Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming
It happened when I was 13 in a town bus and the guard brutally hit me. I have seen such things done by the same guard.
Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?
Never justify harassment and never bring up reasons but solutions.
– Anonymous
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.
I was walking two blocks home from the grocery store and a guy rides past me on his bicycle and slaps my ass. All I could think to yell was “Get the f**k out of here!”
No one on the street said anything.
– Anonymous
Location: 16th and East Colfax, Denver, CO
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.
I was walking home from school and some guys drove past me and yelled, “Damn girl, nice butt!” I was confused as this has never happened before. People don’t tend to notice me. So I continued walking as the guys in the car drove away.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
By having people who are witnessing it, help out in defending the victim.
– Anonymous
Location: Colorado
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea.
I was going for a run, and it was windy and rainy and cold. A woman walking her dog in the other direction smiled at me and said, “I admire you.”
– KG
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
This is part of the series “Street Respect. “Street respect” is the term for respectful, polite, and consensual interactions that happen between strangers in public spaces. It’s the opposite of “street harassment.” Share your street respect story and show the kind of interactions you’d like to have in public in place of street harassment.
I was on a college campus and parked at the parking garage near the library. The area isn’t the best on campus, but I had never felt unsafe before, and besides, it was the middle of the afternoon when I went.
Anyway, I parked, and as I was walking out of the parking garage, some guy called from his truck, “You walk by me too quick, hon!” I never saw him because I just kept walking and pretended I hadn’t heard him, but I felt my face flush and my heart beat faster with a little fear. This was the first time I had ever been catcalled or street harassed, and I just felt like I was in danger.
A guy that is willing to call out to you might be willing to do other things, you know? A week after this happened, there was a news story about someone who was raped in that area. I just wish that people could walk through public places and feel safe from the threat of verbal, physical, or sexual assault. It’s disrespectful and inappropriate. I want someone to find me attractive, but it should be someone I know and care about, not some random guy in a parking garage.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
Around campus we have police boxes that have buttons that connect the speakers to 911. I think that these would be valuable to have in many places, especially secluded public spaces like parking garages. We also have an safety escort service, which has two people pick you up and take you home if you want. This too would be a great idea for off campus as well. Obviously we can’t forcibly keep people from calling out lewd things, but we can put safety precautions in place to help potential victims take control of the situation.
– Anonymous
Location: Indiana, USA
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea