I was running an errand for work, and was walking along the side of the street to head back to my car. As I approached an intersection and waited for the light to cross, a man in a car stopped to yell at me. He yelled “you’re so beautiful, do you have a boyfriend?” To which I ignored. My relationship status should be irrelevant- I’m not interested in you, do you really respect that another man has a girlfriend more than you respect my lack of interest? I shouldn’t need an excuse not to be interested.
Anyways, when the cat calling was persistent enough, I looked up from my phone and said, “Excuse me?” with a dirty look. I noticed the man was not alone in the car, but had another woman sitting next to him. When I shook my head and looked away, he slowly drove by and said, “You should say thank you when someone gives you a compliment,” and the woman next to him yelled, “You’re the ugliest person I’ve ever seen.” I wanted to yell that sexual harassment was a crime and take his license plate number, but no one else was around, they were in a car, and I was scared.
I regret not saying something else.
Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?
Even if it’s just a dirty look, let the harasser know that their harassment is NOT OKAY. Don’t let their feeling of power over women be encouraged.
– Lindsey
Location: Lansing, MI
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea
