I was waiting for the bus line 40 in Athens Greece Syggrou Fix. A man approached me and claimed we met before. I said I didn’t know him, he insisted, after a while I asked him to leave me alone. He did not so I said if he continued I’d call the police. He left at first then came back and continued approaching me in already very aggressive way, saying it was actually me bothering him and I should stop looking at him etc.

I decided to move to another stop (tram stop near that bus stop) and he followed me and eventually approached me again asking to stop looking at him and when I again asked him to leave me alone he actually approached me very close and grabbed my hand which started to hurt. Thanks to the person (a young woman) sitting next to me who actually tried to protect me and whom I asked to call the police. This caused him to leave, but he said that I should not show up again there or else I’d be in big trouble. The man was bald, not too tall, shorter than I am, facial hair, trimmed. May wear a hat as he claimed that he does sometimes which is why I did not recognized him, as he claimed, because he was sure we met before.

– Anonymous

Location: Athens Greece Syggrou Fix bus stop

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I was running an errand for work, and was walking along the side of the street to head back to my car. As I approached an intersection and waited for the light to cross, a man in a car stopped to yell at me. He yelled “you’re so beautiful, do you have a boyfriend?” To which I ignored. My relationship status should be irrelevant- I’m not interested in you, do you really respect that another man has a girlfriend more than you respect my lack of interest? I shouldn’t need an excuse not to be interested.

Anyways, when the cat calling was persistent enough, I looked up from my phone and said, “Excuse me?” with a dirty look. I noticed the man was not alone in the car, but had another woman sitting next to him. When I shook my head and looked away, he slowly drove by and said, “You should say thank you when someone gives you a compliment,” and the woman next to him yelled, “You’re the ugliest person I’ve ever seen.” I wanted to yell that sexual harassment was a crime and take his license plate number, but no one else was around, they were in a car, and I was scared.

I regret not saying something else.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

Even if it’s just a dirty look, let the harasser know that their harassment is NOT OKAY. Don’t let their feeling of power over women be encouraged.

– Lindsey

Location: Lansing, MI

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I was on a walk with my friends outside, and a few guys passed by us. They kept saying how they wanted to “squeeze my ass” and that they would “pound the f*** out of her”. Incredibly embarrassing especially with friends around. One guy even asked to see my breasts, and when I didn’t respond he continued to yell profanities at me and continue to walk after me. That was really scary.

Optional: Do you have any suggestions for dealing with harassers and/or ending street harassment in general?

If you don’t feel safe talking back, don’t. Street harassment can go from a catcall, to rape. It’s that serious. If you don’t feel in danger, talk back. Make them know you aren’t just some walking display for their enjoyment. You are a woman. You are not an object. Don’t let the world think otherwise.

– Anonymous

Location: Portland, Maine

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea