“This was really scary and unprovoked”

I was walking home around 10 pm when I saw a car with tinted windows slow to my walking speed and the passenger seemed to wave, or gesture to me, but I thought that must not be the case and I kept walking. The car sped off but as I walked up to a parking lot in the block ahead of me, the same car was parked, facing me. The driver honked as I approached and the passenger, who was already out of the car, started to approach me and began asking me questions, calling me baby, and started to follow me, but I ignored them. The guy returned to the car and began to follow me in the car, on the street, at walking speed with the window down, heckling me. I could see a local bar ahead of me and hurried to reach the people standing on the curb. I reached the bar patrons and stood with them hoping the car would leave. Instead they pulled up to the curb and began to climb out. This was really scary and unprovoked. I hurried into the bar ready to look for help, and my pursuers sped off. I didn’t know if they had just parked farther down the street again so I waited in the bar, and as I waited, their car went down the street twice, apparently looking to see if I had headed back out.

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

Practically, lighted main streets is hugely helpful. Additionally, advocating for victims to report to police will help notify law enforcement about particularly unsafe areas.

I think that altering the way that men view women in such a way that women are equals who do not enjoy or deserve harassment is key to preventing street harassment. However, that is obviously a nebulous problem.

– CAT

Location: On College Avenue near Rockridge BART station in Oakland, California USA

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

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