I was in San Francisco, California, with my family on vacation. I was walking back to the hotel from the grocery store with my mother when a car full of guys yelled out the window at me. I’m not sure what they said but it was still uncalled for, especially when walking with my mother.

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

When you see it happening to someone else help them by calling out the perpetrator.

– AY

Location: San Francisco, CA

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

I am a Latin woman living alone in The Netherlands. I speak Spanish and English, but I don’t speak Dutch. People here often ask about my culture and the role of women in society; they like to say women here are treated with equality, but sadly I have to tell them this is the first time in my life when I am actually afraid of going out in the night alone.

I have been followed 3 times in less than 10 months, catcalled almost every single day (sometimes I wish I could understand what they are actually saying) and even had a man danced ridiculously at me and not letting me follow my way at the train station.

The first time I was followed I realized a man was watching me and I decided to go shopping, several minutes later I realized he had followed me across the city centre, and now he was following me inside of the store, he approached and started asking questions about me and I told him to leave, the same mechanics repeated 5 times until he finally left. I felt so angry and powerless.

After that first time I tried to buy pepper spray, I couldn’t, it is illegal here. The second time I was followed I was carrying grocery bags, going home. I thought if the man didn’t leave me alone I could throw him something out at him. The third time, I was returning home from a club. A man started walking next to me asking me if I was going home and telling me to go back to the club, with him. I told him to go away but he didn’t listen and continued following me until I almost got home. I had to stop and tell him I would yell and call the police. When he finally left I ran home.

Again I felt powerless, this time I was not angry, I was afraid.

– MVM

Location: Eindhoven, The Netherlands

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

I live in Minneapolis and men are consistently saying things to me. I do not have a car so I am always walking and on public transit.

I moved here almost a year ago to save money for a year or so and then move away to London for graduate school. I was hoping to avoid this type of treatment but it seems to be really bad here in various parts of the city, on buses, and the light rail train. I am asked for money (to get my attention), offered rides, just anything to get my attention. Men are trying to get my attention as I walk down the street. Unfortunately it seems to be mostly Black men. I am a Black woman,

I cover myself (no cleavage) and don’t wear heels and makeup from years of being harassed on the street in Chicago where I grew up.

I don’t feel that I can truly wear what I want because of the level of ignorance that I experience here. I do rent a car occasionally and this is heaven to me. There is a car sharing service here that is .41 cents a minute but that gets expensive after a while.

Can’t wait to leave this area.

– Anonymous

Location: Lake Street and other areas in South Minneapolis, MN

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