Labor Day Shorts

Tasha at La Bella Noire's Ramblings did a write-up of her encounters with loser men of the international equation.

Surprisingly, today was not that bad a day for me in terms of being harassed. I went to the Wheaton Westfield Mall and not one ornery-acting and uncouth male tried to talk to me---and there were throngs of rowdy high school boys out and about.

I went to Adams Morgan, which tends to be the haven for street harassment, to get a M'Dawg and an ice cream. A table of horny men outside a restaurant on Columbia Rd. (near the Bank of America ATM) were trying to coerce women into coming their way. The women were pretty headstrong and not havin' it.

"That woman looked at us like 'I ain't comin' over to some broke-ass n****!'," one of the men commented. Glad that women aren't letting some fools on the street make them do what they don't want to.

While leaving Columbia to head to 18th (near the Blockbuster), some creepy man eased up too damn close to me, sucked his teeth and whispered, "Mm! Sexy!"

Feeling grossed out, I mocked him. "Ugly as hell!" I said in the same tone he used on me. "Naaaaaaaaaasty!" He looked just as uncomfortable as he made me feel prior, and there was an audience of passers-by to add to it. I was glad he didn't sass me back. He needed to be humiliated.

Second (and last, thank god) encounter was on 18th heading towards the fork where Florida Avenue and U Street intersect 18th. Some man on a stoop, about to light up a cigarette says "You say 'hi' to me!" He said it in this tone as if I needed to bow to his feet and kiss them. Hell no!

I don't care if English isn't his first language...there is a certain tone of respect you need to have towards women if you want it back!

"I don't want to!" I responded, to which he reacted like a petulant kid not getting his way. Ha! And he did not stoop to calling me "bitch" either like some of these men tend to do.

While I can't stand being harassed, I'm glad the reactions to my speaking up were close to nonexistent. I enjoyed my ice cream and hot dog, and urge you all to enjoy the rest of this holiday as well.