It was not too late one night in East Boston, MA. My roommate and I were walking home down Meridian Street around 8 pm. We keep to ourselves in East Boston, where many men have no problem with trying to pick up women they don’t know.
As we walked by the park (near the Shaws), I noticed an older Hispanic man, possibly in his thirties or forties, and his friend eyeing us from their bench. I took a moment to memorize their faces as best I could, and sure enough, as we walked by he called out,
“Hey, como estas? Como estas? Hey…Hey! Hey chica! Como estas!”
We ignored him, rolling our eyes at each other and continued out walk home when out of the corner of my eye I saw him get up from his bench and walk toward us, still calling to us. He tried to get between us, but at the moment he got up, I turned around, threw an arm out towards him and roared,
“GET AWAY FROM ME!”
The man shrunk back like he’d been bitten by a wild dog. He went back to his bench in silence and sat back down. We made our quick escape back to the house, but the whole way I looked back to make sure he wasn’t following us.
When we arrived home, I hastily called the police, gave the best info I could, but I know nothing happened with that. It was really scary, especially when it wasn’t even that late out. Lots of men do this sort of thing in East Boston in the daytime, focusing their eyes and words on a woman’s rear end or breasts and being shameless about it.
I suggest all women in East Boston, and Boston in general keep their phones and cameras on them at all times.
– J.L
Location: East Boston, MA
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