Last night at around midnight I was driving home and my petrol light came on. I knew I wouldn’t have enough gas to make it all the way home so I had to stop in at a 24 hour gas station.

I get there and there are two car loads of drunk guys. I didn’t really notice they were talking to me till one smart guy calls out, “That’s a nice rectum you have there!”

I turned around mulling over potential responses, decided to go with a grimace and a brisk walk back to my car. They continued to call after me, remarks like, “Naw don’t be shy!”

I felt so unsafe!

– Anonymous

Location: Auckland, New Zealand

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Think street harassment only happens to hot, young women? Think again. I admit it has been awhile. I was thinking about what I was going to write about today. Then I went into a retail chain store during my morning round of errands so I was more or less off the street. I was wearing a cozy, soft faux-fur jacket. I felt a hand on my back. I turned. It was one of the clerks, a very young man. “Sorry,” he said, “your coat looked so nice, I just wanted to see what it feels like.”

I doubt he would have done that to a guy, even in a faux fur. I was a actually more amused than insulted, but I said, “You know, you could have asked. Some women might have been very offended. You need to be aware that technically what you just did was assault and battery!”

He apologized.

– MJS

Location: Inside a store

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Editor’s Note: This email was sent to SSH and the author gave me permission to print it on the blog in the hopes of bringing more attention to the problem of harassment at clubs and to call out the Vodka Revolution Bar in Brighton, UK.

I am a student of Kings College London studying for a Masters Degree in Medical Ethics and Law and I am emailing to see whether it would be of interest to you to write a report regarding the sexism, shown by police, male club goers and bouncers, towards girls in the Brighton club scene.

On Sunday 15th January at around 1 a.m., I was assaulted in the Vodka Revolution Bar on West Street. A man (who I had never spoken with, seen, or even made eye contact with) grabbed me by the neck as I was attempting to make my way out of the club. Perhaps this was some strange attempt to kiss me. Naturally, I pushed him back and asked him what he was doing, he then began shouting in my face. I was obviously shocked by this and looked around to see if anyone else had seen this and could help, two men stood next to him also shouting at me. The first guy hit me over the head and I walked away (after having a good shout!).

My friend and I went away to find a bouncer, and reported this incident to him. He asked me to point out the guy, which I did. The bouncer said that he would go and speak to him, so I waiting by the stairs with my friend, Katie. After 10-15 minutes, the bouncer returned, fresh drink in hand, and informed me that the man had told him that he “didn’t know what he was talking about”. To which I pointed out that “of course he would say that…”. The bouncer said that as he did not witness the incident, there was not much that could be done.

I told the bouncer that I wanted to report this incident to the police, he went away and fetched them and lead me towards the fire exit where they were waiting. I told one of the policeman exactly what happened, and he suggest that as my friend and I are “both pretty girls” we pretty much had to expect this sort of this. He mentioned the “pretty girls” comment a few times before I calmly accused him of being sexist and suggested to him that the fact that I am wearing a dress and have gone to a club does not give a man license to grab me, hit me and scream in my face. I then told him that if I had gone out in jeans in the middle of the day and this had happened to me, this may have ben treated very differently.

The officer took my details, as did one of the bouncers. Another police officer imerged and said that they were now going to kick the guy out – although I did not see this happen and it did not look as if they were going to. The officers stood around under the stairs just so that it looked like they were going to do something. The bouncers also told me that they would look at the CCTV and call me. My friend and I got our coats and left through the fire exit.

Today I have called the club and spoken with the manager who says that no one had logged this. No one would have contacted me. No one looked at the CCTV. This afternoon, the manager has looked for this incident on the CCTV and said that as the cameras are in a bad position, he would not be able to see anything. Not good enough.

I was not drunk, although I had had a couple of drinks. I was wearing a short black dress. Where I am and what I am wearing should not give drunken men license to assault me, it should not give bouncers license to ignore me, and it should not give police officers license to blame me for the way I present myself. I thought that we were passed this – apparenty not.

This story may not be of interest to you, but on behalf of all the girls who have to put up with this sort of sexism every night I felt that I should say my piece.

Thank you for taking the time to read my email.
Kind Regards,
Sophie Calas

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem.
Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.