Update from Kimberly Klinger

Kimberly Klinger, who wrote a feature for the Washington City Paper on dealing with street harassment, sent a message to my inbox:

Just wanted to drop a quick line. I've honestly had a
very calm end of summer! But I do have a few
incidents.

I went to LA for a week and I got one measly kissy
noise made out of a car. It was so peaceful. However,
the day after I got back to DC, I was sitting at my
neighborhood bus stop and a car all but stopped
driving past, the guy staring at me so hard I could
feel it even though I was reading. I looked up, and he
kept staring lewdly. I was early-morning cranky, so I
gave him the finger. He looked cross, gave it back -
but then sped off. Then, on the way home from work
that same day, some (older, nasty) guy felt it
necessary to lean in and tell me "damn, you sure do
look good" as I was getting a CityPaper. I didn't do
anything, just slammed the case and went on my way.

I read your post about changing your clothes/routes to
avoid harassment, and I do that all the time. If I
wear a short skirt out in the winter, I put yoga pants
or similar underneath it for my trek to the car/cab.
In the summer, I wear sneakers instead of heels with
my shorts/skirts - again, just for the commute. Of
course neither one of them work totally but it
definitely helps. And I always walk up 16th instead
of Mt Pleasant St. - WAY less harassment.

While she seemed to almost get away from harassment during her trip to LA, it seems that she can't get a vacation from it in DC. I just don't get why these men act like clowns in this area. They need to learn how to show respect to women. It sucks that she has to reroute her walk to avoid idiots.

Thanks Kimberly for submitting your update, and glad you're keeping strong regardless of the losers on the street.