Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Archives for January 2015

POP to STOP Street Harassment

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Rachelle in CA has a new resource for you! Check it out. 

“I’m a graphic designer living in California. This last summer, after experiencing repeated harassment while walking around my hometown, I had enough and decided to come up with my own ‘designer’ way to combat street harassment.

As a naturally happy, non-confrontational person, I needed a solution that fit my personality. Verbally confronting a harasser or taking their photo as revenge is not something I can do. I’m sure there are other victims of harassment who share my desire for peaceful expression so I decided to provide my creation (100% FREE) to others via my site http://poptostop.com.

The uniquely folded, pocket-sized Pop to Stop poster expands and contracts in one fluid motion providing a convenient, non-verbal, and non-aggressive way for victims of street harassment to respond to their antagonizers.”

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“Something snapped in me”

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I was wedding dress shopping with my maid of honor/best friend. We had left one shop and were walking to another, and I heard someone behind us quickly approaching. I turned around and saw a man duck behind me, as if trying to remain unnoticed, and he slipped his hand between my legs and grabbed me hard. I was wearing a dress. Then he ran.

I dropped my bag and ran after him, shouting for people to stop him. There were people on the street, people in the mall I eventually chased him into. No one helped.

I eventually lost him as he exited the mall and rounded a corner, but I’ll never forget the look on his face, and the spring he still had in his step. He had done this many times before, and knew how to get away.

The police came. I gave a report. I have a case number. They did not find him.

Arguably, the worst part was, when I turned around to thank the officers, one was looking at my ass. Thanks, guys.

I’ve been harassed many times, but I’d never run after someone. Something snapped in me. And something broke when no one would help. I was proud that enough was finally enough, and I did something, even though he got away with it. At the very least, it’s caused me to talk about it and snap back when I get hollered at on the street.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

Speak up. Say something, anything, if you feel safe. If there are other people around, ask them to help you. Take a picture, call the police.

– AB

Location: San Francisco, CA

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

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“There should be classes on street harassment”

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It was night and I was walking to my bus stop from a cosplay meetup. I was dressed up as a butler, fully clothed and as I walked passed a man talking on the phone, he stares at me up and down and says, ʺHey, beautiful.ʺ I looked at him and walked passed without saying anything and he starts with, ʺI was just trying to compliment you. Damn.ʺ

He follows me for a bit and stays by the bus stop, talking on his phone while continuing to look at me. For the few minutes it took for the bus to get to my stop, he stays here, staring at me.

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

I personally think there should be classes on street harassment as well as advertisements and such that will explain what street harassment is and why it shouldn’t be acceptable.

– Anonymous

Location: PA

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

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“Just driving to work is a terrifying experience”

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Driving to work one beautiful day, windows down, a truck filled with four men pulled up in the lane next to me. The front passenger noticed me at a red light and started to shout the usual cat calls, ʺHey pretty, where are you going!?ʺ ect. I ignored it and drove off when the light turned green. The rest of them joined in, driving faster to catch up to my car, and then slowing down whenever I tried to lose them just to get a turn to yell something at me.

Usually I would flip a finger with my eyes forward but I didn’t feel like I owed them even that. The truck swerved into my lane due to the driver shouting at me and not paying attention to the road. At this point I was terrified. Being a woman, in her car, just driving to work is a terrifying experience?

When I continued to ignore them, their comments became more aggressive, using words like ʺbitchʺ and ʺcuntʺ to describe me. At that moment I braked and got behind them, my fear becoming anger. I followed them until they pulled into a mini mart and parked my car and got out outraged. My pride and respect for myself outreached my logic to ignore and keep my distance. I approached the truck and unleashed a lecture of a lifetime, describing their actions as dangerous, nauseating, and disrepectful. At first they began to laugh at me, I think because I took them by surprise by my confrontation. But by the end at least had one of the guys apologized for his actions. He apologized for his ʺfriendsʺ as well, and told me that he wasn’t like them. I told him he should pick better friends. It might have been reckless to approach them, but if I didn’t say anything, who would? Who else would protect my right just to drive to work without harassment?

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

Awareness, Not resorting to silence

– Emily Sharp

Location: East Nashville, TN

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

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