I want to take some time out to highlight an organization called Hollaback!, which is devoted to putting an end to street harassment worldwide. As a pedestrian in downtown Atlanta and a frequent user of MARTA’s rail system, I have first-hand experience dealing with harassment, whether it’s basic dirty leering or actual physical intimidation. In one particularly scary instance, I was actually followed home from the train station. I’m glad that Hollaback! exists to allow people like me the opportunity to make our voices heard when we are made to feel uncomfortable during our daily commute. The Atlanta Hollaback! page is here, and I was first introduced to it by my friend and coworker, Lauren.
I have been meaning to post about Hollaback! for some time now, but I was reminded to do so after an incident this past week. I stopped by Five Guys to pick up a burger for dinner on Wednesday, and on my way back to my apartment — I had to bypass a MARTA station to get home — I was approached by a woman who looked upset. She asked if I was getting on the train, to which I answered no. I was, after all, just heading down the road to my apartment. She then asked if I minded walking with her around the station. Someone had been harassing her on the train to the point that she’d felt it in her best interest to disembark and leave, despite not being done with her trip.
My first reaction to this incident was anger. MARTA has its own police force, but all too often, women such as the one who approached me are made to feel unsafe and cannot find a MARTA police officer. They aren’t terribly visible on the actual trains: you’re far more likely to find one in a station, and even then, it’s not a guarantee. But that’s not even the problem. The root of the trouble is that we live in a world where disgusting, lecherous behavior is seen as a part of life women are just expected to deal with. We hear, all the time, arguments like, “Well, that’s what happens when you wear a skirt,” or “They’re just appreciating your good looks.” This puts the responsibility upon the woman, rather than the person who made them uncomfortable. Don’t want to get looked at like that? Well, don’t wear that skirt you like. Don’t look so nice. How dare you be pretty? Just deal with it. “That’ll happen.”
I don’t think so. That’s just not good enough. Rather than excusing this horrendous behavior, society should be discouraging it. I think Hollaback! is making a great effort to steer us in the right direction. Everyone has the right to feel safe in their everyday activities, whether it’s their commute, eating out with friends, or going on an afternoon jog. It’s time to stop excusing bad behavior.
Well said, Teija!
What Becca said.
Also bookmarking the Hollaback! page – I had no idea something like that existed. It makes me furious when I’m expected to accept that creepy or aggressive behaviour is “just the way things are”. That just isn’t right.
I’ve gotten harassed on the street while wearing sweatpants and a huge t-shirt. I had a guy following me around the store once when I was homeless and living in my car, sweaty and disheveled, and I was only in Wal-mart because it was so hot outside and I wanted to steal a little air conditioning because I couldn’t sleep. So all those excuses of “complimenting your looks” and “because you wear a skirt” is BS. Men see boobs and think they have a right to exert power over a complete stranger.