"You aren't a normal girl"

I wasn't sure if I should submit this story, because it involved me losing my temper which I don't think was the most productive response, but...

I live in Astoria, Queens. One morning I was heading to work, walking along 23rd Ave to the train. I was just about to put my headphones on to listen to my iPod when I heard a low, drawn-out catcall from one of two guys sitting on chairs outside a barber shop as I walked past.

"Very nice."

me: "What did you say?"
him: "I said you look very nice"

me: "You fucking pedophile, you're old enough to be my father!"
him: "What? It's a compliment!"
his friend: "What are you talking about, he's only 30"

me: "Well he doesn't look like he's 30. And it's not a compliment, no girl wants to hear some random stranger say that stuff to her, it's rude"
him: "I'm giving you a compliment"
me: "no girl wants to hear your 'compliment', I guarantee it!"
him: "you aren't a normal girl then"
me: "no, NO GIRL who is just walking to the subway to go to work wants to hear about you checking her out. you save those kind of compliments for a girl you're dating, don't harass women on the street"
him: "I have a girlfriend"
me: "I bet she loves the fact that you harass women on the street"

He kept insisting that I was a rare species of female, the only girl who did not enjoy his creepy, leering remarks! That every other girl appreciated the 'compliment'! This made me angrier than the initial remarks themselves.

I lost my temper here... I made some insulting remarks about the size of his genitalia, told him to go home and pleasure his girlfriend with his inadequate genitalia and leave everyone on the street alone, and then picked up the coffee cup (nearly empty, unfortunately) which was sitting next to his friend's chair and flung the contents at the two of them before walking quickly down the sidewalk towards the subway.

They yelled violent threats at me as I walked away, but didn't move to act upon them. I realized of course that throwing the coffee cup at them had been a dumb move, but I was livid. The phrase he had said that upset me the most and that haunted me more then the catcall itself was "You aren't a normal girl". Like he wanted me to think I was a freak for being offended and upset by his gross leering comment. And the fact that maybe he really believes that - that it's okay to say those things because "most girls" appreciate it. And that he'll probably keep doing it because he thinks it's okay, even though one crazy girl threw a cup of coffee at him for it.

Submitted by Anonymous