Chauvinism, what chauvinism

Uncomprehensible muttering.
"Hey, I'm not a chauvinist! I hate chauvinism! I just like women who do what they're told!"
Obnoxious laughter.

I thought about yelling something back or cussing him out, but I didn't want the loser to gloat over having gotten a rise out of someone. Then I remembered the website, and snapped a photo for the first time. Next time it will be more close-up.
--Jamila

Chocolate Chip Cookies

The other day I had a need to bake some cookies. Without a decent cookie sheet, I took the necessary trip to the store--mere steps from my house. Whilst passing the local Chinese place, some guy whistled that classic whistle. You know, the one that goes "wheeeet wheeeew!"

I turned around, saw the dude looking at me, and gave him the big, unmistakable
finger.

Yet, he persisted, mumbled, almost incoherently--even sheepishly-- "I wanna lick your pussy. . . "

I held The Finger until I entered the store. Feeling relief, I carried forth on my mission, and obtained the necessary baking implement.

Upon payment, I wondered if said jerk-off reamined outside. He had, apparently, taken his spring rolls and split, but not without an extra-awesome serving of my finger.

--anna

A Little More Than A Bad Day...

Last night was a strong competitor for the worst night of my life. I had a complete nervous breakdown, screaming at the top of my lungs, drunk, saying the most horrible things to someone I love very much. It culminated with me putting my foot through a wall and bashing my head as hard as I could into the bathroom window. I was nearly hospitalized.

Waking up this morning with a huge knot in my head and incredible fear and remorse, I decided I needed to go out to get some cigarettes. I had a couple emergency psych appointments coming up in the afternoon, and needed to get my nicotine on. On my way to the deli, some asswipe leans out of his construction van, which is parked and running, and says, "Hey Gorgeous." Usually, I file this kind of harrasment into the least harmful category. It's certainly better than threats, or kissing noises, or getting jacked off in your face on the subway. However, this morning, it struck me how rude, how vile, how asssumptive, how invasive it really is. I stopped in my tracks, turned right to him and said in my best Linklater voice, "FUCK OFF." I turned around and began walking again when he said menacingly, "What did you just say?" I turned around again and said, "I SAID FUCK OFF."

Walking to the deli I saw cars speeding to my right. I was certain he was going to pull up and shoot me. I was terrified, but the cigarettes sang a siren song. When I came out, he was still parked like before. I decided not to walk 4 blocks out of my way to avoid him, but to walk right past. Why should I have to be fucking terrified? Why? He never did shoot me, so I guess I can give him that much.

Tales of a Female Gas Jockey 2

I approach another guy, maybe middle-aged-ish, and say as I say to everyone, "Hey there, what can I grab for you?" And Mr. Eloquence says, "No, WHERE can you grab me?"

written by Angela.

SSSSSSSSHHHHHH!

This happened a couple weeks ago in Milwaukee, WI. I was in the mood for a good book, so I hit the library. Little did I know that I would get hit on my not one, but two guys.

I was walking down one aisle and noticed an older guy staring at me. Avoiding eye contact, I picked up a book to read the inside cover. Of course that didn't work. He approached me and kept telling me that I looked like his friend. Ummm ok. Thanks? He then proceeded to shake my hand for what seemed like an eternity. After trying to interrogate me about my school, my hobbies, my life in Milwaukee, and my reasons for being at a library, I finally got rid of him.

Home free? Not quite. A few minutes later I walked past two guys to go into another aisle. One of the them followed me and apologized for not saying anything as I walked by because, you know, I was deeply hurt by the fact that a stranger didn't yell something inappropriate at me IN A LIBRARY. He then asks what I was doing. I responded, "Oh you know...looking at books." I guess it wasn't sarcastic enough for him because he asked for my number so that we can hang out sometime. I started to tell him that I had a boyfriend, but before I could even finish, he turns around and walks away. I really should be ashamed of myself for being so rude to a random creep...

-Lisa
Milwaukee, WI

I'm [not] a Crest kid!

I think that the Universe is trying to tell me something about my what my life's work should be. All of this time I thought that it was something (ANYTHING) in the theatre, but now...

So, TheGirlfriend and I are beginning our 12 hour drive back from North Carolina (Thanksgiving with my family) and we decide to stop into a Bojangles (the most popular chicken restaurant chain in Raleigh-Durham) to pick up a couple jugs of sweet tea for the road. TheGirlfriend decides to rinse the sticky sweet off of the outside of hers and I decide to wait for her in the foyer.

That was when it happened. A man flashed his fronts at me. Or maybe the proper term is "bared". Anyway, he came out of the main restaurant, saw me, looked me up and down once and then put his upper teeth over his bottom lip and sort of nodded at me. And then his girlfriend/wife/significant other/baby mama pushed him out of the door.

10 hours later in Pennsylvania TheGirlfriend and I stopped in a 7Eleven off of the Penn Turnpike and as I was at the front paying for my Slurpee when an older fellow walked in the door, saw me, waved and then grinned, the hugest creepiest most toothless grin I've ever known.

I'm gonna take this as a sign that I should look into dentistry.

written by Andrea.

P and Me Don't Mix

I'm Naomi, not from NYC. It's too bad.. I've got lots of stories of being harassed and really want to share it. I live in Indonesia, waaayyy far from NYC. But the street harassment here is just as bad. Depends where you walk/ pass. Still, it could happen anywhere anytime. I really wish I was as brave as other girls in the Hollaback blog when I was harassed.

I was 9 years old, in the street full of small shops where suddenly a tall guy (about 20 yrs old) grabbed my bums. Nine years old!! And I was with my mom! Too afraid and embarrassed, I shut my mouth. Damn I couldn't do anything since it was too crowded, but I knew who did it. Stupid ass tall guy with the hair looking as it's never been washed & combed with mongrels in it!

And when I was 12 years old, I walked to a bus stop, a guy walked from across me and suddenly grabbed my right breast and walked away. I was with my girlfriends, really really embarassed, humiliated! Damn!

I'm still soooo angry when I remember all of this stuff!

When I was 17, waiting for my boyfriend to pick me up in the school's gate, this old guy (around 50 yrs old or more) came and stood up beside me about 1.5 meters apart. I didn't care anything about it, he didn't do anything that would upset me. Until he suddenly did something, which I didn't realize for about 2 minutes. I got the feeling that he's up to something no good at all. That's when I took a gaze at him, what I found out? He was .. you know.. playing with his "P" /*in **the public*/, standing up, and starin' at me. I TOTALLY FREAKED OUT and ran away ASAP and hid where I found my seniors there. Once when I walked down the street with my sister at about 11 AM, Sunday, two guys riding motorcycle with black leather jackets grabbed my sister's bum. She suddenly shouted and run after them,"Asshole! You *GO TO HELL*!!" Still, the guys were laughing at both of us. But they speed up their moto and ran away. Cowards. I was surprised. My very calm sister was actually braver than I was.

People in my city mostly mobilize themselves by motorcycles, and a lot of guys show their "P" in the public and wave the "P" while they\'re still driving the motorcycle (slowly)- to the female streetwalkers, mostly to teenage girls, while laughing and smiling jerkily. Or they would come across with cars to the houses where a lot of girls are hanging out or cleaning the yard, and ask,"Miss.." and when the girls looked at them, they will open the car\'s door, show their "P"s- and then ran away.

I really really really HATE any kinds of street harassment!! Don't you? I think those who do that, are the brainless, witless, heartless creature who don't respect their moms - coming out of nowhere and harassing females. Don't they think that their moms are females? What's in their mind? What if their beloved girls/women experience harassment?!

Thx. One day I'll visit NYC.

written by Naomi.

Shameless Creep

Well, this happened to me last year, but it still CREEPS me out to no end, when I think of it. When it happened, in the moment, I was in shock, and the creep-factor of it really didn't settle in until I was driving home *ewww ewwww fucking YUCK*

So, I had stopped to get some gas, around 11pm or so. I was about an hour north from San Francisco(where I live), and I didn't want to get stuck on the side of the road, out of gas and feeling like a dork. After I gassed up and grabbed some noshe from the gas-mart there, I called my boyfriend from my cell phone, to tell him I was home-bound, and would see him soon. I was climbing into my car, when I hear a voice behind me say:

"I want to lick your pussy."

At first, I thought I was hearing things, but I quickly turned around in the said-direction of the
voice, just to make sure I was still sane..that COULDN'T have been what someone said, right? Unbefuckinglivable!

WRONG!

Standing in front of me was this skinny, creepy dude with longish hair, an oversized forest green parka(I don't even WANT to entertain what he had in there) and baggy jeans. Leering at me, he steps into my comfort center and says again: "I want to lick your pussy."

