I got whistles and other things yelled at me while on vacation with my family. I was a teenager and I didn’t know why they were doing that. I was confused, ashamed, embarrassed because others stared at me then. Not even my parents did or said anything. I still remember it and it was 40 years ago.

– AM

Location: Watching the ships in a harbor in northern Minnesota

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

Drove through Taco Cabana one evening. I’d spent the day taking care of a sick relative. I was tired and I just needed to get something to eat. College-aged men on the patio felt it was important to yell at me that I was ugly. I was 48-years-old at the time. When I get up in the morning, my goal isn’t to titillate college-aged, beer-swilling man-children. How would they feel if someone acted that way to their mother? I was in a moving vehicle and I just kept going, but in retrospect I should have gone in and told the manager, or better yet, just thrown my soda at them.

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

Next time I am harassed, and unfortunately I know there will be a next time, I’ll tell the manager so they have the opportunity of making the harassers leave. If I’m in my car, I’m going to nail them with a soda.

– Anonymous

Location: Denton, TX

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I am half black, half white and people, no – men – in South Africa often give me strange looks. I live in Czech Republic, where people do that just because I have a dark skin, but they don’t approach me out of nowhere and chat.

My aunt took my older sister and me to the hairdresser’s. I was sitting in a chair while the hairdresser was straightening my hair. Three men were sitting next to me, staring at me occasionally. I got used to it a little bit over time, people do that there. But when we were leaving the place, me stepping out last, one of the men grabbed my arm, making me turn around. He let my arm go, smiled at me, waved and said ‘hi’. I froze, then almost-waved back with a stoic expression, my eyes widened in panic, mumbled ‘hi’ and ran away to the safety of my family. We laughed about it, when I told them. But wow, was I scared. It wasn’t because of my clothes, it was cold outside, but I look older than I am. Some people even mistake me for my mom’s (married) friend. But excuse me, Mr. Stranger? I’m fifteen!

– C

Location: South Africa

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I had an idiot pull up in his car and ask me if I wanted to “go on a date”.  I ignored him so he screamed at the top of his lungs “How much do you charge?” – I got hit on a lot on the streets because I was beautiful; however, my looks disappeared when I hit my 40’s; but it’s nice to be invisible…older women are just not seen….

Optional: What’s one way you think we can make public places safer for everyone?

Men still haven’t got it.  We need to start raising boys differently.  Pure and simple it has to start in childhood.

– Diva

Location: San Francisco’s Delores Street, CA

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Today on the way to work, a guy came up behind me on the subway and whispered, “Your legs made me miss my stop. I ain’t even mad.”

I want to bathe in acid.

– Bonnie

Location: NYC Subway

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