The other day, I was waiting for the bus after work, when an old man, possibly homeless, walked past me, blatantly looking my body up and down. I ignored him and avoided eye contact when he tried to make it. He doubled back to walk past me again, stopping a few feet away, then began to make obscene hand gestures imitating grabbing my breasts.
Given that he seemed homeless and the homeless population in that area have been known to be aggressive, instead of confronting him, I once again avoided eye contact until he stopped and walked away, nearly 2 minutes later. I had to stand there for a good 2 minutes while he was staring at me and miming groping me, in the middle of a very public street and no one, not even me, did anything. I would not handle it the same way if it happened again.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
Be aware of your surroundings. If you see someone being harassed, intervene. If YOU are being harassed, don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself in some way.
– Anonymous
Location: Cleveland, OH
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.
