Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
Just what the hell am I supposed to say to the cretin who sneers, “You must be on the rag”?
– ninyabruja
Location: Ernest Klein Market, New York City
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My favorite story involves walking on a pretty central street in the downtown of my city. A guy just pulled right onto the crosswalk I was, well, crossing and proceeded to yell at me to get in his car, asking if I needed a ride, and yelled several times if I wanted to “SUCK SOME DICK.”
It was the middle of day in public. Good times. It shook me pretty badly.
– Eir
Location: St Petersburg, FL
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When I was about 21-years-old, I was at the mall down the street from my college looking for a new pair of pants. I had spent probably a good half hour in the same store humming and hawing about what to buy when suddenly an older women runs up to me and sticks a piece of paper in my hand. She whispers, “Read this” before walking off.
Feeling like I was in a spy movie I opened the paper. It read:
“There is a man following you. White shoes, blue jeans, grey t-shirt.”
In shock I looked up immediately and frantically begin looking for the man. Sure enough, there was someone about 20 feet behind me…and when I made eye contact he hid behind a pillar.
I immediately grabbed my things and ran over to the area to confront the person but he was gone. Shaken up, I went to the security desk at the Mall, and told the two men working there what had happened.
They responded, “Yeah. It happens all the time/”
The complete apathy of the ‘security’ appalls me even to this day. And if it happens all the time…maybe something needs to be done about it?
Either way…I went home as quickly as I could, taking as many turns as possible to make sure I wasn’t being followed.
– JaguarGrin
Location: Oakville Place. Oakville Ontario, Canada
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On a Wednesday morning, about 10 a.m. I was waiting at crowded a bus station for the next bus due to arrive in the next five minutes or so. An older man came up to me to ask me what time the bus was going to be there, I answered, and then he struck up conversation with me about who had just won the lottery.
I was trying to be polite so I politely responded in conversation as necessary. After a minute or two he turns to me and says, as the bus pulls up, “Oh, I forgot a bus transfer,” and I reply, “You might make it if you run inside quickly.”
He says, “Thanks” followed by…”Bye, Pussy.” And he sticks his tongue out and waves it provocatively in the air at me before running off.
I was too surprised to respond before he ran off…
Not only was I disgusted at his behavior, but I FELT disgusting.
– JaguarGrin
Location: Kennedy Station, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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I was filling up my car at a petrol station, which have been very busy lately (due to the proposed strikes).
I was minding my own business when a young guy in a car full of people shouted out, “Fatty!”
I’ve been harassed about my weight all my life, but this is the first time in the last couple of months. I felt really hurt. I put my middle finger in the air, but didn’t look back so I don’t know if he saw it. It made me feel slightly better, but still really humiliated.
– Anonymous
Location: Petrol Station
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