My mom and I live alone together. Our apartment is in the back of the building, so we face the back of another building. My mom was going to get dressed, so she went to draw the blinds and I heard her scream, “OH MY GOD!!!!”
“What?” I asked her, pretty blase, since she often freaks out when she encounters pretty innocuous things.
“There’s a guy – in the building next to us – OH MY GOD – he was, you know…” After spluttering and freaking out for another minute or two, I finally got it out of her that she had seen a man masturbating in the next building, right in front of the window, so that anyone could see him.
The experience really disturbed my mom, and it really bothered me, too. While she was glad that she had been subjected to that sight rather than me, I was really mad that she had been exposed to it. The two of us have talked about it a lot and that’s made us feel better, but we haven’t really done anything concrete like reporting him.
This is SUCH a frustrating experience!
– Anonymous
Location: East 72 Street btw 1st and York Avenue, New York NY 10021
Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.
beckie says
I’d encourage you to report it, I had it happen to me in Northern VA and I reported it and they police said that a hand had been in the area and other women had reported. It may help other women or your mother having to endure this a second time. I am so sorry.
OP says
We’ve noticed that this guy’s apartment has had the shades drawn ever since, so we’re wondering if other people saw and reported him. I still might, I’m not sure yet.