Driving to work one beautiful day, windows down, a truck filled with four men pulled up in the lane next to me. The front passenger noticed me at a red light and started to shout the usual cat calls, ʺHey pretty, where are you going!?ʺ ect. I ignored it and drove off when the light turned green. The rest of them joined in, driving faster to catch up to my car, and then slowing down whenever I tried to lose them just to get a turn to yell something at me.

Usually I would flip a finger with my eyes forward but I didn’t feel like I owed them even that. The truck swerved into my lane due to the driver shouting at me and not paying attention to the road. At this point I was terrified. Being a woman, in her car, just driving to work is a terrifying experience?

When I continued to ignore them, their comments became more aggressive, using words like ʺbitchʺ and ʺcuntʺ to describe me. At that moment I braked and got behind them, my fear becoming anger. I followed them until they pulled into a mini mart and parked my car and got out outraged. My pride and respect for myself outreached my logic to ignore and keep my distance. I approached the truck and unleashed a lecture of a lifetime, describing their actions as dangerous, nauseating, and disrepectful. At first they began to laugh at me, I think because I took them by surprise by my confrontation. But by the end at least had one of the guys apologized for his actions. He apologized for his ʺfriendsʺ as well, and told me that he wasn’t like them. I told him he should pick better friends. It might have been reckless to approach them, but if I didn’t say anything, who would? Who else would protect my right just to drive to work without harassment?

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

Awareness, Not resorting to silence

– Emily Sharp

Location: East Nashville, TN

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

I was walking down the street, and ran into some friends who were waiting at a bus stop. We chatted for a couple minutes, and then I continued walking. I was about 30 feet away from them when a man yelled something unintelligible from a passing car. Reflexively, I turned around. He yelled, ʺHey! Are you going to go ‘do’ something? Your friends are looking at you like you’re about to go ‘do’ something.ʺ

He said the phrase ʺdo somethingʺ in a suggestive tone, and was staring at me creepily. I glanced back at my friends, who had witnessed the interaction, and we all kind of shrugged in confusion. I turned around and kept walking. I guess I was cracking up a little from the absurdity, and a man walking toward me yelled, ʺDamn, that’s a beautiful smile!ʺ I flipped him off (which probably wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but there were a lot of people around), and he yelled, ʺWell f*** you, too!ʺ

And that’s how I got catcalled because I got catcalled.

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

Raise boys to be respectful of girls and women. Educate men that it’s never, EVER ok to make any sort of comment to a woman you don’t know.

– Anonymous

Location: Seattle, WA

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

I am 30 years old now, married and have a small baby.  When I was 19 or so, I went to Walmart one evening (not late).  In the parking lot a car drove past me and I could feel eyes/heard a comment but ignored it and walked into the store. Unbelievably, not 5 minutes later a man (from the car) walked up to me in one of the front aisles of the store.  He walked straight up to me and told me I looked like a slut and that my sister was a whore and sucked dick. (???).

So I got REAL loud with him, as we were near the entrance and there was enough people around.  I said, “What the f*** did you just say to me?”  as loudly as I could to draw attention, and he walked away.  I even yelled at him as he walked off.  I found a store manager and asked that they remove the man from the store.  I was too young to know that I should have dialed 911.  Always dial 911 if you feel threatened.  The manager said okay, and 15 minutes later the same man was 10 feet away from me in another aisle.  I was stunned, and immediately went to check out.  I made several calls to Walmart after that but they obviously didn’t care.  I am glad I no longer live in that city.  I have countless examples of harassment from my time there.

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

Billboards, tv/radio/paper ad telling me it is not ok to harass women.  State the legal consequences for harassment.

– Laura Q

Location: San Antonio, TX

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea

I was walking down the street in the evening, and a car rounded the corner. The guy yelled something out his window at me (“hey babe” or something similar. I don’t remember). He then rounded the corner again and did the same thing. The third time, I told him I’d call the police, and he actually asked if I was serious. Apparently he didn’t think this was a big deal.

– Sandy

Location: Paterson, NJ, USA

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I was walking home in summer wearing a pretty summer dress, I was 16 and quite obviously very young.  A car full of older men, probably in their late 20s, drove by and asked me “how much” I was.  When I ignored them and walked quickly away, they proceeded to curb crawl me and ask me things like whether I am ‘working’, and asking me what I would do for certain amounts of money.  I’m usually the kind of girl to bite back when faced with street harassment, but this left me stunned and speechless.

– HH

Location: Rochdale town centre

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea