If you’re getting notified about this, FYI, this post is old.
So, I went out last night to go buy some grapes from Duane Reade. And this guy on the street started following me and yelling stuff like “Hey girl! Mmm, look at you.” Blah blah blah. Then he started to try to get me to take his card, because “you could really be an instagram model.”
I said, “No, thank you.”
Then we reached a point where the street was so crowded, only one person could fit through. So, I stopped and motioned for him to go ahead. He didn’t. He just got closer to me instead. So, I took off and was speed walking through there and he was following me.
Then he said, “You got a big booty.” And I whipped around. And in that moment, he smiled at me, like what? He thought I was whipping around to talk to him after all that? But I looked at him, and I was like “HEY! Stop being rude. I said no thank you. I don’t know what else you want from me. Please STOP following me. And you have NO RIGHT to comment on my body.”
At which point he was like “Hey, girl, I’m just giving you a compliment.”
And I was like “Telling someone she has a big butt is NOT a compliment, no matter how you mean it. AND it’s not complimentary to should anything about a strange woman’s body. I’m literally just trying to take a walk. I am not here for YOU.”
And of course he got mad and said something about how I can’t control his freedom of speech, but I just turned around and walked away.
It was pretty weird to see a big crowd in Times Square just staring at me, as I’m chewing out this guy. I liked to believe they were ready to help, if I needed.
And as soon as I walked off, this nice group of girls came up and were like “hey, are you okay?” And I said I was fine. And then they were so sweet. “Wow, it was so cool to see you fight back like that, and you really gave it to him.” They were so nice about it, and made me feel good about my decision. (Thanks, ladies!)
Random side note: that is a guy who’s catcalled me before, in this neighborhood. So, hopefully I haven’t started something where I get hurt in the future or anything. But I dunno. I felt fiery, and I’m SO tired of men yelling strange things at me on the street. As I basically yelled at that man, I’m not on the street as something to be consumed by men. I’m on the street to get grapes, or go for a walk, or meet friends, or who knows what else – but definitely not to be leered at and yelled at.