Bob CollinsI was driving down West Seventh Street in St. Paul at rush hour — which is a nicer way of saying “I was stuck and going nowhere” — the other day when a guy in a sports car of some sort, top down, passed on the right and pulled up next to the woman at the stoplight and honked. She looked over and he offered a piece of paper…presumably a note with a phone number perhaps. She declined. He laughed and sped off.
I take as some comfort the fact that I, a man, am still shocked at stuff like this, just as I was yesterday while sitting on the patio at Afro Deli and watched a woman just try to walk down the plaza — just trying to walk — and being catcalled by men walking in the other direction.
We men can’t even begin to fathom how exhausting it must be just to get through the day as a woman.
That’s why the hashtag that’s trending on Twitter this week — #NoWomanEver — should be required reading by men, but probably won’t be.
It documents the harassment that women endure daily.
You know what I love? Having to ask my friend to watch my drink while I go to the bathroom. #NoWomanEver
— Heather Matarazzo (@HeatherMatarazz) June 18, 2016
"He screamed sexual profanities at me from a moving car as I was walking from the bars, and that's how I met your dad." said #nowomanever
— Sara Petty (@_spetty) June 18, 2016
To the teenage boy who whispered "sex" as he walked past me: wow, take me now babe.? #NoWomanEver
— Ellie King (@Sister_Lactose) June 19, 2016
As soon as he started asking for a hug, a kiss, my number, and a massage at my place of work, I knew that he was the one ???? #NoWomanEver
— Rachel (@re_rachel) June 21, 2016
He told me I should ride him when I was done riding my bike. We've been grindin ever since. #NoWomanEver
— marni brewster (@marnibrewster) June 21, 2016
When the police started grilling me about other encounters & inferring "if you did if with that guy…" I knew I was supported #nowomanever
— Christa F (@GeekatHome) June 21, 2016
BuzzFeed says it started on Saturday when a 37-year-old Atlanta woman began posting the descriptions of street harassment. But it likely could’ve been any woman anywhere.
Archive: When it comes to women, men are going back to the ’50s (NewsCut)
