I was at the bus station at 2 PM on a Sunday afternoon. A man leered at me and said, “Hey there pretty young girl.” I ignored him and kept walking, and he started yelling about how I’m a stuck up bitch. I’m just grateful he didn’t follow me. even though it was the middle of the day and lots of people were around, everyone ignored what just happened.

– Anonymous

Location: Durham, NC

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

I entered the train, and the guy on the left of me pretended to “help” me into the train by grabbing my lower back and grazing it saying, “Here you go, sweetie.” My shirt on the back had a certain pattern that showed a bit of skin and his hands literally made contact with my skin.

When I told him, “Please don’t touch me,” he proceeded to insult my body, saying “There’s not much to touch,” and laugh with his friend and make insulting comments about my race loudly so everyone on the train could hear. Both he and his friend continued to make harassing and provocative  remarks throughout the train ride, hoping I would react verbally. I didn’t.

Instead, I turned around and took his photo. His eyes stared right into mine as I did it, looking surprised. Guess he didn’t expect that one.

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

Keep taking photos of harassers if you feel it is safe to do so. Keep documenting every time you’re harassed. If they know they can’t get away with it, they may be less likely to to try again next time.

– Anonymous

Location: New York 6 Train

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I was walking home in broad daylight, on the sidewalk, through my very residential neighborhood, and I sensed a car slowing behind me. I kept walking. The man in the car slowed to talk to me and I thought that he might be asking me for directions. I couldn’t understand what he said initially, so I said, “Where are you trying to get to?” And he laughed and said, “No, I asked where you’re going” with a gross look on his face. I responded, “To my house. Alone.”

I started walking and he paused before driving, and I got out my phone with every intention of calling 911 if necessary.

This made me feel gross, like I must have done something to invite his attention, and a little concerned for my safety, as I was actually near my house and I was worried that he would see which driveway I turned into. I immediately texted my husband to tell him how awful I felt.

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

Educate men that street harassment really has no point–it’s offensive, it makes women feel like trash, it leads to safety issues, and (if they only care about themselves) it will not lead to a productive conversation or “hook up” with a woman.

– KL

Location: Indianapolis, IN

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I was walking to meet my partner one afternoon, and a man was walking behind me for a few minutes.  It seemed like he was trying to catch up to me and finally did, and asked me “Where are you going?”

I said I was going to meet up with my girlfriend, and he replied “a girlfriend girlfriend?? “I said “Yes” and he said, “That’s too bad, you sure you only play with girls?” I replied “yep” and started walking faster, to which he replied “Good-looking girl like you, you’ve got a nice ass”.

I was in complete shock and all I could muster out was “thanks”.  I couldn’t believe that happened.  After we both changed directions I was in shock and awe still that this complete stranger said this to me.

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

Raise our children, teach them that it is not acceptable behavior to cat-call or harass people.  The media plays a HUGE role in how men perceive women want to be treated.

– Emerald

Location: Street

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One night I sat in downtown, Honolulu (Hawaii), waiting for my ride. Class had just finished at about 9 P.M., a stranger walks up to me and sits beside me, asks what I’m doing, then stares for awhile after I answer him. It got a bit awkward so I asked him a few questions, attempting small talk, he took awhile to answer my questions, often times asked me to repeat it then answer. As he sat on my right side, I asked his name and where he was from. What he was doing in town at night, holding a fire knife.

He hadn’t answered me, he continued to stare at me, and started jerking his head in a certain direction. I asked if he was okay and he replied, “Roll with me to the beach”. I said politely said, “No thanks, I’m waiting for my ride”. He then asked to move to the other side of me, I told him it was fine, not thinking anything of it.

I tried to talk to him some more but he wasn’t replying much at all. He then asked me once again, what I was doing and proclaimed for me to walk with him to the beach. So I asked, “What for? I told you I’m waiting for my ride”. He then replied, “So we can have sex on the beach and have a good time talking about it on the way”. I was shocked that he’d come directly with such a statement.

I then told him, “No! I don’t know what kind of girl you take me for but you’re mistaken”! I awkwardly stared away from him, then looking down at my bag in silence and noticed he had pulled down his zipper and was holding his appendage in his hand. I looked up and away to my right side fast, and what he was doing and for him to out it away. He told me to look down at it and I refused. I was very scared, not knowing what would happen next if I tried to run away, being that there was no one around. I ignored him for the next few minutes while he asked questions and then my ride pulled up. I haven’t spoken about it to anyone ’til now.

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

Making anywhere a safer place seems almost impossible because no matter the time or place, there are still sick people rooming around and in some circumstances, people aren’t walking around at night or certain times of the day.

– Anonymous

Location: Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S.

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