Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

I’ve never felt so clueless about handling harassment

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This is a follow up to “Have a nice day…you crazy bitch!”

I was walking my usual path to the bus stop this morning and saw the car that the men who harassed me last month used. I looked through my cell phone photos to compare it to the actual car, and sure enough, they’re one in the same. The things that aren’t clear enough in the original photo were more clear to me in person, such as a college decal on the top of the rear window, and an apartment complex parking tag in the rear window’s lower right corner. I took closer photos so I could have a clearer shot of the license plate and decals.

A rush of anger ran through me. I want to do something about it. I thought about printing up the original story and having it on me so if I were to see that car yet again, I could put it on their windshield so they know that their rude behavior is now public. I thought about getting someone involved, but who? Who would I talk to about this? Would I talk to Key Elementary and get them involved, since these guys park near them (I assume these guys work nearby, maybe in the Arlington County Building), or would they say it’s not their problem since it’s not technically on their property?

I’ve never felt so clueless about how to handle harassment before! And I’m glad it was only the car I’d seen today, and not the actual harassers. I don’t know how I’d feel if I ever ran into those losers again.

– anonymous

Location: Arlington, VA

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Bus stop harassment

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I was leaving an open stage I performed at regularly at about midnight. I had to wait for the bus, but I was on a well-lit street, so I wasn’t too worried. A car full of young men drove by. One of them hung his head out the window and yelled, “Hey slut!” The driver honked at me.

I gave them the finger. I was scared that they might stop and do something worse to me, but my pride won over my fear. They gave me the finger back and drove away.

– MH

Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada

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“Hey bitch, didn’t you hear what I said?”

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As I was walking home from school I passed by a liquor store. There were men hanging out there and they started whistling at me. One man called out excuse me miss. I continued to ignore him and he got mad at me and said, “Hey bitch didn’t you hear what I said?”

I kindly told him that I was on my way home and leave me alone. Then he started coming towards me like he was going to do something. I ran and he chased after me. I pulled out my cell and said, “Hey I’m going to call the cops you keep on fucking with me.”

Him and friends decided to leave. I told my dad and mom they told me I should have not said anything at all d kept on walking. Now I’m so scared. I try to travel different ways so I wouldn’t have to pass by that liquor store.

– anonymous

Location: Los Angeles, CA

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Men think that my body is public property

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I go to school in Seattle, Washington, US. I have always lived in Washington. For me, street harassment started when I was in high school.

I started riding public transportation when I was 17, because I was in a program at my high school where I could take college classes and receive credit for both high school and college. I couldn’t get a car so I had to ride the bus. Over my time in high school, I was followed off the bus by grown men and harassed by a bus driver and several passengers.

I am 21 now, I go to school in Seattle, and the harassment has only gotten worse. I have been followed down the street by a man screaming at me and calling me a bitch because I wouldn’t stop to talk to him. I’ve been groped, grabbed by the arm, cornered on the bus, catcalled, honked at and yelled at from cars, you name it. Men have tried to get up close and invade my personal space when I refuse to talk to them.

The time I was groped, I was waiting at my bus stop in the International District. A man came up to me and started introducing himself and trying to have a conversation with me. I can’t remember what I said to him, but I made my answers short and tried to brush him off. When I went to put my headphones on, he tried to reach down the front of my shirt. At first I was so shocked that I couldn’t think of what to do, but then I managed to yell “Don’t touch me!” Other people waiting at the stop looked my way, the guy got embarrassed and left.

I have gotten increasingly wary of strangers because of this and the fact that I am catcalled two or three times a week.

So what I have been doing now is holding my head high, walking with a strong, purposeful gait, and trying to appear intimidating (which is hard to do when you’re 5′ 2″). I thought maybe that would make me less of a target. I yell back and I give people the middle finger. So far it hasn’t changed anything.

Everyone spends all this time telling us we should watch what we wear, where we go, what time we go out, etc. I just want to live my life and not worry if the guy that groped me would have stopped if no one had been around to see. Or if something worse will happen.

I am so sick of taking their shit. I’m sick of these men that think they are entitled to treat me however they want. Men that think my body is public property. I just want to walk down the street in peace.

– Lisa

Location: Seattle, WA

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Crank up the Ipod

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Harassment started for me at a really young age. Around nine, perhaps. All of the harassers were in their twenties, thirties, forties, or fifties. It was a scary thing to have to be faced with every day as a kid.

My street is residential and I used to go pretty far out of my way to avoid a house where street harassers lived, and hung out in front of, in order to get to the nearest commercial street where businesses are. I had to get to this street multiple times a day for the bus, grocery store, bank, drug store, etc. Now I have an ipod and just crank it up as loud as I can and wince as I go by.

– anonymous

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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