I remember when I was running errands for my grandmother in her neighborhood. The part of the city she lives in is a bit questionable, but I always felt okay moving around in familiar areas during the day time. I was walking across a plaza on the way to her senior living apartment home when I saw two men standing near their car. They were several years older than me, probably in their 50’s or 60’s. I planned to make some distance between me and them and make no eye contact. They saw me immediately and made moves to get me to talk to them.

They wanted to know how I was and how pretty I looked and what a pretty girl was doing all alone. One of the men in particular was very interested in me. I told them, “Im fine. I’m just doing errands for my grandmother, I have to keep going.” Of course, they ask me if I was taken. Yes I am, with a wonderful boyfriend. The man interested in me looks rather annoyed at my answer and tries to convince me that somehow my boyfriend isn’t worth anything and how I need to go with him instead. He “promises” he would take me all sorts of places and offers to drive me up to my grandmother’s house. All this time, my warning bells have been going off and I realize that I needed to leave immediately. I tell them briskly that I don’t need the ride and that I have to leave now. So I leave.

I quickly make my way up to my grandmother’s house, still feeling nervous. Then all of a sudden, the two men’s car pulls up close to me. Their windows are rolled down and the two are looking at me with lewd looks on their faces. They’re trying to convince me to get into their car and talk to me, and now Im starting to feel frightened. I cant allow them to see me heading towards my grandmother’s apartment, so I simply walk away from them on a sidewalk path that led to more senior living apartments, since they wouldnt be able to follow me that way. I hid behind one of the buildings and did not come out until I was able to see their car drive off. I was frightened. I didn’t allow myself to leave my hiding spot for at least a good 5 minutes before heading back to my grandmother’s house. I certainly didn’t go back out for the rest of the day.

– Anonymous

Location: Hartford, CT

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I was trying to get a taxi home after a night out with a friend. Unfortunately I had to wait 20 minutes outside a cab office for the cab to come. It was not the safest area. There was a club near the cab station where an intimidating guy around 6ft who was not in the best state came towards the cab office with a group of youth. When I asked the cab controller where my cab was I was grabbed and pulled towards the guy who was intoxicated and who also wanted to make a move on me. I pushed him aside and told him ‘not to touch me please’ which then resulted into him getting in my face with a glass bottle in his hand and he started throwing verbal threats and insults at me stating ‘ Girls like you think your too F***ing nice’.

During this time two cabs that were passing the cab office who were meant to pick up my friend and myself both drove off without any intentions of stopping to help.  Luckily one of the youth was able to maintain and calm him down from things escalating further. The night then progressed further with me and my friend then being circled and intimidated by two youth on bikes, whom were both trying to make a move on us as well. Luckily a cab finally came, but because we felt so unsafe because of the area and what we experienced we put on the safety lock within the cab. I had an uneasy ride home just thinking about the fact that you can’t expect people out there to look out for you. You have to watch your own back.

– Michaela Graham

Location: Northeast London

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Over the last few weeks alone:

* A boy no older than 10 pulled my top down in a public park.
* An elderly man groped and verbally harassed me on the bus
* Men of varying ages have repeatedly leered at and catcalled me on the street (I am 16)
* When serving at the pub where I work upon occasion men have told me to ‘smile darling’, ‘show some more skin’ and ‘get back in the kitchen’ (I’m a waitress)

The first time I experienced street harassment I was 9, in a junior school uniform and it has not stopped since.

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

Educate men, there is a widespread culture that passes off any harassment towards women as ‘banter’, its not ‘banter’ it is a jail worthy offence.

– Anonymous

Location: Consett, Newcastle, UK

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I was travelling for work in Basel, walking down the street in the evening looking for a suitable place to get dinner. For no particular reason that attracted several stares/ leers from the passing blokes. There does not seem to be many women on their own in this town. I was then followed down the street by a bloke hissing something at me under his breath. It scared me, I turned around and walked away as fast as I could, ignoring him. I saw another woman getting harassed by a different man on the way back. At home I might be tempted to say something but here in another language I don’t feel confident. It doesn’t help that every second shop window has sexy lingerie on display or there are lap-dancing bars on street corners. I’m a 40 year old professional woman and it’s horrible to be made to feel vulnerable when doing something perfectly normal.

– Anonymous

Location: Basel, Switzerland

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See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for more idea