HOLLABACK San Francisco

Perv in the Mission

2008-07-23T10:54:00.000-07:00

My friend and I were walking from the 16th/Mission Bart to Slim's to buy tickets to a show last weekend and as I am walking I feel my hand brush against someone behind me. At first I thought I was just not paying attention so I turned around to say sorry to find this asshole ogling us. We told him to fuck off and he just kept laughing and saying stuff that we couldn't understand, but that was obviously sexual. We slowed way down because we didn't want him behind us anymore and he promptly dropped his pants halfway down his thighs while still chuckling so we had to stare at his nasty ass for the rest of the block.

Why do some men find this funny? Do they really think its going to get them anywhere? Gross.

~Submitted by Karen in SF.

Tattoo Trouble in the South Bay

2008-06-13T03:45:00.000-07:00

Body modification, it’s my passion; however it has also become a point of pain lately. During the winter months I always seem to add hours and hours of work to my ever growing collection of body mods. This winter I completed my sleeves and started a leg piece. Since my leg piece just finished healing a month or so ago, during this past heat wave, I figured I would be safe to wear a skirt. Apparently, despite my tattoo being healed, I was far from safe.

I should have learned, while working on my sleeves, that my tattoos open me to a whole field of different sort of harassment. People seem to believe since I am so open and proud of my body modifications that I am just trying to put myself on display. They seem to mistake me as some sort of hands on art display. While working on my sleeves I had men on a daily that would come up and grab my arms and start looking over my tattoos. Or they would rub their hands down my arms and ask “Are those real?” Ugh, absolutely no respect for personal space.

Anyway, during this heat wave that just passed us in San Jose, I decided it was great skirt weather. So, I busted out a comfortable skirt that I hadn’t seen since last summer (not at all revealing, or risqué, it went to my kneecaps). I went to pick my brother up from work (Wal-Mart, the one on Story Rd), and got their a little early. I decided to do a little bit of shopping around in the mean time. As I was shopping, an older gentleman walks up to me and begins to comment on my tattoos. This is nothing new; I smile and politely thank him for all the compliments, and even give him a business card for my tattoo artist. Since time was running short, and I was lingering much too long around the fishing hooks, I politely excused myself back to my shopping, and assumed the gentleman would walk away. Wrong!! Next thing I know I feel a light tugging up of my skirt, and quickly twirl around. The man I had just been talking to is squatted down, his face about buttock level, and was tugging up my skirt trying to see the rest of my tattoo. I resisted the urge to knee him in the face, and asked him “What the hell are you doing?!?!” He responded he was just trying to get a better look at my tattoo, and if I could turn back around so he could keep looking. Very adamantly told him no, and could he please leave me alone. He tried to back pedal and attempted to compliment me on the beauty of my tattoos, and how new they looked, and how well taken care of they were. At this point, I had begun to back down the aisle, and was scanning around for a staff member. I was about to reach for my cell phone to call or text message my brother and let him know that this guy would not leave me alone, when suddenly he got the hint and just walked off. Eagerly I grabbed my items and made my way to the front of the store. I checked out through my brother’s line and told him what happened and that I would be waiting out in the car. As I was leaving, another gentleman grabbed me by my elbow as I passed. “Beautiful lotus on beautiful legs…” He said, I yanked my arm away and eagerly left the store.

Makes me nervous to wear a skirt this summer. I am not a thin girl, I am not a run way model, I am your typical thick chick. I carry myself confidently, I carry myself with pride, but my tattoos seem to make me a target at times, and don’t get me started on my surface piercings. Women are polite; they will point them out and make a comment, and then carry on with their day. However men in the area seem to think that my mods make it ok to touch, grab, or wonder beyond the boundaries of politeness. I’m sure I could write in on a daily about the looks, the grabs, the comments, the requests I receive about my tattoos and piercings. “Do you have anymore I could see?” or how about this one “Are there any you wouldn’t tell your parents about?” Ugh! What’s wrong with these men? Why do they think this is a good way to approach a woman? Do they really think I will respond to their rude advances? Just leave me alone!

Tattoos… look but don’t touch!

Submitted by Linda in San Jose.

Bay to Breakers

2008-06-03T04:18:00.000-07:00

This morning at around 10:15 near the halfway point of Bay to Breakers at Fell and Cole, while taking pictures to send back home to my Dad, as I have done in previous years, I was grabbed by a short man who, for lack of a better description, began rubbing his crotch against my leg while he yelled, "Aw, yeah baby, dry hump Olympics!!!!" His cohorts surrounded us and laughed. After about fifteen seconds, the shock wore off, and I told him to get the fuck away from me before I kicked his ass. "Aww, we're just trying to have some fun, I can't believe it..." he said, or something like that, and then the insult to injury: one of his buddies held up a cardboard sign and said "five point seven". Because they were rating the looks of the women they assaulted (or how we reacted???), on a scale of one to ten, for the "Dry Hump Olympics" and had corresponding numbered scorecards. Get it? OMG, like, how totally hilarious! I just LOVE being assaulted, demeaned, and degraded - it's so much fun!!!

Thanks for ruining my day, dickheads. On a scale of one to ten for humanity, I give you a zero. As far as douchebags go, you're fucking exemplars, totally off the scale. We're talking unchartered territory.

Photo by Kellie Parker.

Submitted by Allyson in San Francisco.

News Flash: Jezebel Calls Out Catcall Season

2008-05-15T07:08:00.000-07:00

Check out Jezebel.com's take on sexual harassment "season" in this article:

Spring Is The Season For Sexual Harassment

The author of the post brings up good points about whether or not street harassment usually leads to something more, but the quote by Kimberly Fairchild sums up our editor's take on it...

"[Catcalling] encourages women to look at themselves as body parts instead of as full, whole, intelligent human beings. When a man catcalls you, you don't know if it will end at that point, or if it could escalate to assault."

They mention Holly's Thesis, her CNN interview and the Hollaback project.

Check it out and leave your thoughts!

Hollaback Thesis on CNN

2008-05-15T07:03:00.000-07:00

Holly Kearl, a Women's Studies and Public Policy major at George Washington University, wrote her thesis on street harassment. She interviewed members of Hollaback teams all over the country, check out what she had to say about it to CNN:

Catcalling: creepy or a compliment?

Thanks for bringing awareness out in the media Holly!

~Hollaback-SF Editor

Beer Festival Harasser

2008-05-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I worked the International Beer Festival in San Francisco a few weeks ago. My spouse came with me and we poured our product all night long for free. The crowd seemed to really enjoy it and we had a great time but I noticed that people were getting super intoxicated. I mentioned my anxiety to my spouse and we decided to pack up a a little early to avoid all the drunks that would be trying to drive or possibly starting fights with people, etc.

So we were pulling out of the parking lot and as we passed a group of three guys one yells out "SLUT"! I immediately stuck my head out the window and asked him "what the fuck did you just say to me?" He instantly put his head down as if I wouldn't realize he was the one that said it and he said " I was talking to him" pointing at one of his friends. I was so angry I said back to him " that is what I thought fucker." My spouse told me "Geez, I didn't even have to say anything." We laughed about it then, but when I look back at it, who was that person? Would he talk to his mother or sister like that? I would think not. Then what gives him the right to treat me, a perfect stranger, like that? I have a really hard time keeping my mouth shut when someone disrespects me or anyone in front of me. I also think one time, what if I say something, and the guy decides to try and assault me. Then what? It is unacceptable that woman have to be concerned about being harmed by men physically or emotionally. On a side note I want to thank all the men out there that respect, take care, and love woman. Thanks for watching out.

Submitted by S.Baker in San Francisco

News Flash: College Senior Fights Back

2008-05-07T22:18:00.000-07:00

This story was posted on Jezebel.com today, about a journalist who told her story of assault.
Excerpts from that posting are below:

"Melissa Bruen, the outgoing editor-in-chief of the UConn Daily Campus decided to write a first-person essay about her sexual assault as her last act as EIC. In late April, UConn had its annual spring weekend — a drunken rite that occurs at most colleges during the hazy end of spring semester. Bruen was walking home from parties at off-campus apartments on a path affectionately known to Huskies as "rape trail." She decided to make a phone call, and, as she was leaning against a telephone pole, a large man shoved her against the pole and "dry humped" her. Bruen, who had been assaulted before, decided to take action. She pushed him away, and when she had him pinned to the ground, punched him smack in the face. A group of men who had been watching this all go down eventually pulled Bruen off her assailant, who ran off. She started screaming, "He just assaulted me," and that's when one of the violence voyeurs said to her, "You think that was assault?", pulled down her shirt, and grabbed her breasts.

As Bruen tells it:

More men started to cheer. It didn't matter to the drunken mob that my breasts were being shown or fondled against my will. They were happy to see a topless girl all the same. I punched him in the face, and someone shoved me into a throng of others. I was surrounded, but I kept swinging and hitting until I was able to break free of the circle they had formed.

Melissa McEwan at Shakesville says that Bruen's story shows that teaching women self-defense alone is not going to fix the rape problem. "Addressing the issues of the men who assaulted her, and the larger culture that facilitates that kind of behavior and the attitudes underlying it, needs to be a part of comprehensive rape prevention," McEwan argues. "Self-defense doesn't stop rapists from being created in the first place."

Read Bruen's original article here: My Spring Weekend Nightmare

And check out the full post on Jezebel here: College Senior Is Sexually Assaulted While Group of Guys Cheer.

Verbal Harassment at the Ferry Plaza.

2008-03-27T12:11:00.000-07:00

*Ed. note: while we make it a policy to not include race in our postings here at Hollaback-SF, this particular story is an example of how race does play a role in harassment at times. The race of the author and of the person harassing her is an important part of this story. Please feel free to comment on any aspect of this post.

Yesterday, I went to the Ferry Building to run some errands. I was walking through the plaza reading Nothin' But Good Times Ahead when I heard a call behind me.

"Hey, beautiful!"

It wasn't coming from someone right behind me, so I ignored it. It sounded like he was ten feet away or so, and whatever–it's not worth my time to face off with some jackass catcaller. It was just one comment, and maybe that would be it.

"Do you love me?"

