Archives for August 2014

I was walking to the subway in NYC to run work errands when a guy told me, “Girl.. you have the finest ass I have ever seen.” I was annoyed but honestly- I have heard this before on the street and kept walking.

When I came back from the errand I saw the same guy and he yells, “Twice in one day! I am so lucky.”

Now I am feeling like I am trapped seeing this man. It was almost like we had a relationship somehow the way he talked to me.. like he knew me and we were friends.

I had to deal with the fear that I was going to constantly have to see him and keep hearing from him. Three days later he drove by and stopped at the light near me. I had a moment when we saw each other. I waited .. knowing if he was going to say something he would have to yell it across the street where many people would hear it. I was ready to be humiliated. He yells, “I like your dress!” and I felt relieved that my ass stayed out of the subject.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Change cultural norms.

– EE

Location: NYC, Meatpacking District

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

This story does not involve physical harassment, but I know that what happened on this particular occasion could have escalated very quickly if I had not been able to get away as swiftly.

Recently I was walking down the street in Lausanne, Switzerland, where I currently live, re-tying my hair into a ponytail, as I noticed three young men walking ahead of me. At first, I saw them glance back at me a few times but ignored it, thinking (and hoping) that maybe they were just looking in my direction. They were talking to a bus driver halted at a stop and just briefly glanced sideways at me, so I chose to ignore it. Then, as I kept walking (more slowly now), still tying my hair, they glanced back at me multiple times, each time turning back to each other and smirking, then continuing on their way. Because we had made our way onto the narrow sidewalk of a bridge by this point, and I was in a rush to get to where I was heading (and because I’m just sick and angry of feeling that *I* always have to compromise *myself* just to be safe on the streets), I kept walking behind them, although I felt very uncomfortable.

As we neared the end of the bridge and made our separate ways to the crosswalk at an intersection, with them still trailing just ahead of me, I began to feel more and more nervous. They eventually slowed down and continued to glance at me, more and more frequently. Then, as I tried to veer to the side, they stopped altogether right beside me and each began staring. I tried not to look at them as I attempted to pass (afraid of feeding into their feelings of male entitlement by “enticing” them perhaps), but one of the young men came right up to me, smiling, and said, “Bonjour”, nodding a little too intentionally. It was obvious what he wanted. I responded, “Bonjour”, and kept walking. I knew they were staring at me as I walked away and I was terrified they would all follow me. I was especially terrified because there were three of them. Luckily the streets were very busy and I quickly walked away from the area.

I am stared at and sexualized almost every day by men on the streets, and I am incredibly lucky to have avoided being physically harassed thus far. However, I have been touched inappropriately by men in other settings (such as by patients and coworkers at the hospital where I work) and I am so very tired of living in a patriarchal society where misogyny and rape culture is perceived as NORMAL or NON-EXISTANT. It is exhausting to fear for one’s safety and space simply when one walks out the door. The fact that so many people (usually men, usually people reinforcing this culture) actually don’t UNDERSTAND this and BLAME us, the people affected, is beyond exhausting and disgusting.

I’m happy to be able to share this story.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Human beings deserve respect. Men, especially, need to begin reassessing the way they view and understand women and their relationships with women. Within the gender binary, we (again, I’m referring directly to men) need to STOP sexualizing others and, especially, need to realize that NOBODY IS ENTITLED TO ANOTHER HUMAN BEING, whether sexually or not. We are not objects! We are people! All of us.

If this phenomenon were reversed, even for a day, and men experienced even a fraction of what women experience ALL THE TIME, PERHAPS they would finally BEGIN to get it. Although, really, we should never need to reverse situations of harassment, discrimination, harm or prejudice in order for the oppressors to understand the harm they are doing.

– Laura Karlberg

Location: Lausanne, Switzerland

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

I get cat called and beeped at from men in cars almost everyday, I get felt up pretty much every time I go to a bar, I have been flashed (when I was 12!!!), and I have been followed all the way home, to look out of the window to see the guy waiting there 20 minutes later! Again I was 13/14.

It is absolutely disgusting. What’s worse is that I am only 18 now and have had this much experience with sexual harassment ALREADY. Just yesterday a man shouted, “All I want is some tight pussy” clearly feeling no shame or embarrassment for saying this to a girl half his age.

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Harsher punishments for this behaviour, education – however, I do believe that, in my experience, it tends to be older men who do this kind of thing.

– M

Location: Leeds, England

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

I was returning from a nearby market at around 9 pm after purchasing antibiotics. My body was aching due to high fever.

All of a sudden, i heard a murmur and i noticed it was a 14 yr old boy on a bicycle who was making some ugly gestures. He went ahead but kept looking back. I thought he would go. To my surprise, he came back and repeated it all over again and was willing to take the third trip. It is only when I tried to make a call that he rushed away.

This is not an unusual story. But, yes, the circumstances were unusual.

This happened to a law student who was advocating for the rights of juveniles a few months ago in a Criminology Seminar. This happened in the nation’s capital and at a place which is only a stone throw away from the nation’s Supreme Court. This happened a week ago when my country was gearing up to celebrate its 68th year of independence. There were too many ironies!

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

The streets need to be adequately lit. The crowded places are safer than the silent streets. The high profile areas should not cut short on the safety issues of women. There should be distress vans to help people in need.

– Anonymous

Location: India

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea