This has happened twice this week. Mere yards from my home, while I was walking down the sidewalk, people in their cars (all of them men) have wolf-whistled or catcalled at me, yelling rude things. In some cases, I wasn’t even 50 feet from the edge of my property. I feel unsafe in my own neighborhood every time it happens; like I can’t leave my apartment to go walk to the store without being bothered. It’s violating, it’s rude, and it leaves me angry and on the verge of tears. I deserve far more respect than this.

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

I’m not sure at this point, other than finding a way to make these scumbags picture that their mother/father/priest/etc. is there watching them do it.

–  SS

Location: Westminster, CO, USA

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

This did not happen to me, but to my girlfriend. I heard stories from her that she gets whistled at while walking alone along streets. These whistles come from men in cars as well as pedestrian passersby. Sometimes, hawker stalls owners compliments her and ask her for her name. It happens too in cinemas and public places.

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

I hope that the awareness is raised in Malaysia about the rudeness of catcalling to a complete stranger. I believe that currently there is no act or law in place to curb this. I do want to help in preventing this happening to anyone, be it male or female. Thank you for your kind help. 🙂

– JH

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

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

Just yesterday, at a Family Dollar, I was harassed by a middle aged man. I was wearing a bandage skirt and he said, “I feel like I just want to grab that thing. You need to cover it up because I’m attracted to shit like that.”

I told him he needs to control his comments. He told me my man was an idiot for letting me dress like that. I felt very terrified, because he just threatened to rape me, technically.

– Betty Miller

Location: Broad and Girard Ave. in Philadelphia, PA

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

Standing by the traffic light on my local college campus, I heard a loud scream behind me and whirled around to see two guys in a pickup. It was so random that I couldn’t think what to do–but next time I’d just go over and say, “Hey, I don’t like being treated that way and I want you to stop.” I don’t think it would actually stop them, but it would break the cycle where one person hurts another on purpose and nobody says anything.

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

Having websites like this is a great start. But I think it really starts at home. If kids learn by example that respect doesn’t involve fear or violence, and that safe spaces are “the norm” while attacking people–including verbally and emotionally–is socially damaging in a real and long-lasting way, they won’t grow think it’s funny, cool, impressive, or harmless to make random gestures of aggression at strangers. Obviously nobody taught these guys using that kind of example, so they’ll have to figure it out for themselves.

– Anonymous

Location: Chapel Hill, NC

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