The passive response of ignoring him clearly isn't working. I was irritated at the first comment and I'm growing angry, but I tell myself that maybe he's not yelling at me. Maybe he's yelling at
someone else, not that it would make the situation any better–by not facing him and not calling him out on his verbal harassment, whether it's me or someone else he's catcalling, I implicitly condone him harassing a woman because she's a woman and she dares to walk outside in the city. Dares to exist and live in public spaces.

"You don't love me."

Okay, I'm angry now. I don't like sexist jackasses who yell indiscriminately at women and feel entitled to sexually harass women and think of women as sex objects for their viewing pleasure rather than as people and make women feel unsafe, unwelcome, and afraid in public spaces. I'm thinking about facing him and calling him on his shit.

"Fine. Go back to China!"

Ok, that's it. That is absolutely it and I'm not taking racist shit from anyone. Sexual harassment is bad enough, but the combination of racism and sexism makes me see red. I stop, whip around, and see that I'm the only stereotypically "Chinese" woman in the vicinity, so there's no question that he's been yelling at me the whole time. I see one man in the area, an African-American man lugging a suitcase.* I yell, "Excuse me, are you talking to me?"

He looks at me. "Yeah."

I'm furious. Livid. Sexual harassment simply for being a woman is run of the mill for me–I don't like it and I'm increasingly likely to not tolerate it, but the racist comment just broke my restraint. I yell at him, "What the hell makes you think it's okay to yell at random women
and harass them, you asshole?"

He sulkily replies, "You harass us all the time."

I see red. I yell at him, "I've never harassed you in my life, and it is not acceptable to harass random women. Fuck you!"

I've never seen this man in my life. I've never harassed an African-American person in my life. I've never harassed anyone for racist or sexist reasons in my life. His bullshit attempt to use
anti-African-American racism as a justification for anti-Asian racism and anti-woman sexism is complete bullshit. If anything, having experienced racism himself should have taught him that racism is wrong, period, and it's poisonous to everyone. Using it himself is hypocritical and it makes him petty, vindictive, and immature. I learned in kindergarten that two wrongs don't make a right, and his attempt to use racism to justify racism and sexism is simply nothing more than perpetuating the system.

He walks away and I storm off, mind awhirl with anger, loathing, fear, and adrenaline. Facing a harasser always results in the volatile emotional cocktail of the flight or fight response. While I'm fighting, the anger burns away almost all of the fear, but as soon as it's over, I'm left shaking and the fear lurches back. Women are told not to respond to harassers because as soon as they know you're paying attention, they'll ramp it up. They might grow violent. And so we have
to endure the verbal and physical attacks on our persons and let them go on, because if we don't, something worse might happen. I'm not listening anymore to that passive endorsement of harassment and a patriarchal society where women are advised to endure harassment because they can't expect anything better.

Behind every "Hey, beautiful!" is the notion that I, a woman, exist for the harasser's viewing pleasure. I'm walking along the sidewalk so harassers can stare at me and remind me that because I'm a woman, I don't deserve respect. Because I'm a woman, I don't deserve to feel
safe outside. Because I'm a woman, I'm a sex object and I shouldn't be outside running errands, jogging, working, or living. Because I'm a woman, I deserve to be catcalled and intimidated.

Insults and catcalls aren't just words. First of all, words have power. They're the predominant form of communication between humans and they're used to cajole, placate, threaten, thrill, and more. Words matter. Second, behind every catcall, every reminder that in the harasser's sexist worldview, women exist for men and women are inferior to men and he's entitled to treat me as lesser, is the reality that one in every six women is raped at least once and far
more women are sexually assaulted. I turned around and yelled at my harasser, but the entire time, I was thinking about how he was larger than I was and quite capable of assaulting me. If someone thinks it's okay to act sexist and racist, that person might not have qualms about
attacking someone perceived as inferior for sexist and racist reasons. The entire time I was in the Ferry Building, I was scanning the crowd, looking for him so that I'd be prepared if he tried to grab, grope, shove, bump, or hit me. This alertness and fear is part of being a woman, even in liberal, progressive San Francisco.

I faced the harasser and stood up for myself. It's my way of challenging every sexist harasser who thinks it's okay to objectify me–to break out of the box they put me in and say, fuck you. Fuck you and your attempts to make me a passive object who'll succumb to your oh so charming insults and swoon before you, or a victim who'll stoically endure your fucking insults. I am a person, an individual, a woman, and I am active. I deserve respect, civility, and safety by
virtue of being a human being, but if you think you can take those away from me because I'm a woman, I'll take them for myself.

————————————-

* I only note his race because it's relevant to his pathetic justification for his sexual and racist harassment. As pocochina says, I don't give a flying fuck if a man harassing me is white, black,
yellow, brown, or any other color. He's harassing me and that's what matters to me; his ethnicity is irrelevant.

Submitted by Pizza D. in San Francisco.

Torta Trouble

2008-03-06T11:43:00.001-08:00

So, I was sitting there eating my torta when some guy asked to see my glasses, expecting me to pleasantly give up MY EYES so that he could fuck around with my black frames on his ugly, drunk-ass face. any who. i said, fifty bucks in my hand would give him a try at my glasses (a.k.a. my eyes). being a stubborn asshole, he kept trying to bargain/be clever... both of which were nauseating... and all I wanted to do was eat. And he kept bothering me.

I realize that this isn't sexual harassment and it wasn't violent or dangerous, but I do think it speaks to the way that men expect women to participate and entertain their banter (and stupidity). We as women, are expected to respond and not reject such harassment, especially when it is this kind of harassment that has no obvious harm, and when we do, were seen as anal, prude, uptight bitches.

Anyways, just thought I would email this because a woman saw all this happening and then gave me the little card with the website on it. Being a feminist, womens studies major who is already critical of such gendered power dynamics, I wanted to say thank you because I think you guys are doing great work and opening up an important space of dialogue.

Submitted by Mai in San Francisco.

Newsflash: Tufts Library Masturbator

2008-02-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

Today on Jezebel.com:

Students at Tufts University have repeatedly spotted a man masturbating near them in the library. The question is posed as to whether or not this is harassment, and what actions should be taken.

Check it out and send your thoughts!

Universities Battle Unconventional Forms Of Sexual Harassment

Newsflash: Yale University

2008-01-22T15:05:00.000-08:00

Today on Jezebel.com: a group of Zeta Psi fraternity brothers at Yale took this photo in front of the Women's Center on campus.

The Women's Center has threatened to file a lawsuit for harassment.

After the threat was received, the fraternity apologized.

See the full story and discussion from the Jezebel community at Jezebel.com.

PERVERT ON WHEELS

2007-11-23T19:15:00.000-08:00

Tailgating & harrassment. LADIES BEWARE - old guy in a mini van was following me today and taking pictures of me. Once I noticed from my car, I rolled down my window and asked him to stop but he continued to harass me. I called the police and filed a report against him (unfortunately he was already gone), so if you see this pervert and he does the same to you - do not be afraid to report him. Men should not be taking random pictures of women - its wrong and you never know what these men will do with these unauthorized images. His actions today are alarming to my safety and privacy.

Shattuck

2007-11-12T12:49:00.001-08:00

I was walking down Shattuck in Berkeley this morning and some guy looks
straight in my face and tells me, "I see the whore house is open on
Veteran's Day." I was so shocked it took me another block to react. I
walked back to look for him to tell him what a creep he was, but I
couldn't find him. Ruined my whole morning.

Submitted by Vanessa in Berkeley.

News Flash- American Apparel Ad

2007-10-26T09:48:00.001-07:00

Today on the blog Jezebel.com, a discussion has started about this ad and the defacement of it.

The graffiti reads: "Gee, I wonder why women get raped."

Thoughts?

Berkeley BART Ogler

2007-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

I was in the Berkeley Bart station waiting for a train. This was a little after lunch on a Tuesday around 1pm. I was just standing around and noticed that a tall middle aged man in a heavy overcoat was staring at me. At first I didn't think anything of it, so I glanced away and a few minutes later noticed that he was still staring at me. I started walking towards another part of the station so that I would be in a different car away from him, but noticed that as the train was pulling up, he was following me into the same car. I tried not to think much of it, and sat in a seat. I saw that he had chosen a sit diagonally from mine (I sat in one of the seats usually reserved for the elderly) and although his seat faced opposite of me, he situated himself so that he could turn and stare at me the entire time. At first I glanced in his direction to see if he was still looking. Then I decided to look him directly in the face, and I did that for a few seconds. I looked at him, stared back, and then glared. But still, he just kept staring. I didn't know whether to change seats or move to another car since my stop wasn't much further. I decided to stay put, but later regretted it since I felt uncomfortable the entire time. He didn't end up following me after I had gotten off the train, but the entire day I just felt disgusted.

Submitted by L. in Berkeley.

The Comment Experiment

2007-09-07T10:17:00.000-07:00

Editors' note:

In an effort to encourage discussion, we have enabled comments on the blog. These comments are moderated and filtered to ensure that Hollaback-SF remains a safe place for people to report harassment.

Please read our Anti-Racism Statement and our FAQs before submitting a comment.

Comments that are in any way threatening to the posters will be rejected.

Also, comments that don't follow our Anti-Racism guidelines will be rejected.

Be conscientious when commenting, we want to encourage discussion without falling into racist and otherwise intolerant or threatening traps.

Thanks!

~Hollaback-SF

Overexposure on BART

2007-09-04T17:10:00.000-07:00

On the BART train to SFO/Daly City 9/2/07.

So, I'm sitting on BART, with my bike.

At MacArthur this guy gets on, sits across from me, opens his paper, spreads his legs and gives me a 'free show'.
He's peeking over the top of his paper to see if I've noticed.

I pull out my cameraphone and take a picture while he's waiting for me to "notice".

When he sees that I am taking a picture, he quickly gets up and walks to another car.

At Powell, 2 BART cops get on the train. I tell them about this guy. They apprehend him and he is charged with misdemeanor indecent exposure. I sent the picture to the officers as well.

This guy has done this before. He sat strategically, so that the people on either side of me, in the other seats, couldn't see what he was doing. He was also sitting so that he wasn't in the frame on the BART cameras.

