I was walking my dog in my neighborhood one afternoon. A group of young men were walking in front of us. They stopped and my dog and I walked by them. One of the guys asked me, “Hey are you going to take me for a walk?” I turned around and said “Nope.” They were all laughing and the one who kept talking to me would continue with his remarks.
When I turned on to my street, he called at me again, “When are you going to take me for a walk?” I stopped and turned around. “Excuse me?” I said. He walked over with a big grin on his face and said “You can walk me if you want.”
I asked him, “How are you going to talk to a perfect stranger like that? I don’t even know you.”
He started laughing a little nervously and asked what my dog’s name is. “Leaving. Her name is Leaving.”
I turned around and started walking home. I heard his friends all laughing in the background. It was a conscious effort not to go down the path of anger.
Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?
Compassion. It’s a daily practice when it comes to cat calling behavior. You can be compassionate while still deflecting those comments.
– Anonymous
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910
Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.
