking his penis through his basketball shorts.

I was stunned. I looked at him in disgust, I looked between the both of them with obvious head turns, but his eyes were locked on her. I was scared for her, and I was scared that it would escalate into something much more graphic.

So there I was. Watching a man touch himself watching an unknowing girl. My heart starting pounding as I weighed my possible options. I was the only one who had noticed, it’s not drastic enough to press the alarm, does this girl really need to know that this is happening? Should I make a big deal out this? Should I wait to see if this gets worse? If they get off at the same station, should I get off to tell her?

In the midst of my contemplations, the train stopped, the man got off and the girl stayed on. My heart stopped racing, and I was no longer frightened for this girl. But I was had some guilt. That was street harassment and I feel like I should’ve done something. Because what if this man does something worse and there is no one to stand in alliance with the victim?

– Nisha

Location: Union Station, Toronto, Canada

Because there just isn’t enough creepiness on the London public transport system already, this week the Evening Standard’s Rosamund Urwin helpfully wrote a guide to ‘love on the lines.‘

Having written brilliantly about street harassment in the past, I’m really disappointed that Urwin doesn’t see why yet another attempt at making people think of the London underground as a legitimate chat-up environment is a problem. Pretty much every time I take the tube, I’m stared at, followed, or made to feel uncomfortable by men who feel their behaviour is appropriate; we really don’t need any further incentives to it.

– Jen

Location: London, UK

I work for a company that applies foils on windows, since it’s physical work my boss always tells me and my other colleagues to wear comfortable clothes such as long trousers and our t-shirt from the company itself. It’s definitely not a job to wear your high heels and a fancy dress. Other than that, my boss wants to prevent me and my other female colleague to get harassed during work. Me and my colleague wear male clothing since well, it’s physical work, we don’t care how we look like during work.

Unfortunately, harassment still happens, even when I’m wearing my work-clothing. Yesterday i had to leave work earlier since i didn’t felt good, my boss also saw I looked pretty pale and said he didn’t mind me leaving a bit earlier. I walk back to the office where all my stuff was, at the stoplight, i notice two guys who caught there eyes on me, who also started making faces at me and also pointed a little a me, like they wanted to say to me ‘we have our eyes on you’. I knew they would yell something at me once the light would turn green and indeed, once they drove by they yelled some stuff that sounded like ‘HOW MUCH?!’ and ‘HEEYYYY SEXY!!’

I just walked over the street like nothing happened, but inside I was raging. What was I supposed to do? If I would’ve put up my middle finger I could make things even worse. I walked back to the office so i could rest a little before my mom would pick me up, i got a call from my other boss if i could check if her husband was still at the workplace since i didn’t pick up his phone. When i was done checking on him i walked back to the office, hoping nobody would yell something at me, it happened AGAIN. While crossing the road, a car with a whole bunch of guys made animal noises at me while driving by, it only happened in a few seconds, but i can still hear them laughing, probably because of my shocked face. It didn’t happen again that day, but i was so pissed off.

Even in my brother’s old jogging trousers, an old black sweater, no make up on, my hair in a simple ponytail and with a pale, sick face i still get harassed. I don’t understand, why do people feel the absolute need to harass me even when i don’t look attractive and when i clearly look sick? I wonder what these people think, i honestly think when they see me is: ‘Oh look, someone with a vagina, let’s ruin her day by shouting some sexist stuff at her!’

It honestly doesn’t matter what you are wearing, or even if you look sick or not, IT STILL HAPPENS.

– Anonymous

Location: Belgium