His 'excuse' to the officers...he didn't wear underwear.

Sick of creepy guys in SF.

New Flash: Unheard Cries in Minnesota

2007-08-24T11:57:00.000-07:00

Today's News Flash comes from CBS, in a story titled Police: 10 Witness Rape, Do Nothing.

A woman was being assaulted and possibly raped on the sidewalk and neighbors saw the event and declined to do anything, even call the police.

Read the original article.

News Flash: Yoga Poseurs

2007-08-23T12:11:00.000-07:00

This week's News Flash is an article in the NY Times called Between Poses, a Barrage of Pickup Lines

This article begins by discussing a comedic video on YouTube named "Inappropriate Yoga Guy" that has gotten people in the Yoga world discussing the problem of leering, flirting and touching in yoga classes.

The article is just the beginnings of a discussion about this new issue, please read it and share your thoughts and/or experiences.

The NY Times: Between Poses, a Barrage of Pickup Lines

Submitted by Hollaback-SF.

Perv at the Conservatory of Flowers

2007-08-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

Friday evening I was working out, running up and down the stairs in front of the Conservatory of Flowers in preparation for the Inca Trail next month (whoohoo!) I had been doing this for about 10-12 minutes when I looked across the way and noticed a guy with a video camera pointed straight at me!!! I didn't believe that he was actually videotaping me at first, so I looked away and then looked again a little later, and when I did I saw his hand turn as if he were focusing in. Barf!!!! I promptly ran away. It grosses me out that this pervert will probably be using this as fodder for his lonely jerk-off session later tonight. And really pisses me off that I couldn't finish my workout there. I wish I had thought to point and shoot my phone camera right at him - it probably would have been a long shot, but just to point something at him in return would have made me feel a lot better.

Beware of the pervert at the Conservatory of Flowers!

Submitted by Kate B. in San Francisco.

News Flash

2007-08-09T10:28:00.000-07:00

This is the first news article related to Hollaback's mission to be posted on the site. We want to encourage thought and comments, and also to keep you all informed of what is going on in our City and the World in relation to street harassment and assault.

Summary of where the blame lies according to The Sun Online.

A Scottish survey found that the following percentages of people think a woman is partially responsible in a rape:

If she had been flirting- 32%
If she was drunk- 27%
If she wore revealing clothing- 26%
If she was known to have many sexual partners- 18%

In each case, about 5% of people think the woman was fully to blame for the rape.

The Scottish Law Commission is examining and proposing reform on laws about rape and other sexual offenses.

Read Original Article.

Testing the Waters- New Comments Feature

2007-08-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Due to repeated requests for comments on Hollaback-SF, we will be trying out the comment feature on all blog posts.
Note that the comments are moderated and will go through an approval process to weed out any racist, sexist or other "ist" comments.
We at Hollaback-SF want to foster community involvement and discussion, but we want to make sure no one turns the blog into an unsafe space for the women who post to it.

Happy commenting!

-Hollaback-SF

Personal Anecdote

2007-07-26T12:19:00.000-07:00

The following situation occurred last night around 9pm on a Fremont - Richmond BART train. I was sitting with my legs stretched out as I usually do after a tired day at work. There were 5-6 other people in the car I was in. I was in no way dressed provocatively (if anything I looked like total crap) - just wearing a large coat and jeans. At Coliseum station a burly, scary looking man came on, looked around the nearly empty car, saw me and decided to sit in the seat across from me, staring at me the whole time. Uncomfortable, I sat up and faced the window (away from his direction). All of a sudden he shouts, "Hey, do you want to fuck me?" I had my headphones on luckily so I pretended not to hear him. He repeats "Hey you, you want to fuck?" Thank god the next station was my stop. What should one do in such a situation? Should one obviously get up and move to another car, thus acknowledging them? Or should one just ignore them and hope that they go away? I am always scared to get up and move because they may decide to get up and follow. But if I sit and ignore, they may decide to pester me throughout my entire commute (which has happened several times).

Submitted by Anna in SF.

Subway Blues

2007-07-25T10:00:00.000-07:00

I used to take the Muni Metro underground to work every day for the past year and a half. I only go 2 stops and even when it is crowded I squish in to the car and get to work twice as fast as I would on an above-ground bus.
Then last week I squish in as usual, moving my back to my front to make room and I settle in for the short ride.
I felt something pressing against my back side and at first I thought it was someone's briefcase or backpack, but when I turned to look the man behind me abruptly turned away and moved into the crowded car.
I have heard many women tell stories of men on the subway rubbing up against them, and now I know how confusing and disorienting it is on a crowded commute train.

I wish I had had quicker reflexes or figured out what was happening before it was too late and he was gone into the crowd. I am now careful to either wait for the less crowded train or to keep my bag on my back, even if it takes up space, because if trying to give people more space means some creep can move into mine, I am not having it.

Submitted by Jessica in San Francisco.

Day in SF

2007-06-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

I was driving on 43 ave in SF and making a left turn onto Sloat. A burgundy older model Toyota or Honda was making a u-turn. We crossed paths and the car stops in front of me. I wave to them to go and the driver pulls along side me and stairs at me with a really dirty look on his face. I stair back and say WHAT! He and the other passengers in the car all laugh at me the driver then calls me a stupid bitch. I flip them off and yell fuck you. He then tells me to suck his balls. I left this situation feeling attacked and angry. I had done nothing to deserve this. I wish I had said "what balls?" I felt I had not said enough. I was angry all day and felt frustrated that it had ruined my day when this ass hole probably didn't give it a second thought. I wish i had gotten a picture of this jerk.

Submitted by Nicole in SF

Lifeguard Blues

2007-06-05T16:43:00.001-07:00

I took a lifeguard training class this last semester at Laney College and
got certified. Unfortunately there was a creep in my class. One time I was a
drowning victim and he and someone else were supposed to be saving me, while
my hands were held above my head and I couldn't move them he slid his hands
down both sides of my body and tried to pretend he was just trying to help
me. I let this slide because it was quick. Next, towards the end of class I
had my bathing suit straps pulled to the side a little so I could get some
sun under where the straps usually are. As I'm wading in the pool he reaches
and grabs my strap and puts his hand on me while eagerly pushing through the
water. "Your straps..." I just said "no." Then he would linger after classes
to see what I was doing. This guy was a shitty student who had no idea what
he was doing the whole time and was so stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if he
took the class just to be with girls in their suits. I warned my teacher
that if anything went down, like my elbow breaking his nose, that it would
be because of him trying to touch me again. Unfortunately he came very
close... but for some reason stopped himself just before I felt the urge to
backhand him.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

On the Bus

2007-06-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

A long time ago when I was taking the bus to work a guy made a comment of
sexual nature about my tattoo then said I look like "that chick from
Charlie's Angels." I tried to explain to him why I didn't want to talk to
him and why his comments weren't welcomed.
Once he realized he wasn't
getting anywhere he just stood there and called me a bitch, that I needed to
suck a good dick then I wouldn't be so uptight, etcetera. I saw my bus, put
my bike on the front and realized that he made no motion to get on the same
bus as me. As I got on he continued talking shit, I turned around and spat
on his shirt. I really thought he was going to jump on the bus and I would
have to stab him with my house keys.
He just stood and asked the bus driver
helplessly "Did you see that? What are you going to do?" "I saw what you
were doing, I'm not going to do anything," she said, and closed the doors. I
was lucky to not be arrested that day, and afterwards I still cried because
I hate those situations, but afterwards I finally didn't have all those
scenarios of what I should have done or said running through my head. I had
a pretty good feeling he did, though, and that made me feel good too.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland.

Cautionary Tale: Ruphenol

2007-05-17T22:30:00.000-07:00

A few years ago (2001 maybe -- I remember Ann Richards of Texas had just died), a bunch of girlfriends & I attended a YMCA event at the SF waterfront. After, some of us went to a nearby restaurant for food & wine and ended up chatting with a small group of unctuous but friendly men there. One them was a small-time wannabe SF politician who was running for Board of Directors for the SF-Brisbane Municipal Utility District. I think one of them was a small-time drug dealer (I put a lot of the pieces together later).

In a collossal act of poor judgement (I had recently gone through a painful breakup from a relationship so wasn't thinking clearly), I went out for another drink with two of these guys when my girlfriends called it a night. I had just one drink with these guys, and the wannabe small-time politico guy (let's call him Joe) slipped a dose of ruphenol into my drink (roofies, the date-rape drug). He did it when I went to the rest room. (Another act of monumental foolishness: I had left my drink with these guys for a moment.)

How do I know he did that? I added up the clues later.

When I returned from the restroom I took a sip of my drink; it tasted kind of weird and I didn't finish it. I remember thinking it tasted slightly salty and looked a little bit foamy. One of the guys was older (late 50s-early 60s) and is a local businessman; I don't know if he was in on what his pal was doing. We all left the bar, and the businessman went off on his own. Joe bummed a ride from me. Getting into the car, I felt nauseated & like I was going to pass out. I NEVER get that way from drinking, and I hadn't had much to drink. Felt like my head was hit by a sledgehammer.

He kept trying to fondle and grope me in the car. At one point he had his dick out of his pants. I had no idea what was going on; I was like a zombie, which is so frightening. Finally he kind of gave up trying to get his rocks off and ordered me to drive (in my condition!). He had me drive him up to Van Ness near Sutter, and then he hopped out of my car at a red light. I immediately turned down an alley, parked my car and passed out. Several hours passed, and then I started to kind of come to and wonder what the hell was wrong with me. Finally, around sunrise I managed to drive home, and spent the entire day in bed, too nauseated to move. I spoke with someone at a rape trauma center and we determined it must've been ruphenol.

All in all, I was very lucky for having been so careless. Please be more vigilant than I was that night. By the way, I looked him up on the internet back then, and I'm pretty sure his website said something about his wife being very ill with cancer. What a nice guy.

Some Advice on Cabs

2007-05-07T17:36:00.000-07:00

What this post is really about is cab drivers. I know after a long night of drinking in the rowdy clubs of SF a clean, warm cab feels like the safest place ever but this is not necessarily so. Understand that cabs are leased out to drivers, drivers are independent agents. Some are awesome and friendly, some are just downright dangerous. I have had two friends in the last year who were violently attacked and raped by cab drivers. In the second attack , the cab driver actually stopped to pick up accomplices in the assault. It's horrifying to think about but it's a reality.

