Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Terrifying chase through Fort McMurray

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I once got chased by a truck full of guys through downtown Fort McMurray for nearly an hour. I ran, jumped fences, cut through parks but they found me every single time. They were yelling and calling me baby and telling me to stop running away because they only wanted to talk to me.

I was terrified and I didn’t have a cell phone or any way to call anyone until I made it to a late night grocery store and used their phone to call a friend to pick me up.

– Anonymous

Location: Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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Harassers at work & in the parking lot prompt move

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I work part time at a retail store. Most of my customers are male because of the type of store I work in. I’m still fairly new to this area and “Southern Hospitality” is the last of what I receive since relocating. I often have men making lewd comments that are just inappropriate and make me highly uncomfortable. Things really changed when I had a “customer” corner me and try to make me hug him. I was the only one on the sales floor but my boss was sitting in the back and he did nothing to help me out of the situation which he could clearly see from the surveillance cameras. When I approached him about that situation all he could say was “Tell them to leave”. I mean seriously, that it? There’s only ever one of us on the sales floor at any given time.

My husband and I talked about it and we both decided if my company did not want to do anything to help then we would have to figure something out ourselves. Because of the constant harassment I’ve changed my availability to morning hours only (when the creeps are least likely lurking). When the harassment continued out of my job and into the parking lot it became more uncomfortable, things have gotten to the point that I carry a taser with me in and out of work. My husband and I are in the process of selling our home to move closer to family where I feel safer and protected.

– “Frustrated and Disgusted”

Location: Pemberton Square Blvd. Vicksburg, Ms 39180

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Blocking the view of oglers

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This happened in Delhi. Yesterday evening, I was at a take away place and I had ordered something and was waiting for my order to come through. This young girl about 13 or so walks in and orders some take away food at the counter and stands back waiting for her order to be ready. There’s this group of men in their early thirties were waiting there too. This kid is hardly 13 and has no breasts to speak of and she’s wearing jeans and a long shirt below her hips with an open collar. This dirty group of young men stared openly at the kid’s chest. Made me feel creepy. Think about it, she’s just a kid! It made me very angry, but I couldn’t do much, so I moved myself and positioned myself in front of the kid so the other guys couldn’t ogle at her, as in I came in their line of vision. I cannot go all around town slapping people. That was the best I could do at that moment. What is the world coming to? Everybody has kids who are 12 or 13 at one point of time in life! Sickening!

– Tbg

Location: Delhi, India

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Harassed by Dillard’s employees

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Saturday afternoon on July 31,2010, I was returning home from the grocery store. After getting off at the bus stop, I was harassed by 2 Dillard’s employees, in deliver truck #7010, who slowed their vehicle down and honked at me. The men continued to harass me by leaning out the window of the truck and making “kissing” noises and gestures at me. I was in tears by the time I made it home.

I was dressed conservatively in a big t-shirt and yoga pants. The sexual nature of the harassment was unwanted and caused me fear. It is called street harassment and is a bulling tactic employed by men towards women they do not know.

Street harassment and the fear of sexual assault make girls and women feel unwelcome and unsafe in public at least sometimes, especially when they are alone. It causes them to be in public less often than they would otherwise and to be on guard while there.

Please help stop this practice by making Dillard’s take responsibility of their employees and raising public awareness of this growing problem.

– Nadja

Location: Dallas, TX

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Barcelona beach creeper

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I was alone at a nude beach that was nearly empty. I was swimming naked, always close to the beach to take care of my stuff there.

I was there for some time and it was simply great because I had the beach just for myself, the first time since I’m in Barce. After being there for 20 minutes a guy came to the beach, sat down some meters away from my clothes and watched me. I tried to ignore him but I just couldnt relax. It was horrible because I wanted to be alone, not observed but I couldnt swim away because he couldve stolen my stuff so I stayed close there.

I feeled caught in the water because i never wanted to get out, naked, while he was observing me. Horrible!
After ten minutes feeling more than uncomfortable I went out of the water, weared my clothes on without drying myself before and went home crying. I didnt dare it to shout at him or to do something else because I was naked (rather half naked because I was in my wet clothes without underwear).

– HW

Location: Barcelona, Spain

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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