Mexico City, about 1992. Summer.

I was in my early forties, on business after a vacation in Oaxaca. Wearing a simple summer dress, had no conservative clothes for the unexpected trip.

Waiting to cross the street on Insurgentes, near the park downtown at the bus stop.

I’m tall, and this guy looks me up and down, trying to intimidate me. What are you looking at? He stammers, he’s right besides me “You’re beautiful.”

Well, I told him, “Tell me that. You have a wife? A mother, daughters, don’t you?” He gets angry.

The bus comes, he jumps on it. It’s full of men.

He opens the bus window and pokes out his head so all the others can hear:. Chinga tu madre!

This is the worst insult, about my mother. I was expecting it. Realize he’s afraid of my power.

I laugh as the bus takes off.

We need to have more video cameras monitoring our streets to end street harassment.

— Bárbara Renaud Gonzalez

Location:

A bus stop in downtown, Mexico City

Need support? Call the toll-free National Street Harassment hotline: 855-897-5910

Share your street harassment story for the blog.
See the book 50 Stories about Stopping Street Harassers for ideas.