I WAS driving past Lake Merritt and heard a nearby carful of guys shouting. I followed their gazes to the prey: a woman of hearty build (like myself) walking around the lake in workout clothes.
GUY: Woo! Woo!
GUY: Nice booty! [Etc.]
We pull up to a red light and I shake my head at them in emphatic disgust.
GUY, to me: Did you see her? Right there!
More shouting from them. More attempted shaming from me. The light changes, we move along. But just before we pull up at the next light, one guy spits out the window. Just to eliminate any doubts about his cretinity.
GUY: Sorry.
For the loogie or the harassment is not clear.
ME: You guys are assholes.
GUY: We were talking to that girl...
ME: I hate when that happens to me.
GUYS, protesting: Wah? No! That's the best! We just made her day!
ME: Why don't you fuckin ask her if she felt that way.
GUY behind wheel: Okay, I'll go turn around...
Inches car forward like he's gonna turn around, to hilarious effect.
GUY, amid much pissed-off muttering: Mind your own business.
AND WERE I quicker witted, I'd have snapped back that they should mind theirs.
The silver lining? They were white! (You may have guessed from the, "Woo! Woo!" and "Nice booty!" Black guy harassment generally opens with, "DAmn girl.") I've never been harassed by a white guy. Novel idea! No weird racial component.
Those kinds of confrontations do shake me up. It ain't fun. But it seemed right. Another woman did that for me once ("Leave her alone!") and I appreciated it. So, points for sisterhood?
1 comment :
Hey, that's really great you stood up to the harassers in defense of another woman and that you've had someone help you out in a harassing situation. Feel free to share any suggestions or successes you've had in combating street harassment on my site http://www.stopstreetharassment.com or via the companion blog: http://streetharassment.wordpress.com/
Keep on keeping on
-holly
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