Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

14 block stalker

By

I grew up in Queens, NY, and I have a lot of street harassment stories. The most recent one happened one or two summers ago and was so frightening that it still scares me when I think about what could have happened.

I was walking on Avenue B from 14th Street. At one point I passed this big dude who made a comment; I thought nothing of it and passed on. But after a block or two I noticed that, even though I was wearing my ipod headphones, I could hear someone murmuring something. It was the dude and he kept saying “So sexy….so sexy.”

I turned off my ipod but kept the headphones in and kept walking. It was about 3 pm and a nice day with lots of people out. I didn’t want to duck into a store and let him know he’d won (stupid, I know, looking back) so I kept walking, but noticed that I could see his reflection in shop windows that I passed.

Finally, after about 14 blocks of his following me I picked up my phone, turned the corner at E. Houston and called someone. I probably should have called the cops, but I wasn’t thinking straight at that point. I watched him pass me and keep walking. I stood on that corner until all I could see of him was a blue dot representing his full ensemble of blue shirt and pants.

Looking back I would have called the cops once I reached that corner. Looking back, I wouldn’t have even waited until E. Houston and would have ducked into a hair salon or something. Thank goodness it ended the way it did.

– Anonymous

Location: New York City

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Find suggestions for what YOU can do about this human rights issue.

Share

Pentagon City Mall Stalker

By

In November of 2007 I accompanied my dad on a business trip to DC because he had a companion ticket and I’d never been to DC before. On my last night there, I was at the Pentagon City Mall when this man approached me and started trying to ‘pick me up.’ He followed me throughout the mall and incessantly insisted on buying me something from Victoria’s Secret, a drink despite my protests that I was underage and accusing me of being a narc. Like a broken record! After declining a hundred times and insisting that I needed to get back to my hotel, he demanded to know where I was staying so he could get a room! I was seriously worried that he would follow me onto the metro. Only when I finally walked out of the mall did he thankfully declare me a bitch or something and give up.

I’ve been a huge fan of Hollaback, but it hadn’t even occured to me until a few days ago that my experience had been harassment. I like to think that I wouldn’t just accept that kind of treatment but when I was in that situation I was petrified. There were dozens of witnesses. A lot of people stared but no one intervened. It was so embarrassing and I felt like I was somehow responsible.

– S.C.

Location: Pentagon City Mall, Washington, D.C.

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

Share