I usually walk my dog at night along the same route. The first time this happened was when I passed this house with my boyfriend beside me. My boyfriend states that he saw three guys at this house. The house was across the street from where I was walking. Once I was directly in the view from their house, one of the men whistled. I ignored it and kept walking. Then, one of them whistled again and all of them started laughing. By this point, I was feeling anger and frustration. It’s been so long since this has happened and the fact that it happened again didn’t make it any better. My boyfriend and I kept walking and I got so fed up by the time I got home.

The second time that this happened was yesterday. Same house and everything. However, this time I was by myself and I only saw one man outside. I was already on the phone with my boyfriend as I came close to the house. Again, once I was in direct view of them, the man whistled, as expected. I ignored it, got frustrated, and told my boyfriend on the phone that he did it again. After the first whistle he decided to call me like I was a freaking dog. He made this sound with his lips, the same sound you would make as if you were trying to call a dog over or just get their attention.

After hearing that sound, I was INFURIATED. I was still on the phone and I decided to tell my boyfriend the address of the house as loud as possible thinking the man would hear. I guess I was trying to “fake report” the situation. As I kept walking, I was so mad at myself for not confronting the man. Honestly, I wanted to go over and just cuss out the guy; but I know that probably wouldn’t be such a good Idea.

Later on, my boyfriend had come by my house to tell me that he actually went to the house and talked to a guy that was sitting outside. I’m not sure if that man he talked to was the guy who whistled at me. My boyfriend had told him that this has been the second time that I was whistled at by the same house and that he and the other men better stop. He told me boyfriend that he “understood” and that he would let the other guys know.

Every time I go for a walk I do get timid and I hope all the time that those men would not be out there when I pass by. However, I’m not going to let that stop me from walking the same route as I always do.

– Ivy

Location: 1821 Paso Real Ave, Rowland Heights, CA 91748

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

I work at in Playa Vista, across the street from the Home Depot on Jefferson. Our parking lot is severely overcrowded, so I try to ride my bike in to work when I can. However, when I do have the audacity to ride my bike on a public street, 50% of the time I am catcalled at by day workers who congregate outside of the Home Depot. They whistle, wave, try to say hello, and generally attempt to get my attention. Somehow these men feel entitled to my attention, when all I am trying to do is get in to work.

There’s no alternate route for me to take. I am forced to ignore them, because I know that engaging them could result in threats to my safety or personal harm. This morning I had enough and tried calling the store, I explained the situation politely and was “transferred”, which meant my call was re-routed to an extension that did not exist.

How a company can be so callous about its impact on it’s surrounding community is bewildering to me. Thanks for making Playa Vista a terrible place to be a woman.

– Nicole

Location: Marina Del Rey Home Depot, California

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

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

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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

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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.