Today, I went downtown to get some work shoes, and was followed down the street by a hulking, paunchy, sweaty white man in a full gangster getup. He started walking alongside me, trying to talk to me. I couldn’t hear him, because I had my headphones in, but I told him, “Not interested.” He then followed me for another block, yelling. I still couldn’t fully hear him, because of my music, but I could hear incoherent yelling. I did catch a few phrases like, “You think you’re too cool for nothing, bitch!” and other classy, intelligent discourse.
Eventually, after I didn’t turn around, and tried to walk like my height was a weapon (sometimes this works), he started shouting, “Sorry! Sorry! I was rude!” I still didn’t look at him, because that half-assed apology was a little late, and I just wanted to get out of there. He ended up getting on a bus, and I kept walking, my heart pounding, because that could have easily escalated, and he was much, much bigger than me.
Nobody on the (crowded) street intervened, or checked to see if I was okay after. I ended up abandoning my errand, and just going home, feeling totally defeated.
– Rebecca
Location: Granville and W Georgia St. in Vancouver, Canada
Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910
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