Do NOT ride alone in a cab, especially at night, and ESPECIALLY if intoxicated. Don't let your guard down you are essentially riding with a stranger. Cabpool with your girlfriends.

Cheers and be safe San Francisco!!

Submitted by June from San Francisco

Sf Stories

2007-05-06T20:22:00.000-07:00

Kudos on a great website. I just recently moved out of San Francisco after 4 years and even though the city and most of it's inhabitants retain a special place in my heart, I know too well the blank mean face I had to wear walking down the street. More than almost anywhere else the level of harrassment I got on the street was ridiculous. Even Italy wasn't as bad! My experiences as a young female college student in the city range from the mundane, (whistles and cat
calls and "hey mami, nice tits!") to the extreme:

Fuck you to the guy I threw the entire contents of a newspaper stand at because he would not get the message and followed me to my building that I was NOT a hooker and NOT for sale. It's halloween you asshole, don't you know the difference between rainbow bright and a prostitute? (Although I'm sure it was quite a sight to see me in rainbow leggings and moon boots cursing like a sailor and pegging that guy in the head with sfweeklies.)

And Fuck you to the only person I ever actually punched in my life. I was bent over tying my shoe and you thought it would be okay to come and grab my ass and whatever else you could get your mitts on. Who the fuck do you think you are to feel entitled to grabbing me where even my boyfriend asks permission first. I have never been so blindly enraged. I can still see your snaggly toothed gaping sneer right before I jawed you and bolted. I only regret not kicking you in the nuts too.

and even the laughable: to the guy with the guitar who sang the "give me a handjob" song on the bart. You're a total loser... and points for creativity aside, fuck you too.

Submitted by June from San Francisco

Masturbating on BART

2007-05-03T21:04:00.000-07:00

I was on an early train to Oakland Airport this last Saturday. I was kinda
dazed out, but aware of my surroundings, since I had to get off the train
soon. So, I get this eerie feeling that someone is looking at me. Across
from me is a guy who is looking dead at me. I think to self "oh, we caught
eachother's eye... oh well..." but I still had the weird feeling- I look
over and he is looking at me and "adjusting" himself. I gave him the benefit
of the doubt and considered it an akward moment. But, my instincts wouldn't
quit- I looked at the reflection in the window and saw him masterbating
while blatently staring at me and making noises! I gave the ol' "Fuck off"
look and moved seats. Not only did he continue to stare at me, but this
fucker had the nerve to get up and try to start a conversation with me...
even tried to ask to sit next to me! I told him to go fuck himself (which he
already was in the process of doing) and he still tried... I told him to
"Get the Fuck outta here!". Oh but wait... when my stop finally arrived, I
saw him scurry away from the clear doors that seperate the BART cars- he had
been watching me from the other Bart Car!!! If I had a Camera I would have
broken it in his face. VERY SORRY THERE IS NO PIC OF THIS ASSHOLE!!!

Grocery Store Attempt

2007-03-30T11:24:00.000-07:00

I go to the Pak N Save at 40th and San Pablo to shop, this time my boyfriend
was wandering about the store when this guy asked if he could get my phone
number at the checkout counter. It was really sad because this guy stank of
drink and it was barely noon.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

harassment from San Luis Obispo

2007-03-26T22:02:00.000-07:00

On March 13, 2007, in broad daylight, I walked the final block to my car alone, after leaving a friend. We were walking to our cars in downtown SLO in broad daylight after leaving our job at the Court. We have had numerous training sessions in personal safety etc due to the nature of our job. I was aware if my surroundings and felt confident I was not followed to my car. However, as I climbed into my van and was setting down my purse with my right hand and simultaneously reaching for the door with my left, a man suddenly appeared blocking me from closing my door. I did not have the presence of mind to take a photo, but I got a real good description of him as his face was very close.

He said “I don’t want to embarrass you but I noticed when you were walking that your slip was showing”. I paused and froze, trying to assess if this was some really lame pick up line or if her was just really stupid to approach a woman at her car, alone and discuss her undergarments. He stood leaning in to the door of my car with his cell phone (black and silver flip phone) open and near his right ear as if he had been talking to someone. As he spoke he held it away from his head. He then said “It’s a very beautiful slip, do you mind if I ask you about it?” Again, I was still frozen and thinking what my options were, realizing he had me trapped. He then stumbled over his words a bit and said”…I’d like to get one for my girlfriend…is it a half slip or full slip”. I looked at as if he were nuts, told him “half slip” and he backed up a little as I lunged for my car door, shut it, locked it and looked in the review mirror. He had disappeared. I started my car & backed up out of the parking space as fast as I could and looked around and saw him no where to be found. He had vanished as quickly as he had appeared. Here is his description:

Medium Build, 5’11ish, 25-30 yrs old, blond/sandy blond short hair (crew cut), blue eyes, looked as if he had been out in the sun, fair skin, no jewelry or piercings, looked “clean-cut” and at first I thought he was a college student. He wore a dark blue/black t-shirt and possibly jeans (but I didn’t get a good look as he was leaning into the car). He had no noticeable accent or anything else distinctive.

I reported the incident to the local police and my job. After sharing this with my friends and coworkers we discovered other people had similar experiences. An article posted today in the Tribune, the local San Luis Obispo county paper, where they have picked up on our name for him “the slip stalker”.

I wanted to log this on your site because the details in the article don’t include the man’s description and leave out some of the details that I think show the man has become bolder since his other incidents.

Submitted by Cindy in San Luis Obispo

Creepy

2007-03-25T12:54:00.000-07:00

he looks at every girl's ass. no joke.

Submitted by Miss Electric in Oakland

Halloween 2006

2007-03-23T14:01:00.000-07:00

On Halloween 2006, my boyfriend and friend and I were
unlocking our bikes outside of a party when I felt a hand on my ass.
Before I could even turn around to see who had done it, my boyfriend
had pushed the man down on the ground so hard that he knocked over one
or two of his friends (it was a group of four guys) and hit his head
on the sidewalk.

The guy who had been pushed threw a can at my boyfriend's head and
started to come towards to fight, but his friends grabbed him and had
to drag him all the way across the street. I grabbed my heavy bike
lock, and holding it like a weapon, yelled at him that he wasn't
allowed to fucking touch me. Meanwhile my friend used her cell phone
to call the cops (who didn't answer). The guy made like he was going
to come back across the street, but we quickly rode away.

Fuck all these guys.

Submitted by Megan in San Francisco

Old Story

2007-03-19T18:20:00.000-07:00

A few years ago when I was still new to the city, my mother
was visiting. The two of us and one man were the only ones riding the
bus one night at about 9pm downtown. At the last stop on the line, the
man walked up to the front of the bus, then turned around and came to
the rear exit where we were waiting to get off. As the door opened he
pushed past me "hurrying to get off the bus", and rubbed his crotch
roughly against my body.

I was horrified, but I couldn't think of an appropriate response that
wouldn't have made my mother flip out. (She is dreadfully worried
about me and my safety, past the point I think mothers usually take
it.) Instead, I turned and scowled at him as he went down the BART
stairs. He actually SMILED at me as I shot him my nastiest look.

The worst part about the story was the very next day we passed him on
the street in an entirely different part of town. I thought I would
never have to see him again, and seeing him the very next day felt
like someone punching me in the gut. He smiled at me again, and I've
seriously never been as paralyzed with anger/fear. I was so pissed
that I missed a second opportunity to call him an asshole.

One of the worst

2007-03-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

This was one of the worst encounters I had ever met. This man saw me and my three friends walking towards BART. He immediately stopped in front of us to tell us how good we looked, and asked us what race we all were. We obviously were rushing to BART and as we went down the stairs, ignoring him. He put out his hands from side to side and basically stood on front of us so it as if we were trapped. I told him if he didn't move, I'd rip him a new asshole. Him being drunk responded with "Who are you calling a asshole? I'm not an asshole. I'm being nice to you girls.". As we were going through the BART terminals, he was drunkenly trying to hop over them. I took the picture. How could I not? He was being ridiculous. He then yelled at us until we went all the way to the train. It was fucking annoying. If you go to 24th and Mission, watch out for this asshole.

Submitted by Miss Electric in San Francisco.

Report these guys!

2007-03-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

I too have been harassed by guys at construction sites, driving company trucks, doing landscaping, or otherwise in the middle of their workday. Get their description, note where you are and the time, get a license plate if possible, and CALL THE EMPLOYER AND FOLLOW UP WITH A LETTER. Tell them you will never hire them, will tell all your friends not to hire them (if that's an appropriate threat), but mostly be sure to let the management know that they are responsible for the illegal actions of their employees while on the job, and that their employee has just committed assault (assault can be verbal, battery is a physical encounter). Get the jerks fired, and make the companies clean up the act of all the guys they hire. USE YOUR POWER!

Submitted by Mary Beth in the Bay Area

Have a minute? Take a Great Survey!

2007-03-16T09:05:00.000-07:00

I love your Web site! I love it so much that my Master's thesis on street harassment is in great part focusing on Web sites like the HollaBack chapters and the Street Harassment Project.

In addition to reading through all of the postings, part of my research includes an online anonymous survey about people's experiences with street harassment and visiting/using the Web sites.

Street Harassment Survey

Thanks! Holly from Washington DC.

Responses to ruin THEIR day

2007-03-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

I have found that a great response to guys exposing themselves, leering at you, or making cat calls is to yell "You should be ashamed of that tiny little thing!" Wait till you see their faces! (However, they also get pretty pissed.)

If you want them to slink away, instead of YOU having to, you can SHOUT: "Stop harassing me!" It makes everybody look (good protection), and makes THEM embarrassed instead of us.

Submitted by Mary Beth in the Bay Area

What kind of American am I?