I stammered, "Wha? WHAT did you say?" Mind you, I am ON THE PHONE with my boyfriend and in a public place(ok, it was dark out, but well-lit)! I actually had to give this guy the cajones award of the year for even asking, but still....

Creepy dude: "I want to get in your car with you, and lick your pussy. Can I?"

I still didn't register the temerity of this creep's question, until my boyfriend, on the other end of the phone yells out, "Did he just ask you what I think he did? Who the fuck is that?"

Me: *Stammering* "Uh, some freak who just walked up to my car!"

*I mean, with that kind of offer, how could I refuse, right?*

::::::Shiver::::::

I then turn to the creepy dude and say: Me: "Uh, do you realize I'm on the phone with my
boyfriend? Are you out of your fucking mind....?"

Creepy dude: *interrupting* "Please let me lick your pussy, I want to...."

Suddenly, my boyfriend starts telling me to scare him, by telling creepy dude that he's right down the street, and he's on the way. Before my boyfriend could get the rest of his instructions out, I switch into protection-mode and say:

Me: "You better run muther-fucker, as my boyfriend is right down the street, and he's going to KICK. YOUR. ASS. !!!"

I then started describing what the creep looked like to my boyfriend on the phone, and the creepy dude gets this horrified look on his face and quickly says,

Creepy dude: "I'm sorry, so sorry, it looks like I have the wrong girl...."

He then starts running away, and as he does that I scream at him:

Me: "Yeah, RUN Forest RUN!"

::::Shiver again:::::

written by Le Anne/San Francisco, CA.

Maybe Turkeys are the lucky ones...

Thanksgiving at midnight

"You wanna hooker or a stripper? I can get you one cheap."

submitted by Lauren

Are You Mr. Subway?

"Girl, you Miss America or something?"

submitted by Julie and Lauren.

What a specimen

"Hey Females!"

submitted by Lauren & Julie ( a few minutes before we met Mister Subway.)

H&M: Harassment & Mediocre Clothes

I'm from England. When I came to visit NYC, I fell in love with it, but have never been so harassed in my life. Case in point...

My sister is shopping in H & M. (central Manhatten, middle of the day) I am bored of this so sit down on a chair by the main entrance. A shop assistant materialises and just stands there, staring at me and starts blowing kisses and licking his lips.

him: Hey beautiful
me: er... hey
him: Give me your phone number
me: excuse me, but do I know you?
him: I think you want to
me: No, I really don't think I do (politest British accent)
him: Give me your number I want to call you
me: why would I do that?
him: because you're gonna sleep with me tonight
me: Well I suggest you draw my face on your pillow and hump it cause that's the only way it's gonna happen. Now FUCK. OFF. before I shout for the store manager (in a much less polite tone, alarming nearby shoppers)

Seriously - who employed this guy!

Embarrassed he walks away, Such a shame I didn't have my camera to hand!

written by Ruth, UK.

Bike Chase!

The other day, riding my bike through Chelsea, I was slowly riding through a crosswalk when one of the guys waiting to cross felt the need to tell me I had nice tits. I turned my bike right around and started riding towards him, and he took off running down the street as fast as he could, like a little baby. I chased him for almost a full block, hoping to fully instill the fear of the hollaback girl in him. Not so tough now, huh asshole?

written by Emily.

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Tales of a Female Gas Jockey 1

I used to work at a gas station. Being a female gas jockey is just a recipe for disaster, as I found out in my year-and-a-half on the job.

I approach a truck to ask what the guy wants. He's sitting there, sucking away at a lollipop. Guy looks kinda greasy, looks like trouble. But I figure it's not at all fair to judge him beforehand, so I go up and give him the usual speech. ("Hi there, what can I get for you?" and so on) He looks down at me. He slo-o-o-wly removes the lollipop from his mouth and smirks. Then he speaks. "Wanna suck?"

I walked away before I could do him violence.

So for all you ladies out there in "male-dominated" jobs who get harassed on a constant basis - I feel you! Stick it out, and if you can, snap their pictures and get them back!

written by Angela.

Just As I Was About to Solve the AIDS Epidemic

Me: (walking down the street)

Random guy standing on the corner: Nice lips.

Me (scowling): What the fuck?

