Living in London as a young, single 20-year-old could not be more exhilarating or dangerous. With over eight and a half million people living in the city and countless more visiting there is a wide spread of cultures and social norms. Although cat calling and street harassment are daily occurrences sometimes the harassment can escalate.
Walking home from a late night at work I noticed a luxurious Mercedes drive past. A couple of minutes later I noticed the same car drive past again but this time at a slow pace 10 meters behind me. Eventually the car pulled up beside me and tried to engage in conversation, I had my headphones in and pretended I couldn’t hear them until they leant on the car horn. I told the men that I had no interest in talking to them and continued to walk on at which point two of the doors of the car opened and the men came running towards me. I sprinted for the door to my building and entered before they reached it. They stood there pounding on the glass and pulling on the door.
For the next few days I contemplated what had happened and wondered whether I had encountered these men before. If I protested against cat calling and the regular street harassment I faced, would this have happened? Was this my fault for not standing up for myself more often? However, the answer to all of these questions is NO. These incidences happen due to the lack of societal pressure, the acceptance of rape culture and the lack of support women feel in the streets.
During the incident there was a man on a bike who witnessed what happened. When I spoke to the police, I asked whether the man had reported the incident – he hadn’t.
And to be honest, that’s what scares me the most. He was there, he saw yet he did nothing.
– Mariann
Location: London, UK
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