2007-03-06T18:19:00.000-08:00

At 7 in the morning, after I've already been working for an hour, a
construction worker calls out "Hey baby." I didn't have my camera, so I flipped
him off double-time and told him "Fuck you."
He says "That's all I get? Fuck you? What kind of American are you?"
What the hell kind of question is that? How much more stereotypical can
you be? How does it feel to be the most typical turd of all time? Another
beautiful day tainted by an ass.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland.

BART

2007-03-05T09:20:00.000-08:00

Dude: Hey baby. What'cho doin' tonight?
Me: Obviously not taking a nap with you on bart.

This guy totally sucked.

Bus Tactics

2007-03-04T17:54:00.000-08:00

Taking the 14 in San Francisco is no easy task. Not even at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. This guy here will perversely call you 'mommy' until you want to kick him in the face, or get on another bus. Watch out ladies. Don't sit across from this one.

Submitted by Miss Electric in Oakland.

One more

2007-03-03T13:10:00.000-08:00

These guys will cat-call anyone with legs. This construction site at 66th and Shattuck in Oakland will get you down, no matter what time of the day it is. Women beware - 10am is never too early for these dudes.

Submitted by Miss Electric in Oakland.

Perv near parrot hangout on Filbert steps

2007-03-02T11:28:00.000-08:00

On a beautiful Sunday several months ago after brunching at Il Forniao in Levi Plaza, my girlfriend and I decided to take a walk up the Filbert steps nearby to see the parrots and work off some calories. I’m very familiar with the area and the birds as I live in the city and have done freelance work with clients in this area for over 10 years.

At the top of the steps is a large tree that the flock was hanging out in. We’re smiling and watching them as other folks are coming and going enjoying the birds as well. At one point, my girlfriend and I were the only ones there. It’s then that we notice a guy standing in his open apartment window, naked. At first he walked by the window and I thought...whoops. Ok. Dude in his apartment not noticing he is visible to others. Then we both notice that not only is he naked, he is sporting a boner and stands in the window, leaning on the sill. This is no accident. Wonderful. Just what I want after brunch. He proceeds to stand there gazing at us with his boner fully visible. We try to ignore and enjoy the day, the view and the parrots.

He steps partially behind a yellow curtain or something and starts jacking off. The boner was gone when he steps over to the window again. We decided we had had enough and proceed to leave. My girlfriend shouts up...”Do you do this often?” in an attempt to shame him. As we head down the stairs, we wave and give him the finger.

Well, last Sunday we had brunch at Fog City and take a walk up the stairs to work it off and check for parrots. No parrots, but dickhead was walking around naked again despite the fact that 2 elderly gents were at the top near the tree looking at the view and a neighbor one house over was in his garden working. Apparently, this is what he likes to do on Sunday. We didn’t give him any notice this time. Since others were around, we’re thinking this guy just likes to jerk off in public in front of anyone, male or female. Yegads.

Since this dude lives there, it can’t be the first (or second) time this has happened. It’s clearly a habit. He lives on the second floor of the blue building. He MUST be doing this to neighbors or they surely MUST be seeing some of this. Why haven’t they called cops? Next time we have brunch down there, we’re bringing the digital camera and capturing this asshole on film since neither of us has a camera cell phone.

I’m also going to look into what the police can do about this despite the fact that he’s in his own home. There have to be some laws around standing there flogging it in your window when you are visible to others. Moms with little kids go up there, tourists galore go up there, to see the parrots since all the... Ahem... ‘exposure’ due to the movie “Wild Parrots of Telegraph Hill”. Not exactly a boon to tourism.

Be warned if you go up there to see the parrots. You’re going to see a whole lot more.

the Pee Peeper

2007-03-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

Invasion of privacy, to the maximum.

Now this didn't directly happen to me, but it did a co-worker. A hard working co-worker who was just trying to pee.

We had a store meeting at the Holiday Inn on Van Ness in SF. As I was setting up for a employee vote, my friend comes running out of the bathroom, interrupting the Muzak playing in the lobby. "THERE IS A PERVERT IN THE BATHROOM! I JUST WENT INTO TO PEE AND HE JUMPS OUT AND STARTS WHACKING OFF!" We all look confused and pause for a moment. I think to myself "this can't be true" so I grab the funniest guy I know, another co-worker. I say to him "Hey....go to the bathroom. Just do it. Knock on the last stall..." So he does without question. He comes out hysterical. Indeed there was a perv whacking off to whoever would come into the bathroom. How long does he spend there in that hotel lobby bathroom a day I wonder?

We can't even take a piss in peace anymore....

Submitted by Miss Electric from Oakland

dirty man

2007-02-28T12:10:00.000-08:00

Richard is a dirty old man in Martinez. He snoops through everyone's garbage, and if a woman gets too close to him he snatches at her breasts. Most women say he laughs while he runs away. He follows young teen girls in his truck and leers at them with his tongue hanging out, but has harrassed women in their 70's and 80's as well.

Submitted by Sandy in Martinez, CA

Letter from the Editor

2007-02-27T09:38:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who had responded so positively to this site. It has been an overwhelming experience to read the praise from men and women alike, and to see the posts come in as more and more of you holla back.

I posted here the harassment stories that I received while out of town, and also some of the letters of thanks. I find it reassuring that there is a vast network of all types of people who find this site a much-needed space for discussion.

If you missed the story in the Chronicle, please take a look at it here.

There is also a podcast to go along with it here.

Keep up the good work and keep spreading the word about Hollaback!

02/09/07 south of market

2007-02-27T09:36:00.000-08:00

so friday night i've been out with the girls drinking and dancing south of market. it's 2 am and i'm tired and decide to take off and find a cab home. the rain is coming down so i pull the hood of my puffy white coat over my head. i'm dressed like a skank because i wanted to, because it was girls' night out, and because i look good.
which some old man insists on pointing out to me as i walk down the street checking up and down for cabs, my hand out whenever one drives by. he keeps up for a little while even though i'm ignoring him and then at some point gets braver and comes closer to me. at which point i turn, look at him, and say "you're STILL talking? i am SO not interested." that rudeness apparently works because he disappears.

then at the corner i find a male-female couple standing under an umbrella scanning the streets too, so i ask them if they want to share a cab. they're cool about it and start feeling protective of me when some other fool walks right up and tries to put his arm around me. we just cross to another corner and i call a preset number on my phone for desoto/yellow cab/whoever's answering, since we're not having any luck waiting.

now some people would say that i shouldn't have:
1) been dressed like that
2) walked down mission street @ 5th
3) been out alone at 2 am
4) had 3 drinks and attitude

and maybe i got lucky.
but a guy could do each of those things and not have the expectation of being whistled at or accosted.

i know i could have been safer: next time i'll call a cab and wait at the club in my hot little skirt and fishnets. then i'll just get eyed by the bouncers and patrons instead.

but i still feel righteous and appreciate that being rude will shut down some unwanted attention.

and i'm getting a cell phone with a camera so i can photo these motherfuckers for your website.

thanks!

Submitted by C in San Francisco.

Man grabs ass in bookstore...

2007-02-27T09:30:00.000-08:00

This man at Barnes & Noble in El Cerrito said "Now that is a perfect ass" as
I looked at art books by the restroom. I turned and said "What the fuck did
you say?" "Nothing, I was just thinking aloud," he said with a grin. "Well,
I know you weren't talking me." "No, just thinking out loud." I decided
seconds after relieving myself of his presence that I wanted a picture. But
he kept disappearing! I knew he was up to something, so I kept trying to
find him. Seconds later I heard "SECURITY, THIS MAN JUST GRABBED ME!" I knew
it was him and followed him and took a blurry pic as he headed for the exit,
"I just brushed up against you, asshole!" security stopped him and the cops
got called, but the guy got away anyways. The security guard told me it
happens all the time.
Advice to everyone, I know we've been told to get loud when these things
happen, but if you act like nothing happened then make sure the cops get
called so the guy doesn't have the chance to escape you will be very
satisfied to press charges on these fuckers.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

Laney Masturbator (again)

2007-02-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

Well, the fore mentioned Laney Masturbator came back again, did the same
thing, same computer and everything. I slowly packed my things like nothing
was happening and went into the other part of the math lab. My math teacher,
who was there last time also, called security. We waited for a couple
minutes and before we knew it the cops came and dragged his ass out in
cuffs! I filled out some paperwork, the cop told me that he lifted the guys
shirt up and saw his boner (blegh!). Also, the guy was on probation AND had
already been 86ed from the computer labs at Laney. He confessed and signed a
statement moments later, now he will have a restraining order for all
Peralta colleges. The police also described similar situations where a man
used to just stand by the Laney pool and the teacher would ask him to leave
(wrong move! ALWAYS CALL SECURITY/POLICE!) until one day he actually reached
through the fence and tried to grab a girl. Moral of story: These guys start
slow and work their way up.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

Admiration

2007-02-27T09:26:00.000-08:00

This is not a submission for a blog, merely my praise for a form
of direct action against patriarchal (and heterosexist) norms. I just
want to say that I think what you are doing is amazing!

As a queer male, I experience street harassment differently that
women do (mostly do to my pink hair, rather than the way I hold my
wrist), but the comments I receive about my sexual preference are are
always done as a show of power, as if to say that they know they are
superior because of their sexual preference.

Many of my female friends, however, put up with an immense amount
of shit, something that still bewilders me in a city like San
Francisco, and it's incredible to see that there is now an outlet to
fight back. So many straight men do this because they think there are
no repercussions for their actions, but if this site actually stops
these creeps from doing it again or stops women who might meet them in
other circumstances to think twice before considering a prospective
date, than that is the strongest weapon ever.

The power of catharsis is also an important factor here and this
site gives an outlet for for women to publicly air their grievances.

Basically, I just wanted to say "kudos" to you on creating a
powerful forum for combating some of the most fucked up
institutionalized hierarchy in our world today.

Cheers.

