Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“That’s what I’m talking about”

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I was cutting through the courtyard of the building I work at this morning, and from the outdoor elevator tower I hear “Mmm-mmm-mmm!” and “That’s what I’m talking about.”

I look in the direction of where it was coming from and see an older man, old enough to be my father, peeking from one side of the tower, dressed in the blue uniform of the workers that service our building.

I look again and then he’s peeking from the other side of the tower. Then he says “Hello.” Instead of returning his “hello,” I called him “strange.”

Since I believe he’s one of the workers that do maintenance for my office building, I think he’d be fairly easy to track down and report. I hope so.

– anonymous

Location: Georgetown area, Washington, DC

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.

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Weekly Round Up March 7, 2010

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Stories:

I accept street harassment submissions from anywhere in the world. Share your story!

In the News:

  • Politics Daily ran an article called, “‘Eve Teasing’ in India: Fighting for Change as Sexual Violence Grows”

Announcements:

Resource of the Week:

  • The documentary “Hey…Shorty” by Girls for Gender Equity: Watch a 2 minute overview and purchase the 20 minute documentary.

    “This youth-produced documentary focuses on women of color’s experiences with street harassment and men of color’s ideas about and intentions behind the behavior. It exposes the frequency with which street harassment occurs, dispels myths about who it happens to and why, and examines the root causes of why men feel it is their right to approach women, in ways both friendly and violent, in public spaces. Young women share stories of bottles being thrown at them, older men grabbing their hand, and other examples of how street harassment creates a hostile environment for women that perpetuates a culture of violence and the fear of men. Men show off their ‘holla’ skills, give advice to women on how to respond to their advances, and are challenged to think about street harassment in a new light, one that resonates with them in a profound way.”

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Groped at Midday

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I shared my story a few weeks back about the bus stop in Edmonton. I thought I’d come by and share another experience. Of course, I always have to pick the worst of the bunch, because if I wrote in with every experience I’ve ever had with street harassment, I’d do little else.

Anyway, I was walking down the street in downtown Edmonton in the middle of the day. It was the middle of summer, and, since the summers are so hot there, I was wearing a sundress. I didn’t hear the man walking behind me until I felt his breath on the back of my neck. He lifted my skirt and grabbed my butt with both hands.
I spun around and started to yell at him “Hey!” He ran off so fast that I didn’t get a good look at him. I just knew that he had black hair and a smaller build. I didn’t feel like chasing him, so I just screamed “Fuck off!” at his back.

Sadly, it was eight years before I shared that experience with anyone else. I knew I’d most likely be blamed for it for wearing a sundress that flattered my body. I was so used to being blamed for my own harassment at this point that I’d stopped talking about it. It wasn’t until I discovered this website that I started talking about it again.

– MH

Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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.

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I’ve never felt so clueless about handling harassment

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This is a follow up to “Have a nice day…you crazy bitch!”

I was walking my usual path to the bus stop this morning and saw the car that the men who harassed me last month used. I looked through my cell phone photos to compare it to the actual car, and sure enough, they’re one in the same. The things that aren’t clear enough in the original photo were more clear to me in person, such as a college decal on the top of the rear window, and an apartment complex parking tag in the rear window’s lower right corner. I took closer photos so I could have a clearer shot of the license plate and decals.

A rush of anger ran through me. I want to do something about it. I thought about printing up the original story and having it on me so if I were to see that car yet again, I could put it on their windshield so they know that their rude behavior is now public. I thought about getting someone involved, but who? Who would I talk to about this? Would I talk to Key Elementary and get them involved, since these guys park near them (I assume these guys work nearby, maybe in the Arlington County Building), or would they say it’s not their problem since it’s not technically on their property?

I’ve never felt so clueless about how to handle harassment before! And I’m glad it was only the car I’d seen today, and not the actual harassers. I don’t know how I’d feel if I ever ran into those losers again.

– anonymous

Location: Arlington, VA

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.

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Bus stop harassment

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I was leaving an open stage I performed at regularly at about midnight. I had to wait for the bus, but I was on a well-lit street, so I wasn’t too worried. A car full of young men drove by. One of them hung his head out the window and yelled, “Hey slut!” The driver honked at me.

I gave them the finger. I was scared that they might stop and do something worse to me, but my pride won over my fear. They gave me the finger back and drove away.

– MH

Location: Edmonton, AB, Canada

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.

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