I wasn’t going to tackle the street harrassment documentary, because everyone else was talking about it. Also, “women are harrassed on the street” seemed like a “no duh” topic to me. But I’ve been driving around thinking about it. So, if you missed the video, check it out…

In the early 1980’s, I started taking the bus to Manhattan with my friends to shop in the Village or visit museums. I was sixteen. Until we moved back to the suburbs in my late 30s, I spent a lot of time walking around the city. And harrassment was a way of life.

The women in the video said she was harrassed 1oo times in 10 hours. I was harrassed more. Because I have red hair and often walking around with my best friend who also has red hair, this led to a lot of attention. I got all the cat calls in the video. I was followed by a guy who accused me of being a witch. Random people took pictures of me. Old dudes on the subway dropped their trousers. In bars, guys would grab my ass and then pretend it was someone else. Occasionally, guys on the street would try to kiss me.

I learned how to completely tune it out, so it didn’t really bother me unless they touched or followed me.  I only really became aware of my numbness when the street calls stopped. Nobody bothers you if you’re over 35 and carrying a diaper bag. Made me wonder if I was numb to other problems.