Bravo

2007-02-27T09:24:00.000-08:00

Kudos for starting the SF branch of Hollaback. You are a most welcome
force to be reckoned with. I have a bunch of gray hair now, and mostly
that makes me invisible to the guys who spent 40 years giving me shit
on the street, in bars, in my workplace, and every other space I ever
walked through. I can't tell you how much it means to finally hear
young women say no to the incessant bs from guys who pretend that it's
some kind of compliment. Good work and thank you.

ht in Oakland, CA

4 in 1

2007-02-27T09:19:00.002-08:00

I recently moved from the quiet subarbs where catcalls and other forms of
sexual harrassment occurred maybe once every 2-3 years to the big city of
San Francisco where it happens 2 out of 3 times I leave the house. First, I
would like to thank you for the article in the SF Chronicle today. It made
me feel better about the whole situation to know that there are a group of
women, also victims of this, that band together to help support each other.
Coming from a small city where I was unaccusomted to this unwanted
attention, I was quickly overwhelmed and very depressed after moving. I felt
dirty, helpless, scared, and as if I had lost my independence. I would not
be able to leave my house without being harassed in some way or another by
men unless I was in the company of a man. I was angry and upset that in this
day and age a grown woman like myself would not be able to go out alone or
with girlfriends and not be given unwanted attention. I quickly became
depressed and refused to leave the house unless absolutely necessary. I have
since grown more accustomed to city-life and the article today in the paper
gave me comfort to know that I was not alone and that we can stand up for
ourselves in some way through this website. Here are my harassement stories.

4 times in one day is ridiculous!

I was on the bus seated near the front for safety when a man
suddenly got on and stood extremely close to me and just stood there leering
at me. I was very uncomfortable. This endured for what felt like an eternity
but he eventually went away. I was upset but not too flustered.

I got off the bus to purchase groceries and while standing outside picking
fruit in this middle class neighborhood (Irving Street SF), another
man stepped up behind me so close that I could feel his breath on my neck
and began rubbing my back! "Get away from me!! Dont touch me!!" I yelled and
quickly stepped away. In what I percieve as an attempt to mock me, he
reached out several times in an attempt to touch me again! I quickly began
walking away. What followed were racist remarks from him. I was angry after
this and felt helpless. I wished that I had pushed him or slapped his hands
away. I was quite shaken after this and hated myself
for having to move to this city.

My next errand that day was to go down to Civic Center. As I was stepping
out of the Muni/Bart station, a man walking towards me grabbed my upper arm
as I passed him and gave it a firm squeeze. Then he leered at me with a
peverted expression! It happened so fast I had no time to react. By the time
the event registered and I turned around to even see what had happened he
was at least 40 feet away and leering at me. I was on the verge of tears. I
felt dirty and violated yet there was nothing I could do about it. I felt so
helpless. I refused to cry so I continued on my way.

Less than 5 minutes later I passed another man on the street and he looked
me up and down and said "Heeeey" It is difficult to describe but even the
way he said it was peverted and believe me when I say I was not overly
sensitive at this point and mistaking a friendly hello for harassment. This
man looked at me as if he was undressing me with his eyes. At this point, I
could take it no more and broke down on the streets of downtown to cry. I
felt so awful inside and incredibly overwhelmed by the 4 harassments I had
endured. It is sad that in this day and age, things like this should still
happen.

I read in the paper that many men criticize hollaback.com as they say it is
just a way of communicating and innocent compliments may be seen as
harassment, well I disagree. They do not know how it feels to be a victim of
this. Furthermore, there is a clear difference between an innocent
compliment and harassment. Once at San Francisco Shopping Mall, a man
approached me and said "I hope this does not alarm you but I just would like
to tell you that you are beautiful." and then he walked away. He did not
invade my personal space, did not attempt to touch me, and did not look at
me in a peverted way. It was kind. I do believe there is a difference.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. It feels good that there is a
place where I can tell others of this.

Julia in San Francisco, CA

Good for you

2007-02-27T09:19:00.001-08:00

Too bad a website like this is needed, but lots of creeps out there. Lots of luck. From a man who respects women.

Brian in Petaluma.

Thanks for your website

2007-02-27T09:18:00.001-08:00

Hello,
Thanks for your website. I thought I was too overreactive to being harassed
in public.
It's a validation to hear other women speak up.

V in SF

Stealth Grabbers

2007-02-27T09:15:00.000-08:00

Like most other women, I’ve experienced my share of
street harassment. I thought it might end when I
entered middle age—no such luck!

One of the most memorable experiences occurred a
couple of decades ago when I lived in Arizona. One
hot summer morning, I took my dogs for a walk in a
quiet, suburban neighborhood, clad in standard Arizona
hot-weather clothing of shorts and a halter top,
although these were not particularly revealing. Two
high school age guys rode by on bikes, and then they
apparently turned around, and in a stealth move, one
rode up behind me and grabbed at my breast, then sped
away.

I was so angry, and tried to think of what were my
alternatives if he decided to repeat the action. I
had the dogs, and wouldn’t dare endanger them by
trying to respond physically, nor, I decided, would I
have time, since the guys were on bikes. Obviously,
you have to consider your safety first in determining
what, if anything, you can do. I was a mile from
home, and I imagined that, conceivably, they could
keep attacking me in this way if I did nothing. I
decided that my only defense was my lung power.

Sure enough, one of the guys again swooped up from
behind me on his bike and grabbed at my breast. This
time I yelled at the top of my lungs, “You fucking
assholes, if you try that again I’ll call the cops!”
The words weren’t a part of my usual vocabulary, but I
decided they were essential in this instance.

The guys rode back by—on the other side of the street
this time—and one yelled, “Bitch!” at me. Yeah,
right—they violate me by grabbing at my breasts, and
I’m a bitch if I object. But that’s when I knew that
I had won. They didn’t come back.

Submitted by Bee in San Francisco.

Hollaback-SF is on vacation!

2007-02-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

Hello and thank you for the wonderful responses to the article in the SF Chronicle. I am glad that your stories will finally get told and that we may make an impact on the way men and women hare public spaces. Keep snapping photos and spreading the word!

I am out of the country visiting a friend and will be back on February 26th to update all of the posts I have received. If I can find the time and the internet connectivity to post them sooner, I will.

Please check back soon!

Jessica at Hollaback-SF

Bus Tale

2007-02-06T09:01:00.000-08:00

I got one picture of a guy that kept harassing a girl on her cell phone
on the bus. She showed no signs of interest and continued her conversation.
"Hey girl, hey, hi there, you lookin' for someone?" He continued, then
commented to another passenger that she "didn't want none of that" then
continued to stare at her and asked her again if she was looking for a man
when she got off the bus. I handed her a slip with this website on it and
told her it was a place to post pictures of guys that harass her, she
laughed and put it in her front pocket.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland.

The Third of Three Offenders

2007-02-05T08:18:00.000-08:00

*note from Hollaback-SF: This is the third of three posts submitted by one woman in less than a 48 hour period. We were startled by and sympathetic to the sheer amount of harrassment that women face every day.
The third picture was this morning as a man demanded I come to his car at
5:20am while walking to the bus stop to get to work. It's not very
good, but I was scared he might try to grab me or something so I took it
hastily and kept my distance. I was dressed in a thick coat, loose jeans and
a scarf and hood over my face, hardly the attire of a prostitute. He
followed me yelling out of his car asking why I took his picture. I was
scared, but confident that I could get away if I needed to. Another car
drove up behind him and started honking, I told that car that he wouldn't
stop following me. They kept honking, he tried to cut me off at a corner,
but I crossed the street and the other car turned with him, still honking at
him, they were really cool. I felt good that the guy was freaked out about
my taking a picture of him.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

The Second of Three Offenders

2007-02-04T11:30:00.000-08:00

*note from Hollaback-SF: This is the second of three posts submitted by one woman in less than a 48 hour period. We were startled by and sympathetic to the sheer amount of harrassment that women face every day. Please check in tomorrow for the third installment of this trio.The second picture was a man who I thought was asking
for directions so I stopped to see what he was asking. Again, I was wearing
my gray tube jacket. He instead demanded my phone number and said he wanted
to be "a good friend to me." I asked to take the picture, "You will not put it anywhere, right?" I
chuckled and said yes. I then gave him the address to this website.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

The First of Three Offenders

2007-02-03T08:58:00.000-08:00

*note from Hollaback-SF: This is the first of three posts submitted by one woman in less than a 48 hour period. We were startled by and sympathetic to the sheer amount of harrassment that women face every day. Please check in tomorrow and Monday for the second and third installments of this trio.

I've been a busy bee, taking these pictures almost turns this into a game,
it's scary, but at least it's not a passive process anymore.
The first picture was my very first to take of a street harasser ever, so
it's not very good. He looked at me and mumbled obscenities as he walked
past me at the bus stop. I was wearing my big gray coat that makes me look
like a gray, shapeless tube. I saw him the next day in my neighborhood (West
Oakland) and he yelled "Hey!, Hey! I saw you take a picture of me!" I
explained that I take pictures of guys that harass me on the street, of
course he denied it. I gave him a slip of paper with this website on it.

Submitted by Monica in Oakland

Laney Math Lab Masturbation

2007-02-02T11:29:00.000-08:00

A few days at Laney, while doing my math homework in the math lab I
re-oriented myself out of math land and into the real world and realized
there was heavy panting across from me. I saw a tilted screen and in the
reflection of the window beside me I saw a guy jerking off through his
sweater. I stopped myself from standing up and saying "Can you furiously
mastubate somewhere else?!?!" I was afraid he would fling jizz at me. I just
told the lab guy and he got kicked out.
I get harassed two or more times a day, it hurts me, it sends me into a
murderous rage and makes me feel like a second-class citizen. I have no
outlet, but hopefully taking pictures and posting them, soon, will help
alleviate some of the pain these incidents cause me.
As for the "Soapbox Harasser" man in SF (posted earlier), I used to live
downstairs from that guy! His address, if anyone cares to egg or TP his
house is in OAKLAND! He has lived there for many
years. That's right, he rides on BART all the way to downtown just to fuck
with people!

submitted by Monica in Oakland

Who's Responsible?

