Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

“Damn, you’re making me hot!”

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A few days ago, a group of my female friends and I were sitting on a bench in Dupont Circle in Washington, DC. It was about 8:30 p.m. and there were about 30 or so people sitting around the fountain just hanging out with friends and significant others. My three friends and I were just talking and laughing when a man came up to us and started talking.

Here’s the conversation:
Man: “You ladies are having too much fun. Are you two sisters?” (Asking me and my friend who had her hand on my shoulder)
Friend: (nervous laugh) “Ha, no. We’re just friends.”
Man: “Well you guys are sexy! Damn, you’re making me hot!” (Talking directly to me) “Mmm big girl, I’d fuck that pussy up! Damn! I have to leave, you are making me hot! Damn!”

As he walked away he kept turning to look back at us. We all sat there in disbelief. One of my friends, who has a blackbelt in Karate, looked like she was about to go beat him up. At the time, I was completely shocked and thrown off guard. In retrospect, I wish I had said something to him or told him to leave. My friends and I felt completely violated, dirty, and uncomfortable. I’ve been cat-called at before but this was definitely the most disgusting and explicit experience I’ve had.

– anonymous

Location: Dupont Circle, Washington, DC

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I am harassed every day

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I am harassed every day, no matter what route I take to walk to work. I have been followed to my home by a crawling car, jeered at, spit at, and pretty much made to feel uncomfortable in the public realm. Its been this way for a few years and now I am just as confrontational back. I have learned that telling them to eat shit usually shuts them up.

– MK

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Harasser in East Boston, Massachusetts

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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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I got 200

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Walking to my job one day I noticed a man masturbating to me walking down the street — he was in the passenger seat of a white van.

Coming home from a club late at night (into early morning) I was on the train heading home and a man sat next to me — too close — and eventually whispered into my ear, “I got 200.” I didn’t know what he was talking about at first, then it dawned on me that he was soliciting me. I felt weird but still the train had other people on it so I just said, loud enough for others to hear, “I’m not a prostitute, dude,” and the guy slinked off.

Those are two of the worst times.

– anonymous

Location: Chicago, IL

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Freaked Out by an Elderly Woman

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I’m not sure if my story is particularly relevant, but I think it’s an example of how pervasive fear is in our lives.

I live in a European capital city where I almost never experience harassment. (Not speaking the native language also probably helps though, since I’d never know if I was being yelled at or not.)

I was getting on a public bus last week, trying to fight the crowd, when I felt someone put BOTH hands around my waist! Because I used to experience so much public harassment in the United States, I was incredibly freaked out and spun around scowling, ready to fight back against whatever strange man was touching me. Imagine my surprise when I turned to see an elderly woman smiling back at me a bit apologetically, struggling to keep her balance as the bus lurched forward. I could hardly be angry, but she’d absolutely terrified me! She didn’t seem to have any awareness about how her actions had affected me, and since I didn’t want to try speaking through our language barrier, I just sort of stared at her. She got off the bus one stop later. It was the only time a person has purposefully touched me in public in the year I’ve lived here. What a bizarre coincidence.

– anonymous

Location: European Capital City

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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