Twice in the past couple of weeks, I have been verbally assaulted by passersby while walking my dogs. The first time, I was standing on the side of a trail commonly shared by cyclists, pedestrians and runners. A man biking quickly by commented on my dogs, whom I think he thought would get in his way, and when I defended them, he went on to make several profane arm and hand gestures as he yelled vulgar words at me. He continued to bike quickly away.
The second time was this evening in my neighborhood. I was walking my dogs again, on a sidewalk, carrying a flashlight around 9:00 pm. A passenger in a sedan that was waiting at a 4-way stop sign/intersection began screaming profanity and threatened to hurt me as I started crossing the road. I called 911 and to my dismay, found that I had to wait to speak to an operator due to a high call volume. Initially, I second guessed my decision to call 911 due to concerns that more significant matters could be causing the unexpected high call volume in my area. Nevertheless, I waited and spoke with a 911 operator. The operator listened and reported that he would send police to the area.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
I think every town could benefit from public postings of street harassment laws. Victims should know their rights and community awareness of the issue might possibly help to reduce its prevalence.
– Anonymous
Location: Collier & Mt Lebanon, PA
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