2007-01-16T12:31:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but maybe I'm crazy. I have had several indecent exposure experiences. My husband blames me each time. I'm either wearing the wrong clothes or in the wrong place or with the wrong people.
Here is an example: Last Summer there were women in our apartment building who said a young guy was appearing naked (sometimes in broad daylight) and masturbating. He would just run away after he finished. My husband just laughed about it.
One afternoon I was in the laundry room with 2 other women and this guy walked in. He stood in the back for a while. I thought something was fishy about him but what can I do? Anyway, he finally steps out from behind the washing machines. He had his pants down around his ankles. He had been looking at us and masturbating. He was ejaculating right in front of us. After he finished, he pulled up his pants and ran out. Guess what; my husband is mad at me for "watching".
Does he have a clue? Does any guy have a clue? I thought he would comfort me. Men are pigs!

Submitted by Jasmine in San Francisco

Vacation Hassle

2006-12-12T21:49:00.000-08:00

I am from Oakland, CA and the transgressions I encounter here could take me days to write down, but the most disgusting and humilating one I can remember happened in Hawaii a few years ago. I was on a women's surf retreat in Oahu. The only real vacation I have ever had. One morning we were surfing at this spot where you can paddle into and rest in a cove. I was just sitting there on my board, in my rash guard, which is a long sleeve top and some modest bikini bottoms. Resting and taking in the beach, I looked at the shore and saw this man standing in the bushes. He was wearing the Parks/Beaches employee uniform. I was curious and annoyed because he was just standing there blatantly staring. But as I stared back I saw some movement of his hand and arm. That's when I realized he was masturbating. I was mortified to say the least! I just sat there paralyzed. I thought if I just stared him down he would become embarrassed and stop, but of course he didn't. Finally I was so freaked I just laid back down (something I did not want to do at all since I knew he would be looking at my ass) and paddled out to the waves. I turned around once to see if he was gone but he had just finished his session and waved to me as he walked away, as if thanking me!!!! Repulsive!!! Shame on that fucker, double shame for being an employee of the beach and a dirty asshole. That experience ruined the trip for me.

Submitted by Jenny in Oakland, CA

creep at 24th and Bartlett

2006-12-05T18:22:00.000-08:00

I walk to BART every morning and have to pass the corner of 24th Street and Bartlett. There's a middle-aged man who stands there, at the liquor store on the corner. He started out simply by saying "good morning," to which, of course, I initially replied "good morning," but it quickly escalated to a mumbled "tu eres muy bonita" and whatever else I couldn't make out. In and of itself the statement didn't feel like harassment except for his using the "tu familiar" form--he couldn't possibly have known that I understand Spanish (when I stopped responding to him altogether he said something about being sorry he didn't speak English) but that made me know that he was being inappropriate and overly friendly. Day in day out of this EVERY DAY and soon enough I came to dread passing this corner. I'm a 41-year old woman and am furious that this man has made me feel so uncomfortable walking in my own neighborhood. I saw him coming up the BART stairs early one morning--does he really take the train from somewhere else to come stand in my neighborhood and harass women? I don't have a camera phone, but if I'm ever carrying a camera when I'm on the street I'm taking his picture and sending it in. Thanks for starting Holla Back-SF!!

Submitted by Carla in San Francisco

Just Gellato

2006-11-17T16:28:00.000-08:00

I hadnt stolen a parking spot
hadn’t voiced more than a
“damn”, “traffic”, “san francisco”, “I should have known better”
I had wanted to have ice cream,
to park my damn car,
to have a fun night
CUNT.
Yeah you, CUNT.
CUNT CUNT CUNT CUNT
he yelled it from his expensive car
like it was a recorded message.
I wore a sweater and jeans,
a sweater and jeans.
then,
CUNT.
I look at him in awe, then, in a beg to stop
then as a “Why?” a kind, gentle “why”

that night, I was his victim
someone to make feel like nothing when he had no idea
I already did

Submitted by Allison in San Fransisco, CA

Hating the Haight

2006-10-20T23:02:00.000-07:00

I was visiting my friend in San Fran for the weekend. We were walking down the Haight around 11.30 at night and stopped outside a bar in the midst of deciding what to do. This guy grabs my elbow, I turned and said "yes?" he said, "I just like to touch pretty ladies." I gave him an eye roll and a "whatever," thinking that'd be enough. To my displeasure, he grabbed my upper arm and attempted pulling me towards him. I got fiercely angry, whirred around and started screaming at him. I said, "What the f**k do you think you're doing? Who the f**ck do you think you are?" My two girlfriends were freaked out, as they did not notice this guy's "attempts" with me. They both took me in their arms and escorted me from the bar/sidewalk telling me I couldn't do that in San Fran.
I don't care who you are, you cannot touch me without my permission. I may be small but there is no way I'm going down without a fight!

Submitted by Pamela in San Francisco.

"Lot" of Harassment

2006-10-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

There is an office next to my work where there are often a lot of different men who come there to fill out paperwork. Many of them park in the parking lot that I use, and I have to pass by them in their cars to enter my building. Aside from undressing me with their eyes, some have made lewd comments to me or to another person I am with as I walk by. Although I have been fortunate in not having an experience like the one described on the subway, its made me so uncomfortable that I dread encountering those men in the parking lot every day.

Thankfully, I now have secured parking in a garage away from that lot.

Submitted from San Jose, CA

Soapbox Harasser

2006-10-04T19:33:00.000-07:00

This man is a San Francisco landmark. A hateful, harassing, long-standing landmark that everyone who has been downtown more than twice can probably recognize.

He is the epitomy of street harasser. He is not just preaching on his soapbox, he is calling individual women who pass by him "whores" for presumably having sex before marriage. Not only does he fail to find out if the women he calls out on the street are in fact married, or are in fact having sex, but he stares them down, yelling, "Listen to me, you are a whore for having sex."

I don't care what you beleive, and I don't care if you think women are or aren't sinners, but no one has the right to call a woman a whore for simply walking down the street and being under 30. If you are walking with a man, even worse, as he presumes you are whoring yourself out to said man and shouts it out and points at you.

He also loves to pick on anyone he deems homosexual (based solely on appearance, since he usually lectures me about sex before marriage rather than sex with women, little does he know...). He points, he shouts, he humiliates.

This is a great example of street harassment that many people want to argue is free speech, but slander is not free speech, and pointing out women on the street and calling them whores is not free speech. The cops will never arrest this man, they will never even bother him. He has sat on that corner every week for years and years humiliating and degrading women.

I have friends who yell back at him, and maybe if everyone did, he might shut his fat, slanderous mouth and stop calling women whores on the street.

I'm sure his prime location on Powell & Market Sts. really makes visitors appreciate our fair city. (note the sarcasm).

Submitted from San Francisco

Encounters

2006-10-02T22:36:00.000-07:00

The following 3 encounters are just the most brutal/obscene of daily street
experiences, the cumulative effects of which have turned me into one of
those angry/blank-faced women you pass on the streets. The sad thing is I'm
not angry or blank! I'm kind and loyal and enthusiastic, but if my intended
soul-mate were to bump into me on the street he would likely pass my by
because the thick skin I've grown out of necessity keeps creeps as well as
would-be-friends at bay.

1st: San Fran (Market & 9th) 2003: Crossing 9th towards my building with a
flock of business people, wearing a knee-length camel-hair skirt - a man
crossing the street towards me suddenly stoops and runs his hand up the
inside of my leg before I know what is happening. And then he's gone, we're
on opposite sides of the street and not a single fellow-street-crosser
stopped or noticed.

2nd: Berkeley, 2002, AC transit bus #15: Semi-full bus, plenty seats
available, and I hadn't yet learned to ALWAYS sit on the isle seat. A
disheveled man sits next to me on a bench seat effectively trapping
me in the window seat. Out of the corner of my eye I notice a furitive
motion in the man's lap. In horror I realize he's jerking off. Not eager to
have to squeeze over his lap in order to escape, I sat there shame-faced
until he left the bus.

3rd: Berkeley 2004, AC transit bus #15: VERY full bus, but this time I'm older
and wiser. Man in tattered sweats sitting in one of the side
bench seats begins masturbating - not at me in particular but at the riders
in general. No one does anything. Everyone scoffs, blushes, gasps and
otherwise looks away. I walked up to the driver informed her that a man was
masturbating on the bus, exited the bus and ran like hell.

I can't wait to add pics to this site. This is empowering.

Submitted by Erica in San Francisco

Don't Be Shy

2006-10-01T22:12:00.000-07:00

About a year ago I went to Nations in downtown Oakland with a couple of friends at about 2:30 in the morning. I was sitting down waiting for my food when I heard someone say, "Hey thong, hey thong." I reached around and realized that my underwear was showing. I pulled up my pants without turning around, and he said, "Don't be shy. You weren't shy when you put them on this morning." I couldn't believe it! I turned around and he said, "Is it okay if I call you thong?" I said, "No way!" "Well, Can I get yo number, girl? "No!!" I said sternly "Well then f**k you, bi**h," he yelled.

I just turned around stunned and asked my friends if they heard what he said. I couldn't believe it but I didn't know what to say. He kind of scared me.

No one should have to put up with nastiness like that. We all deserve to be treated with respect unless we give someone a reason not to.

Submitted by Zephira in Oakland.

Make A Scene!

2006-09-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

I was walking down Powell street towards BART late one night after
finishing my closing shift. I was on the phone with my buddy when I
passed some guy who whacked my ass.
I yelled, "don't you fucking touch me, you piece of shit" (which was
the last clear thing my poor friend heard) and he turned around
suprised.
I've gotten a lot of crap and I believe that the best way to
handle sexism is to make it really unpleasent for the bigot. So I kept
yelling at him and didn't let him get a word in.
By the time I left I had him backing up saying, "sorry, I didn't realize..."
Anyone who is suprised that a stranger groping a woman makes her
disgusted and angry is a sexist piece of garbage.

submitted by Mer in San Francisco.

Peeping Freak

2006-09-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

Everyday for an entire week this creep kept coming near my window at night and masterbating while trying to peek into my bedroom. He even got a chair so that way he can stand on it and lean against my window. Sick freak.
Every night at around 12:00 a.m. I'd wake up and freak out. Well, I can tell you it got pretty annoying. After the first couple of days, I called the police and filed a report. However, the creep was not stupid. He came at night, I couldn't see how he looked and even if I wanted to I was too freaked out to look outside my window. So, as you can imagine, the police report didn't help much.

