In an Afghan-owned grocery store that sells Middle Eastern and South Asian products. I was shopping, minding my own business, and this absolutely scuzzy sleazy-looking Afghan guy, unshaven, unkempt, shirttail partly hanging out–you get the picture–says behind me “Hey, beauty, where are you going?” I ignored him, of course. He followed me through an aisle full of Islamic religious items, saying “Where do you live?” as I continued to totally ignore him. Then he sneaked up behind me when I was about to get in the checkout line, and said “Want to go with me?” as he bumped his whole body up against mine from behind.

So I wheeled around and shouted out loud “Leave me alone! Don’t touch me! Get away from me!” I had taken harassment silently innumerable times before, but this time I just snapped. He was startled and backed off. There were several people around, including a store employee, who pretended nothing had happened. I paid for my purchases and was leaving when I noticed he had hung around behind me, waiting. If he had tried anything else, so help me I would have broken his ugly face. I took a women’s self-defense class taught by Lauren Taylor in DC and learned how to inflict severe injury on harassers if necessary. Anyway, he didn’t follow me out of the store and the incident was over, except for the work I had to do within myself to recover from it.

I’m Muslim myself, and I’m seriously pissed off how the extreme sexual segregation in Islamist fundamentalist societies raises men in total isolation from women so that they never learn how to behave properly. There was nothing in that sicko scuzzball’s behavior but open hatred and aggression toward women. He assumed because I’m Muslim that I would meekly submit to harassment. I hope I taught him a lesson.

– JbH

Location: Herndon, VA

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M Street in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, DC is a magnet for harassment. The last time I remember NOT being harassed while on a lunch break was when it was raining on Tuesday. Something needs to be done about these trolls.

I was heading back to work, and I saw these two punks hanging out on the street, bothering a woman who clearly wasn’t interested. They were leering and checking her out. I stepped in and said “Ugh! Nasty!” to them.

“You [sic] ugly!” the shorter one said. “Ugh to you!”

I then pulled out my phone and took a photo of the guy and his friend, as well as a video. Of course, he’s bold when he’s hanging out checking out women, but hides under his coat when the attention’s on him.

I yell at him to not harass women as I film the (short) video, and he can be heard yelling “Stop harassing me!” back. He also yelled “I don’t care if you take my video!” (didn’t get captured on video), but apparently he did since he kept trying to hide!

As soon as I stop filming and headed on my way, he gets bold again. He uncovers his (rancid) face and follows me for a block, yelling that I was a “fucking ugly bitch.” “I’ll fuck you up!” he yells. Of course, all those people on the street either turn the other cheek or think it’s funny.

I started dialing 911 on my phone, letting him know I was calling the police. “Call them…I don’t care!” he says.

I got in touch with dispatch, but it was useless. I told her the harasser was on M between Wisconsin and Potomac yelling threats at me, then she asks me again:

Dispatch: “So it’s on Wisconsin…”
Me: “No, on M between Wisconsin and Potomac.”
Dispatch: “What’s it again?”
(me sighing)
Dispatch: “Ma’am, can you hear me?”
Me: “Yes…I don’t know why this is so hard for you to get!”
Dispatch: “I need an address…”
Me: “It happened on the street! There’s no exact address!”

The phone goes quiet and I hang up. DC’s MPD, useless as usual. Besides, all that time it took between that exchange the harasser got away.

With all the harassment I’ve been through lately, I’m surprised I didn’t feel like crying this time. I was annoyed, exacerbated, and fed up. I don’t know why I keep standing up to harassers when no one steps in to help, when I keep opening myself up for more harassment, and when nothing seems to change. When I had a brief moment to think about this, I realized that I’m not going to change my reactions to this, regardless of the outcome. I need to keep drawing attention to this nonsense until things change. While I couldn’t get a shot of his face and couldn’t get a soundbite of this guy calling me a “fucking ugly bitch” on video, I at least have something to show. Also, it made the harasser uncomfortable, just like it made that woman. If he thought what he did was right he wouldn’t have hid himself. I will keep taking their photos and videos until things change. I hope other women who look at this site and other street harassment sites feel empowered to do the same.

– “Tired of Being Harassed”

Location: M Street, 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.