Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“It makes me feel like wearing a bag over my head”

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I’ve never had anything incredibly offensive or disgusting said to me, but I do get catcalls and “Hey baby/sexy” fairly often. Even such seemingly innocuous things as “You look good this morning,” etc. bother me because of the way in which they’re said: nobody will approach you directly and say it to your face; they have to say it AT YOU behind your back, but close enough so they’re still in earshot.

I’ve had people drive beside me and talk at me out of truck windows while I was walking to work. Most of the time I try to ignore it because I don’t want to acknowledge that I heard it (plus I can’t physically or practically fight every douchebag who does it) but I hate feeling so passive, like I just let it happen without doing anything. Sometimes I’ll flip them off. It makes me feel like wearing a bag over my head so people won’t look at me.

– Anonymous

Location: Atlanta, Georgia

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Women should not be expected to drop everything to cater to men

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Why is it that scrubs always approach me at the most inappropriate time? I was trying to do something important and was not in the mood to be hit on!

I was at the library trying to print something up, and the printer kept giving me trouble. I put a $5 in the machine and it’s not enough for my print job, so I put another $5 in but the time on the printer expired and instead of returning my money as bills it spat out $10 worth of quarters. Great. Shaking my head. Can’t get the library worker’s attention because she’s talking to another patron so I try to handle things myself.

So out of nowhere, this pitiful loser tries to holla at me. He hovers over me and says, “Howya doin’, gurrrl? Gurrl, I luv yo’ dreads.” Seriously?! Why did this guy think I was in the mood to be hit on? I was preoccupied, trying to get a junk printer to work, and trying to retrieve a pile of quarters. Did he think I was going to stop, bat my eyelashes and coo at him? Hell no!

“Can’t you see I’m busy trying to get this damn printer to work and I don’t have the time to talk to you? Does it look like I’m interested in or care what you have to say?!” I snapped. His dumb butt starts snickering.

“You need help wit’ dat?” he asks, obviously not sincere because he’s walking away to leave, and still giggling.

“Obviously!” I said, sarcastically.

He’s gone, but the frustration of dealing with him, plus the frustration of dealing with a silly printer, lingered on me. Eventually I got the printer to work and went about my business, but the reminder that I’m a woman “expected” to visually please men and that I’m supposed to stop what I’m doing at that moment and cater to them is so annoying.

– Tired of Being Harassed

Location: Plaza Library, Arlington, VA

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“Lose some weight you tramp!”

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Just before 5 p.m. on March 19th I was walking along Shude Hill in Manchester, next to the shopping centre. As I reached the crossing next to the bus station I became aware of a man standing alone on the other side shouting abuse at virtually every woman walking past. Anyone dressed up nicely was nasty, dirty, a slut, a whore, a tart etc, and I caught part of a bizarre threat involving rectal insertion directed at one teenage girl. As I walked past I got, “Lose some weight you tramp!” screamed right in my ear.

He was really close to me, and I just turned round and screamed ‘Who the **** are you?’ which did shut him up for about three seconds before he started on other women again. Everyone else just walked past ignoring him. He was just one guy on his own. I was terrified of what he might do after I shouted at him, but I was so angry that nobody was standing up to him. It took me about an hour to stop shaking.

– AJ

Location: Manchester, UK

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“The feeling of being trapped and helpless was quite strong.”

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Around 11:30 or 12 one night after work, I took a bus route that required me to walk a few blocks to my apartment. My building is right on a busy street and the front door was always unlocked. Among the people on the bus were a group of giddy young girls and an older, shady-looking man. He had been focused on the girls, but when I stood up for my stop, he got off the bus with me.

He followed me for three blocks, while I crossed and re-crossed the street and paused to see if he would pass (he didn’t). I reached my building but was afraid to go in because he would see it was unlocked. I waited at a well-lit bus stop, where a young man was waiting as well. The stalker remained across the street, occasionally staring at me (I stared back) and patiently waiting for me to move. I contemplated crossing the street to talk to him, but reflected the streets were quiet and he might be stronger (and faster) than he looked. I was stuck and helpless.

Fortunately, my live-in boyfriend was at home and came out to walk me around the back and inside my building, but otherwise, I would have had few options – nearly all the stores were closed and I didn’t have any friends nearby. The feeling of being trapped and helpless was quite strong. As a young woman, I am tired of being targeted by unsavory, creepy men. I shouldn’t have to walk around with a constant fear of being followed, watched or accosted.

– Victoria

Location: Eglinton Ave. W and Avenue Road, Toronto, Canada

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Crotch grabber in Istanbul

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I was with my Norwegian colleagues on the streets in Istanbul while we were waiting to get on a boat. I found a nut vender by the side of the street and went over to check out what he was selling. As I was standing there with a couple of other female colleagues, a man walks by and grabs my cooch from behind. It was so strange and quick, I thought it might have been an accident, so I just ignored it. But then, the same man walks by a second time and grabs me in the same spot! I was so stunned! I felt so helpless!

– Kiersten

Location: Istanbul, Turkey

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