I was originally NOT going to allow this comment...

I saw this comment awaiting moderation from Michael in response to my post on the harassment I dealt with in NYC. I originally was not going to publish it because I thought it was ignorant, tacky and hateful, but I thought here's the opportunity for a new feature:

you just sound like an angry-ass bee-atch. I hope you get harassed until youz too ug-lay.

Thanks, Michael. I kept your illiterate and illegible comment intact. Thanks for showing how much of a cowardly loser you are. From this point on, any comments that have no thought or no intelligence put into them will be featured as "Hateful Loser of the Month." Once again, thanks Michael for your inspiration!

PEACE OUT!

City Paper Street Harassment Video

The City Paper also did a video chronicling street harassment. The harasser is in obvious denial of his ability to pick up women by trying to "holla" at them. A receiver of street harassment is interviewed as well, and you can tell she's the type who's not gonna be havin' it!

Update

Si has an update to her previous submission:

Congrats! [regarding mention in Washington City Paper]

Oh oh this is tooo funny (and gross).

Okay...a couple days ago I was walking up 19th by Dupont sipping my coffee, zoning out to NPR. I glance over to a parked car (black BMW) because the occupant was a very large beefy man in a white tank top that really contrasted with his very dark skin. As I walked by I did a double-take because he was splayed out in the front seat, windows all open, staring me down & er...pleasuring himself slowly. Showing it all. My reaction was a combination of EW!, WTF??!!, and a lot of chuckling as I kept walking. I bumped into my father-in-law across the street and warned him to look away.

P.S. The "Jugs of Joy" group are now polite when I go by!

While I'm sorry you had to look at that mess on a nice walk, I'm glad the men from your previous story are leaving you alone. It just shows that speaking up and taking action does wonders.

Washington City Paper Mention

I was interviewed by the City Paper about "Don't Be Silent," and the online article can be found here. There were also other write-ups on street harassment, which can be found here and here.

Response to my last DBS entry

I know that by having blogs, I open myself to judgment and criticism. I got a letter in my inbox that I needed to respond to. The letter is from a male reader named Rick:

Hi, I've been reading your blog (which is great) and there are some things I wanted to share with you. You really shouldn't be traveling alone, locally or to other cities. It's not safe, especially if you continue to verbally provoke every man on the street who looks at you.

I might as well stay home with an apron on baking cookies and giving my husband his pipe and slippers. I felt that statement of "you shouldn't travel alone" was a little harsh. I realize it's not a woman's world, but I'm not one to stay home because I lack travel companions. And your comment of "if you continue to verbally provoke every man on the street who looks at you" was a strong judgment. I only respond to those who try to hit on me, get too close, or make inappropriate comments. As I walk down a street, lots of people look at me...I only respond to the ones who don't know how to respect a woman's space.

Also, after reading your latest post it felt like you were inviting trouble. You went to a concert alone and actively looked for a band member after the show. It also didn't help your cause that you were so angry when you found out that the band member was no longer there. Anger is not a logical response to that situation.

Once again, do I, as a woman, not have the right to travel solo? I would like you to pick up A Woman Alone: Travel Tales From Around The Globe from your local library or Barnes & Noble. Feel free to tell those women they shouldn't travel alone. And as for "being angry"? I feel I have every right to have whatever emotion I please. It was more of an annoyance and frustration than rage.

Finally, some writing advice. "Hell hath no fury on a Duranie scorned" is inaccurate. The quote you were looking for is "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned". The way you wrote it doesn't really make any sense.

Well, forgive me for my grammatical error of using "on" instead of "like." But please understand what it means to play with words...substituting "Duranie" for "woman."

I hope you can take this criticism constructively. If I wanted to flame you in public I would have done it on the blog comments. After reading your blog I worry about you because of your tendency to put yourself in dangerous situations and to lash out at strangers on the street. I'm not condoning harassment but one woman's actions will not change the way men behave and will only endanger you. Writing the blog is a great way to get guys to think about their actions on the street.

I took the constructive criticism and destructed it, analyzed it, and put it back together again. I know I'm going to have many critics and naysayers in the up-and-coming months, so I better develop a thicker skin.

NYC Street Harassment---on my supposed vacation!

I spent the weekend in NYC so I could attend a Duran Duran concert. Dealing with street harassment on my home turf is bad enough...but why does it have to happen on my vacation?

On Saturday, as I left Penn Station and walked up Seventh Avenue to go to my hotel, some dorky White kid was practicing his lame lines on women that walked by.

"Hey girl, I wanna get wit' you!" he said, checking out some girl's butt.
"No you didn't!" I yelled.
"I wanna get wit' you too!" loser said to me.
"Loser, get a life," I said, and continued to my hotel.

When I left back out to check out the area, I got hit on by so many daggone men. They get too close, invade personal space, and use a sense of unsettling intimacy that you just don't use with a stranger on the street. I found myself yelling, cursing, and telling these men to "leave me the hell alone!" most of the time.

Sunday was no better. Some man on W 42nd Street (near Port Authority) was like "hey sweetness, can I talk to you?" and I said "no!" That got me called a "stuck-up bitch."

I bought some flowers (one of which I stupidly thought I could throw to a certain member of the band) and walked back to my hotel. Some guy said, "hey baby...are those for me?" to which I replied "no...leave me alone." He goes from saying "that's cool" to "cold, psycho bitch."

I got dressed for the concert in a turquoise tunic with purple lettering from H&M, black leggings, tan boots, and a silver chain around my waist. I didn't think the outfit was revealing at all. I left my hotel around 7ish---still daylight---to walk to the Hammerstein. Two thuggish-looking clowns slowed their roll, got too close and tried to talk to me. All I wanted to do was get to that concert in one piece.

"Hey sexy mama!" one said.
"Can we talk to you?" the other said.
These fools were leaning so close and I wanted to get away.
"Ugh...ugly loser guys," I said.
"So you don't like guys...you a lesbian?" they said.
"I don't like ugly, loser, ghetto, tacky guys who bother women on the streets," I said. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

I got in the (long) line to the concert irate. Why do these men feel they can say whatever they want to women, make them physically uncomfortable, and make our lives hell? Can't we walk down the street in peace? I found myself feeling vulnerable. I normally feel tough, walk tough, and stand up to these guys. But I wasn't on home turf (regardless of visiting NYC a few times) and didn't feel at ease. Though the Hammerstein was a short trip to my hotel, I thought about spending money on a cab because I didn't feel safe.

After the concert ended I went to the diner and met nice people. I then left, first with the intention of going to the hotel. Some strange guy who looked like a fat Mr. Clean offered me a ride. "NO...I don't know you!!!" I yelled. He in turn calls me a "stupid bitch."

I ended up going to the back exit area of the Hammerstein, thinking I could see that particular band member. Someone told me he had exited, signed autographs and left, so I, feeling sad and angry, walked to the hotel in defeat. That fear I felt was gone. I was not going to let these clowns on the street cow me. I don't get scared in DC...so why would I get scared in NYC? If any fool tried to fuck with me, I would use every technique in martial arts I've learned to strike his raggedy ass.

I made it to the hotel safely...and am now back in DC safely. Hell hath no fury on a Duranie scorned.

As angry as I am that these clowns subject verbal abuse on me and other women on a daily basis, I was happy to see that "Don't Be Silent" got a mention on DC Blogs. I'm glad to know that more people are reading, contributing, and taking this site more seriously.

Away from the desk

I'll be away from the computer for the weekend, so any submissions/moderated posts in my inbox from that time period won't be put on the site until Tuesday at the latest.

Let's hope I don't have out-of-town "hollas" to report!

Be strong and stay safe!