I was honked at today, just like I was honked at last week and last month and on and on.

I was walking my dog, alone, in the early evening like I do absolutely every evening. I was wearing hiking shorts, sneakers and a flannel; obviously, dressed to impress. A dark grey Mercedes sedan drove up behind me and honked loudly as they passed. And like always, I was startled and scared. I clearly jumped because my otherwise calm dog barked, and as I turned to see what the commotion was about, the car’s passenger waived blithely at me as they sped away. Oh, and he had a pink rubber wrist band on the hand he was waving at me. So he … what? was supporting breast cancer awareness while simultaneously harassing random women on the street?

And honking seems like such a little thing – but it is also so pervasive and intimidating and insidious. Insidious because on a case by case basis, it’s no big deal. You walk it off, brush it off, shrug it off. But it happens ALL THE TIME. And for what? Have these d-bags ever once actually picked up a woman (who is obviously just going about her day) by honking at her or (the other fan fave) yelling at her from the open window. Doubtful. But it scares me every time. Every time.

– MC

Location: W Gray Street, Houston, Texas

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

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

It was a mid-afternoon on a beautiful and sunny fall day. I had just finished class and was walking to the bus stop across from McMaster University. I sat, minding my own business, waiting for the bus to arrive, when a middle aged man sat next to me.

If you are a woman reading this, then you might know the uneasy, instinctual gut feeling, of an unknown man sitting in the seat directly next to you, when four other seats away from you exist, unoccupied.

I had a bad feeling he would say something, but I ignored my thoughts, because not every man that sits close to you is going to say something inappropriate… right ? Unfortunately, my instinct was right. The man asked me if I “wanted an older man” because he could teach me things in the bedroom I could never dream of, then proceeded to list off just the things he wanted to do to me, which are much too explicit for this post.

I was in shock, no one I’d ever met had said such disgusting things to me. I stood up and walked a few feet away, praying that the bus would come sooner, and it eventually did. Unfortunately, the real fear came after I stepped into the bus and realized that he was also getting on, I never wanted to not be a young woman so bad in my life. I was genuinely scared this man was going to follow me after I got off the bus. I got off the bus a few stops away from my home, making sure the man was not following me, and clenched my phone wondering how well it would work if I needed to use it in an attempt to defend myself.

My beautiful fall day had turned into something dark and frightening. I felt frustrated trying to understand why I deserved this treatment?

– Madelaine D

Location: Hamilton/Ontario/Canada

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

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