RGSOTC: (nothing)

What if I had been doing a very complex DNA computation in my head, because I was an AIDS researcher on the verge of discovering an amazing new wonderdrug, and as I was walking along I was mapping out my morning lab work when all of a sudden Mr. Dumbfuck blurted out, "nice lips" and distracted me? Then I would have lost my place and it would have been all for naught. That's why guys should leave women alone. Because many of us DON'T CARE what you think and we might be WALKING AND WORKING TO CURE DISEASES, or at least sorting out our own mental illnesses, so SHUT YOUR GODDAMNED PIEHOLES, OKAY?

written by Lauri

Aint it a kick in the Head...

through no fault (and certainly no preference) of my own, i'm busty. between the difficulty in finding clothes and the almost constant back pain, it's a fact that's hard to get around.

however, concerned strangers seem to worry that i might forget, and for a moment define my sense of self from some other aspect of my person. so at least once,every single day, some street samaritan points it outto me.

i've heard an amazing range of reminders- from the stunningly uncreative 'you got big titties' and its many many variants, to (twice) someone actually walking up and grabbing them- one of those a-businessman type, at 8:30 in the morning, on a busy 23rd and Lex. one of the grossest was an oldish man with a single dead-cat-like dread hanging off the back of his balding head, sitting on a folding chair on the sidewalk smoking a joint, who looked at me as i walked by and said, 'heh, heh- got milk?'

a couple of times i've gotten really, really angry. when i have, i've fought fire with fire. i went up to him and yelled, loud as i could, right in his face, 'THAT'S A REALLY GOOD WAY TO GET KICKED IN THE HEAD'. and maybe a little etc. i'm sure i looked like a lunatic on the street, but it worked- one guy actually ran away from me, saying 'you crazy bitch'-and it felt great, and hilarious, every time.

Written by Rosemary

How much is that Stalker in the Window

"Hey Baby, you are beautiful, can I take you HOME?"

I was waiting for you to open your legs

I was on the F train going to Brooklyn. This man next to me was staring, like boring holes into the side of my face staring. So I got up and moved to another seat. He got up and moved to sit across the aisle from me, STARING.

At this point I'm just ignoring him, not talking, not looking, knowing he was going to follow me. We get to Jay St and I wait to get off the train until right before the doors close, so he wouldn't follow me. But old dirty man figured it out and just as I was walking out of the train doors, he stands next to me and says so no one else can hear: "I was waiting for you to open your legs."

Written by Amina

Actually, it is Personal.

So I was walking down the street in my Tribeca neighborhood, minding my own businees, listening to my ipod, pondering the beauty of this wonderful life and stuck in bewilderment as to why it was close to 70 degrees in November when I hear a faint "Hey." I look around to see where the noise was coming from and find the voice echoing from a car stuck at a light. I take out one of my headphones to hear this man say again, "hey" and wave. I think, maybe I know this person so I wave back. At second glance, I realize the man is a total stranger so I put my headphone back in my ear and walk on... He drives up next to me and starts to shout again and I think "who is this guy?" He motions, "Come here." So being the curious, yearning for as many experiences as possible person that I am, I walk up to his car. He opens the door and says, "get in." I say, "No, you're a stranger...that's weird." He says, "Come on, what's the big deal." I say, " I don't know you, I'm not going to get in your car...besides I have a boyfriend." He says, "That doesn't matter. I just want to talk to you." I laugh and say, "Sorry, I have to go." I walk off. He pulls his car over and parks and walks on after me. "Do you have something to do?" he says. "Yes, I have lots I have to do." Meanwhile, I think showtime, finally I get to holla back (ever since this website started I've been waiting to be harassed, but people have only been kind, with their usual "Hey beautiful" - nothing that warrants a holla-ing- in my opinion). So I grab my phone and slyly try to take his picture. "Why are you trying to take my picture?" Busted. "I'm not trying to take your picture. Do you want me to take your picture?" "Do you want to take my picture?" he asks. "Sure," I say. "What are you going to do with it?" "Just have it on my phone, I guess" (and then post it on a website so everyone can see you sucka!)...Anyway, he ended up walking me almost to my apartment and kept asking me for my number. I kept saying, "It's nothing personal, but there is no point. If you call, I'm just going to either avoid your call or tell you that I don't have time to hang out so I might as well save you the trouble now and tell you that I'm not interested." Still, when i said goodbye, he asked, "When I'm going to see you again?" I said, "Maybe on the silver screen..." Then he gave me an uncomfortably long hug goodbye and said, "But I find you so attractive" to which I replied, "Well take one long last look" and walked away.
); Julie

