street harassment Archives | Page 173 of 212

Lexington, MA, Truck Driver

August 10, 2009 By Contributor

I was in Lexington, MA, for a job interview, and I was early enough to get a bite to eat at the local McDonald’s. I opted to eat in my car, engine off, doors locked. It was the middle of the day, not late at all.

As I was eating, I noticed a white or Hispanic man across the parking lot, standing next to a big, white distribution truck, and he was staring at me intently. I looked away but kept my attention on him to be careful.

After a few minutes, he started to call to me with ‘hey’ over and over again. He just stared and motioned to me to come out of my car. I didn’t. I decided I was tired of him, and drove out of the parking lot.

As I stopped at the red light, I noticed the white truck exiting the parking lot as well, and coming straight for me. I dashed off into the road I needed, and hid myself down an obscure street to avoid being found. Thankfully I did not see him again, but I can say that I was extremely shaken up about the entire thing and wanted to cry. I felt so helpless and trapped in my own car.

– J.L.

Location: Lexington, MA

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.

Hello, my name isn’t cutie …

August 10, 2009 By HKearl

Over the weekend I did a lot of research for my book on street harassment. Previously I’d read about and interviewed an activist who helped with the INCITE! DC anti-street harassment day of action in 2006 in Washington, DC, but yesterday I was excited to stumble across some great photos from the event. Here are a few:

Included in the comment thread of that post was this image.

While I think writing in one’s name could be problematic because then harassers may repeat it ceaselessly, I like the overall idea and I think leaving the name part blank would convey the same message. Would you wear one?

Hello, my name isn't cutie …

August 10, 2009 By HKearl

Included in the comment thread of that post was this image.

Weekly Round Up – August 9

August 9, 2009 By HKearl

Stories:

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.

On this blog, two contributors submitted stories about harassment in the Washington DC area (including an anti-Black woman harasser), a woman in Europe shared what constant male harassment caused her to feel when an elderly woman unexpectedly grabs her to steady herself on the subway, two women in Chicago each share harassment stories from taking the subway home, and a woman shares one of her recent harassment experiences in East Boston, MA.
Holla Back NYC has numerous stories, including a woman getting groped on the 4 train, a man masturbating onto the track of a nearly empty subway platform while staring at the contributor, a woman who reported her harasser who works for Hollywood Dairy, a woman who got harassed after saying hello back to a man at a subway station, another woman who got attacked by a man while she waited for a subway at the Carroll Street station, and a woman who kept getting harassed by a man passing by in a van.
On Holla Back DC! a woman shares her most “memorable” harassment experiences, another has a rubbernecker stare at her on the subway escalator, a woman shares her experience walking the 14th Street guntlet, and another woman tries to explain to a harasser why she doesn’t like what he’s saying; he then calls her a stuck up bitch.

In the News:

AMNY ran an article about harassment on New York City’s public transportation system.
Sudanese journalist Lubna Hussein’s trial began this week; she was arrested with other women for the crime of wearing trousers in a public place.
The Huffington Post ran an article about street harassment, highlighting Holla Back website efforts, called “When Hollered At, HollaBack!“
Herizon magazine’s summer issue includes an article about Hollaback Toronto.

Announcements:

Right Rides is hiring a Community Organizer to lead the New Yorkers for Safe Transit Coalition efforts.
I’ve been offered a book contract for my proposed book on street harassment! Submit your stories for inclusion.
Enter a photography contest for photographers who capture or depict street harassment, particularly in the DC area. Selected winners will have the chance to show/sell their work at a reception the evening before the Holla Back DC: Make DC Harassment Free Summit.
RightRides in NYC recently has expanded their services of a free ride home from Saturday nights to include Friday nights too! They offer this service from 11:59 p.m. – 3 a.m. in 45 neighborhoods across four boroughs. To call for a ride, the dispatch number is (718) 964-7781 OR (888)215-SAFE (7233).

Street Harassment Resource of the Week:

Tweet your harassment story and add @catcalled or #hbnyc to your post and it will be added to Catcalled or HollaBackNYC’s thread of harassment stories.

Harasser in East Boston, Massachusetts

August 8, 2009 By Contributor

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

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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