Two cases of exhibitionism in one weekend:

Went to Tyr in the South for the weekend with friends. Went to look at some of the greco-roman ruins. As we are walking around the pillars and down to the beach, we hear a strange hissing noise behind us: “ksss…ksss”, as if someone were calling to a cat or a dog. Having lived in NYC for over a decade I’m familiar with all manner of cat-calling and attention-getting-noises, and having noticed a teenager out of the corner of my eye earlier (who I thought belonged to a Lebanese family walking around the ruins, but who was apparently by himself), I did not turn around, but said to my (female and blonde, like me) friend: “Hey, don’t look now, but some little shit is making weird noises behind us.”

He passed us, and walked down towards the beach. I started walking back up in the opposite direction. He kept hissing and my friend turned around and started screaming, “Ewwwww, he’s jerking off! Oh my god, how disgusting!” Apparenty the little shit had not only pulled down his pants to show off his business but started masturbating right then and there. Idiot.

Then, a few hours later, in the early afternoon (read: broad daylight), back in Beirut from our weekend trip in our rental cars, I get dropped off by our friends at the corner and walk up the 100 metres to our front door. Tabaris in Achrafieh is a pretty “posh” neighborhood in a rather nice part of town, mind you. Before I get to the front door, I take my keys out of my bag. The street is deserted; it is Sunday, and this is the Christian part of town, and the shops are closed.

There is a guy sitting on a scooter right in front of the entrance, with his helmet on and everything. I don’t think he can see me as I am coming up the street behind him, but I do think it’s odd that he’s just sitting there on his bike. As I get closer and am about to unlock the front door, I hear that he is muttering to himself and see that he is… jerking off. Another one? Seriously? What is with these people???

Can’t believe this and am shocked (and scared) so I take out my phone and try to call a friend whilst walking away from the door. Not sure where to go at this point, as all the public places — shops, hair salons etc — are closed, so I head back towards the door, and just then I see him speed away. Phew. My hands are shaking and sweaty and I have a hard time opening the front door and I am wondering if he’s just going around the block to come back and harass me, or gone for good. I am utterly disgusted and disturbed.

– i.d.

Location: Beirut, Lebanon