I was harassed while waiting for the subway. A man approached me, asked if I spoke Spanish. I said no, but he asked for directions in broken English. I was quite abrupt, as I always am, but I told how many stops he had until his destination, and he said thank you. Before he left, he said, “You’re pretty, have a good day.”

I smiled and said thanks.

He walked away, back to where he was originally standing. A few minutes later, I saw someone approaching from my peripherals. It appeared they were moving quickly. I turned to look, and first thought they were wearing tan pants. I quickly learned it was the same man, who removed his pants, who was both exposing himself to me while masturbating. He had the most disgusting twisted look on his face. With no time to think, I screamed and ran upstairs to the station attendant and reported what I saw.

She contacted the police, but said I could leave. I waited until a couple of trains came through, and until a few other people came, and went back down and got on the train. While I got on the train, I thought I saw him still on the platform. I hope the cops came and found him, but I am doubtful. I’ll be waiting upstairs until the train comes from now on.

– Anonymous

Location: New York City

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So I’ve written in before regarding how some pervert took my photo while I was working out at Planet Fitness Gym in Elmwood Park, IL, and how the staff refused to remove him from the facility. I’ve also written on how corporate ignored my requests to form a harassment policy and have their staff trained on that policy, and refused to release security footage of the incident.

When I emailed the corporate VP about ignoring my requests, he responded with a very shocking and condescending “What evidence do you have that he took a picture of you? ” KNOWING that they have footage of the incident.

And now the harassment has happened AGAIN. This time at the Planet Fitness location in Cicero, IL. I came across a Yelp review as follows:

“On 12.29.2011 I visited this fitness center with the intention of joining. “Marco,” was the employee that assisted me that evening and despite my informing him I was married, kept flirting with me throughout the welcome session. The gym is two blocks from my home and I was very happy to have a fitness center so close to me. Despite his unwanted behavior, I gave this center a try. On 12.30.2011 “Marco” inappropriately obtained my personal cell number from my application/file and began contacting me against my wishes, sending me text messages where he was inviting me to spend time with him at the gym and repeatedly offered to work out together. He sent numerous messages over the course of the week before I asked him to stop contacting me and reminded him I had never personally given him my cell number. I felt very uncomfortable returning to the gym knowing I would see him, so I had my husband speak to the general manager, “Chris N”. In short, we are very disappointed with how the manager and this center’s owners’ handled this situation. We have decided to cancel both of our memberships immediately and demand the cancellation fee be waived. They informed me it was my word against their employee’s and stated there was a “trainer” that witnessed me give this “Marco” my cell number for personal reasons. In fact it was only I and “Marco” present at the table when I joined, no alleged “witness” was present. They based their decision to do nothing, on this “witness.” This is very disturbing.”

UGH! I messaged the woman and along with apologizing to her for her trouble gave her the link to my petition

This should NOT be happening! If you haven’t already please sign the petition asking that Planet Fitness form a harassment policy TODAY! It will only take one minute and it will send an email to the company letting them know how you feel–all with just your signature.

– Earth Angel

Location: Planet Fitness Cicero, IL

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I was leaving one of the WIC (Women, Infant, and Children – I’m 30 weeks pregnant, which makes this even worse) clinic and walking to the parking lot. I had to pass this big black suv which was just idling in the alley way. The passenger side window rolls down and the guy inside leans out and says, “Hey, how’s it going?”

Now while this might sound innocent enough when you read it, I have been harassed enough times to tell the different between a sleezy inquiry and a genuine inquiry and this one just made me feel uncomfortable. I just kept walking and I said, “I’m married and you’re not worth my time.”

Who does this to a pregnant woman? I felt really exposed and I just wanted to get in my car and lock the doors.

– Melissa B.

Location: Milwaukee, WI

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Two things that have marked me happened. One was when I was 13, a neighbour came up to me and said “I want to fuck you.”

I was near my house and started shouting at him. My father came out and talked to this man’s mother. I don’t know what happened next.

Another time, I was on the bus and next to it was a car. It almost hit the bus, and when I looked at the driver, I realized he was masturbating with both windows open. It was disgusting.

– Anonymous

Location: Lima, Peru

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I have been harassed all my life. I try not to let it dictate how I dress, but I am always grateful when it gets cold outside because then I have the added protection of a coat and maybe even a hat and scarf. Even then, I am harassed, when men cannot even see what I look like. It’s simply because I am young, and a woman, and, to them, an object.

It started when I was young, maybe ten or eleven. I was visiting my uncle’s house with my family. He lived near my grandparents in a very poor part of the region. His next-door neighbors’ son still lived at home, even though he was in his 30s. I had never spoken with him or interacted with him, yet as I got in the car to leave my uncle’s house, he looked at me and deliberately made oral sex motions with his hands, gesturing toward his penis. My parents were turned the other way, talking to my uncle, so they did not see this. I was young enough to not understand what he was doing right away, but I knew it was something bad. I never told my parents, maybe because I was unsure of what I really saw or maybe because I was afraid of “causing trouble”.

Later, in college, I got hit on by boys all the time, driving in their cars shouting, “Hey sexy!” or “Wanna get in my car?” I dismissed it as drunkenness or the “frat” culture.

My worst experience, though, was when I was studying abroad. I took the same route to school every day, walking, although I should have taken a taxi. I never felt particularly unsafe in spite of the high level of comments and innuendos by men. One day, I crossed a walking bridge. I saw a young man, maybe in his 20s, approaching from the other side, and I made sure I was far to the right so he could pass. My eyes were lowered. Suddenly, I was pressed against him, my schoolbag smashed between us. His face was near my neck, and I felt his hands squeezing my ass. It felt like forever, but I was in shock. I had never had someone touch me in public, and somehow I thought that being in public in daylight made me “safe.” Finally, I started screaming, and the man ran away. I stood, shaking, on the bridge, as two businessmen walked up the stairs. They had to have heard my scream, but they did nothing. They didn’t look at me or even acknowledge my presence. I cried all the way to school and never walked alone again. I only told a couple people about it.

Months later, I was at a bar and going to retrieve my coat with my friend from the coat check. We passed two young men as he walked, and one reached around and pinched my ass. I turned around, in shock, and he gave me this slow smile, like he knew I really liked it. I wish I had run after him; I had friends that were standing near the exit waiting to leave. I didn’t though, and when I expressed my extreme anger and frustration over the incident, my friends seemed nonchalant, as if I should expect to be groped a little because I dared to go to a bar. They did not know my previous encounter, so maybe they did not understand how violated I felt.

Whenever I walk somewhere or take public transportation (which is often now that I live in NYC), I am on my guard. I can spot a creeper a mile away, and I will do anything to get my distance from them. I zigzag away from men on the street, no matter what they look like, because you never know when one will get a little too close so they can making a kissing sound near your ear or make a lewd comment. I have actually had men look at me in confusion when they go about their day but happen to get too close and I leap out of the way in fear. I can’t help it – I’ve learned to consider any man on the street a potential predator.

– Anonymous

Location: Unnamed places and NYC

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