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Jersey Boyz

Walking in Chelsea on Saturday night with my hollaback friend. This group of men in a stretch-limo SUV yell, in one voice, at the two blond women walking in front of us. As the women pass by silently, the dudes turntheir attention to us: "Let's party! Wanna come to New Jersey? Come inand ride with us! We'll take you to New Jersey!" They grow quiet as I slow down to take out my phone and hollaBACK. As I'm taking a photo, theyare still imploring my friend to get in the car. As we walk away, she turns to me: "Did you get a photo?" Yes I did. Consider yourselves HOLLA'd at. I do mess with Jersey. -Johanna

Nosey

"Girl I can Smell You."

posted by Tiffany

hide and assault

Walking with cute boy down street in broad daylight. Worker from construction inside a store yells, "Damn!" at me. I go to take his photo and ask him what he said, and he said, "Nothing." Cute boy says he has never experienced someone harassing a girl he is walking with.

FROG

He said, "Hey Princess," to me, I reached for my camera and he had allready said, "Hey Princess" to another girl, I followed him and this is a picture of his third encounter with royalty in a .5 block radius.

big yellow taxi caller

Nice Shoes...Wanna F*@#K?!

Museum of Modern Stalk

yesterday i left for the MoMA in the early afternoon, excited to finally be spending a lazy saturday wandering about looking at art all alone.

[weird shred of foresight: as i walked from the subway stop to the museum, i thought, "hmm, just in case anything holla back worthy happens, i have my camera with me."]

a tall, well-dressed, probably thirty-something man, however, apparently had different ideas for me.

seconds after i got through the line where my card was scanned, he appeared at my side.

"excuse me, hello, i saw you in de lobby and i was very curious. i just wanted to introduce myself. so, where are you from?"

[tell me it isn't weird to say you want to introduce yourself and subsequently NOT introduce yourself in favor of asking a somewhat off question]

at this point i'm walking, not quite knowing what to say to get him to bug off, and he's staying glued to my side. the whole time i was thinking, TAKE A PICTURE TAKE A PICTURE TAKE A PICTURE.

"ummmm..." i began, and made a break for the escalator.

"i was very interested, i just wanted to introduce myself," he repeated.

"that's okay," i muttered, and maneuvered my way around the mob in front of me. at this point, my heart began to race. i knew he was following me. no sooner did i make it to the top of the escalator than he was right behind me again.

"you don't have to be so rude," he said, obviously frustrated. "i just wanted to ask you some things."

[thought: i'm rude, yet you're chasing me through the f*cking museum and still trying desperately to talk to me]

"i don't want to answer anything!!" i announced, and, without knowing where i was going, just hightailed it away from this freak as quickly as i could. i arrived at the line into the café, thinking, "shyt shyt i'm cornered he's going to follow me."

from behind me i heard him yell something about how i was "SO STUPID!!!!"

[i'm stupid, yet he needed me to spell out that i wanted nothing to do with him...after making a clear attempt to escape]

i was shaking. i wanted to cry. i stood at the window that overlooked the sculpture garden and considered calling someone to come join me, just in case i should run into him again. i was terrified that he would be waiting back near the escalators when i decided to leave the café area.

fortunately, i didn't see him again. i've never been truly afraid of a harasser before. thinking about this makes me angry. of all the places this can happen in the city, you'd think it'd be just slightly less likely in an art museum.

maybe next time i'll have the guts to snap a photo.

-laura

Boy, You're Pretty

Sitting on a bench, smoking a cigarette at a bar in Dumbo.
Some dude walks by and after he's about 10 feet away from me, finds it extremely necessary to turn around and say "boy, you're pretty."

I stand up and step in his direction, arms raised, "Why you gotta say that? Would you say that to your sister?"
He looks shocked, turns and continues walking.

This is kind of what he looked like. Definitely the beanie. A little pudgier though.

So unnecessary.

giddy up

These are the gold boots I was wearing on 8th avenue at 3:42pm when he said:
"Girl I wanna be your Pony."

Stop looking at me!

Ever feel like there are so many pairs of eyes just staring at you, undressing you?

Yeah, that's how I've been feeling lately. No catcalls, no comments, just stares. Up and down.

Give me a break!

Birdland Skeezeland

Drunken customer at Birdland:
"If you come to Japan, I appreciate you."
Reaches into his pocket, produces this card.