Walking in a city as a woman is dangerous territory. It doesn’t matter if you’re from the east coast, the west coast or anywhere in between –– it seems there’s always some jerk who feels entitled to your body.
According to Stop Street Harassment, a nonprofit organization that hopes to end gender-based harassment worldwide, 65 percent of women from a 2,000-person survey in 2014 said they had experienced street harassment.
If you are a woman who deals with daily street harassment, you’ve most likely dealt with these seven situations.
Disclaimer: This list was compiled by a woman whose encounters with sexual harassment have involved men. Her experiences, however, do not suggest that all women are harassees or that all men are harassers.
1.) When he honks at you from his car: Nothing is more comforting than a subtle reminder that he approves of your appearance from afar. Ah, that familiar sound, ranging from the semi-hesitant “beep beep” to the full-throttle horn –– there has never been a more unique display of affection. He obviously got his Toyota Tundra’s steering wheel rigged just for you.
2.) When he gropes you on the bus: You were sitting, cross legged, with eyes desperately focused on the book in front of you and headphones strategically placed to say “leave me alone.” He knew you’d make an exception for him, though. He leaned over to place a hand on your thigh, but wait, why’d you swat him away? Isn’t unsolicited contact, like, okay on public transit? (Hint: NO)
3.) When he uses a bad pick-up line: “Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?” No, but it’ll hurt your ego when I roll my eyes and proceed to ignore your tired display of American Pie-esque affection. Next.
4.) When he stalks you at work: It was like in the movies: he saw you jaywalking a city street with an iced americano in your hand and knew he had to get your attention. What better way to do that than to follow you into your retail job every day and try to talk to you while you are expected to follow customer service guidelines? Romantic.
5.) When he strikes up a conversation at the bus stop: He starts off with the harmless gesture of saying hello. You have two options: either to return the favor and begin a long, creepy dialogue of probing questions and monosyllabic answers OR to ignore him and face the impending doom of offending him and facing threats. It’s a real-life “Reader Beware…You Choose the Scare.”
6.) When he asks what nationality you are “cuz it’s hot:” Alright, I’m an ambiguous blend of Irish, Scandinavian, Polish, German and (maybe) French, but what really matters is that you are still trying to sexualize ethnicity like the Brazilian Beach Babes of a Playboy centerfold. Get a grip and do some research to learn how damaging your fetishization of “white girls”/“black girls”/“asian girls”/etc. can be.
7.) When he catcalls you: In case you haven’t already cringed enough today, here’s a guy who thinks it’s necessary to comment on your appearance as you briskly walk by. Never mind that it’s awkward and uncomfortable to hear a stranger call you “mami” or tell you to smile –– he’s JUST trying to give you a compliment, after all. Why are you so mad? You know what? You’re not even that hot anyway.
Reach the reporter at aplante@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @aimeenplante
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