I was on a college campus and parked at the parking garage near the library. The area isn’t the best on campus, but I had never felt unsafe before, and besides, it was the middle of the afternoon when I went.
Anyway, I parked, and as I was walking out of the parking garage, some guy called from his truck, “You walk by me too quick, hon!” I never saw him because I just kept walking and pretended I hadn’t heard him, but I felt my face flush and my heart beat faster with a little fear. This was the first time I had ever been catcalled or street harassed, and I just felt like I was in danger.
A guy that is willing to call out to you might be willing to do other things, you know? A week after this happened, there was a news story about someone who was raped in that area. I just wish that people could walk through public places and feel safe from the threat of verbal, physical, or sexual assault. It’s disrespectful and inappropriate. I want someone to find me attractive, but it should be someone I know and care about, not some random guy in a parking garage.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
Around campus we have police boxes that have buttons that connect the speakers to 911. I think that these would be valuable to have in many places, especially secluded public spaces like parking garages. We also have an safety escort service, which has two people pick you up and take you home if you want. This too would be a great idea for off campus as well. Obviously we can’t forcibly keep people from calling out lewd things, but we can put safety precautions in place to help potential victims take control of the situation.
– Anonymous
Location: Indiana, USA
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