Finally, even though I felt like I was going to shit my pants, I screamed my head off at him. I told him I would find him and I would kill him. No Joke. I was seriously annoyed by then. He never came back but if he does I swear I will go outside and shoot his balls off. Too bad I didn't know about this site 3 months ago.

submitted by Alexandra in San Francisco.

Wishing I Could Have Holla'd Back

2006-09-17T18:23:00.000-07:00

This happened to my girlfriend and I about a year ago, but it was the first thing that came to mind when we heard about this site. I wish I had known about Hollaback then, and I wish I could have taken this asshole's picture!

We were riding home on BART to South Berkeley. The train was pretty crowded, and this guy sitting near us was staring nad smiling at us, so we moved a car behind to get away from the creepiness. Not only did we end up in an equally crowded car, but we ended up sitting in the "back" of the same car as the creepiest guy I have ever been forced to share oxygen with.

Hunched over his notebook and leisurely penning entries, this guy kept looking at us, smiling/leering in a way that I can't describe to do it justice, and then hunching back over the notebook to write down whatever sick fantasies he was having about us.

We noticed him get up to get off the train at our stop, and it was clear that he was following us, or at least attempting to convince us that he was. Once off the train, we stalled so that he couldn't walk behind us, and left the station. Out front, we see him standing arms crossed, looking around. We keep walking (opposite of our usual direct route home) and my girlfriend looks back to see whats up. He makes a face at her that she described as "leering and mocking and threatening all at once," obviously enjoying our discomfort. She flips him off and we take off, walking an extra five blocks in a roundabout way home to ensure he doesn't follow us or see where we live.

This occasion was one of the most prolonged situations of harrassment that I have ever been in, and I wish I could have taken this guy's picture. I have never hated a stranger so much as I hated this asshole, and yet we felt powerless to do anything at the time. If I ever see him again, I'll have to make up for the missed opportunity.

Why do men think that two women together is for their sick fantasy pleasure? Doesn't this guy get that he is the reason we try to disband patriarchy? Writing this is making me more angry than I was at the time, so I'll stop.

submitted from Berkeley, CA

Two Jerks for the Price of One

2006-09-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

One block over from the lovely block that I call home, there are usually a few (sometimes quite a few) guys hanging on the street. I generally walk on the other side of Market St. because this section (the North side of the street b/w Van Ness and Franklin) is so intolerable for a women walking alone.

Today, however, I was tired and hot and not feeling like the extra walking just to avoid these jerks. I headed home and on the way I had one guy sitting on a crate against a closed sortefront yell, "Nice Tat!" in a less than harmless tone of voice and then mutter under his breath an inaudible remark that I chose to ignore. I was carrying three bags full of groceries, which made my HollaBack photo ops pretty impossible.

I guess the first guy set the tone for the man walking in front of me, because he then slowed down so that I would pass him and then said, "Hey pretty lady," and proceeded to make kissing noises at me. Had I been more awake and less thrown off guard by the double-whammy they dealt me, I may have been able to muster up a snappy remark. Instead, I juggled my groceries and got this photo of him.

Its far away, but I didn't want to be obvious about confronting men that know where I live, if you get my drift.

submitted by Jessica in SF

“Which one of you am I going to RAPE first?”

2006-09-12T10:56:00.000-07:00

18 years ago, my girlfriend and I were walking past Dolores Park in San Francisco late one night when some man walked up to us and said, “which one of you am I going to RAPE first?”

My girl is from England and she said “pardon?”, not really sure she heard him right. The asswipe repeated himself and I said to him “OH HELL NO MUTHAFUCKA!!”

It was crazy! My girl and I didn’t even have to look at each other to figure out what to do!! We pushed him back, knocked him off balance, kicked and punched him where we could…..girl, that jerk managed to run off screaming obsencities at us. Both of us were shaking with anger.

I am a middle aged woman now with 2 daughters. I am very proud we were able to handle that ass hole. I pray that our actions stopped him permanently. Women, please remember that YOU ARE POWERFUL!

HOLLABACK!!!

Originally posted by hollabacknyc.com on August 9, 2006.

Assclowns in Frisco

2006-09-12T10:54:00.000-07:00

So, I was walking from the bank near the corner of 4th and King, running morning errands and minding my own business. The pedestrian light starts turning red, and so, I make a run for it. Suddenly I hear, "Where you running to, beautiful?" Ugh. I snap pic 1 of him doing
his cruise walk. I pick up the pace, and my boyfriend calls through, yet this wanker won't give up, as he keeps calling after me, asking, "Hey gorgeous, who you on the phone to?"

Suddenly I think: "Hollaback Moment!"

I hang up with my boyfriend, and when I look up, this guy is STANDING in front of me! I take a step back, hold my phone up and ask, "Can I take your picture?" He gets weird and starts mumbling about why I want to take his picture, but I say, in my sweetest voice, "I MUST take your picture, so I can remember you. You know?" He says his name is "Anie"(Thanks assclown!), and wants to see the pic. I take it (thanks again, assclown) and show him. He's pleased with the way it looks.

But then, he won't leave me alone. He follows me all the way back to my loft, offers me weed, cigarettes, and then says he wants to be my boyfriend(ugh!), and has now managed to get in the front door of my building, and won't leave until I give him a hug.

I can't tell you how satisfying it is to share this experience, and his pics :) Thanks Hollaback!

- Le Anne in San Francisco

Originallt posted by hollabacknyc.com on February 28, 2006.

Shameless Creep

2006-09-12T10:50:00.000-07:00

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.

Originally posted by hollabacknyc.com on November 27, 2005

HollaBack FAQ

2006-09-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

Question: Are you a bunch of crazed feminazis who hate men?

Answer: Actually, HollaBack-SF is a collective comprised of people who believe in building communities where everyone feels comfortable, safe, and respected. Many people, particularly men, are unaware of the frequency and severity of disrespect and intimidation that numerous folks, especially women, experience in public spaces on a daily basis. HollaBack-SF aims to expose and combat street harassment as well as provide an empowering forum in this struggle.

Question: OK, but what exactly is street harassment?

Answer: Street harassment is a form of sexual harassment that takes place in public spaces. At its core is a power dynamic that constantly reminds historically subordinated groups (women and LGBTQ folks, for example) of their vulnerability to assault in public spaces. Further, it reinforces the ubiquitous sexual objectification of these groups in everyday life.

At HollaBack-SF, we believe that what specifically counts as street harassment is determined by those who experience it. While there is always the classic, “Hey baby, nice tits” there are so many other forms that go unnoted. If you feel like you have been harassed, HOLLA BACK!

Question: But aren’t you worried that your site will fuel the latent vindictiveness within women and LGBTQ-identified folks across the country, leading to a massive witch-hunt and rampant Soviet-style denunciations of countless innocents?

Answer: No.

Question: I heard something about your position on antiracism. What’s that about, and what does it have to do with street harassment?

Answer: Replacing sexism with racism is not a proper holla back. Due in part to prevalent stereotypes of men of color as sexual predators or predisposed to violence, HollaBackNYC asks that contributors do not discuss the race of harassers or include other racialized commentary. If you feel that race is important to your story, please make sure its relevance is explained clearly and constructively in your post. Don’t understand? Click here.

Question: But isn’t your idea of “street harassment” just belittling another person’s culture?

Answer: Street harassers occupy the full spectrum of class, race, and ethnicity. Sexual harassment, and street harassment specifically, is resisted around the world. To condense another’s culture into vague assumptions about who and what they are is to generalize dangerously about a wide range of experiences and perspectives.

Question: Confronting street harassers can be dangerous. What about safety issues?

Answer: While everyone is vulnerable to stranger rape and sexual assault, studies show that those who are aware of their surroundings, walk with confidence and, if harassed, respond assertively, are less vulnerable. Nevertheless, direct confrontations with street harassers may prove extremely dangerous, particularly alone or in unpopulated spaces. While it is each individual’s right to decide when, how, and if to Holla Back, do keep issues of safety in mind. Upon deciding to photograph a harasser, you may consider doing so substantially after the initial encounter and from a distance, ensuring the harasser is unaware of your actions.

Question: I am a man who was recently sexually objectified by a woman on the street. I think this is reverse harassment. Why won’t you post my story?

Answer: While a woman making unsolicited sexual remarks to a man is certainly conceivable, the power dynamics of such an encounter are very different in a society where women comprise a historically subordinated group. HollaBack-SF is a project dedicated to combating a particular form of violence that designates subordinated groups (such as women and LGBTQ folks, for example) as targets in public spaces or otherwise vulnerable to unsolicited, nonconsensual encounters with strangers. It is thus not a forum for reporting other unpleasantries.

Question: Isn’t street harassment the price you pay for living in a city?

Answer: No, local taxes are the price you pay for living in a city. We would love to see some portion of our local taxes go towards preventing street harassment, but alas, they don’t.

In fact, street harassment is not confined to urban areas. It occurs in shopping malls, cars, parking lots, public parks, airplanes, fast-food restaurants, gas stations, churches, and numerous other public spaces.

Question: So let’s say a man sees a woman he thinks is attractive and tells her so. Are you saying that makes him a harasser?

Answer: Some do not find comments such as “Hello, beautiful” or “Hey, gorgeous” offensive. Many do. Others may find them intimidating, intrusive, or just an annoying pain in the ass. Keep in mind that many women experience unsolicited comments, as well as violent verbal assault, from men in public spaces on a regular basis. Rather than deliberating the “gray areas” of street harassment, treat everyone you encounter with respect.

Question: If you show off your boobage, shouldn’t you expect some compliments?

Answer: Sure, expect them, but don’t accept them! Just because it happens doesn’t mean it’s okay. A compliment is not a compliment if it makes the recipient feel bad.

Question: Sure, but if “the harasser” were hot, wouldn’t you like it?

Answer: This has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with power.

Question: You’re just a bunch of prudes, then?

Answer: Like we said, this has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with power.

Question: Street harassment sucks, but it’s only a small part of the patriarchy. Doesn’t focusing on this specific issue detract from everything else we're up against?

Answer: The violence and disrespect experienced daily by countless people in public spaces is a serious problem with real, material consequences. While HollaBack-SF is a project dedicated to this particular issue, it is committed to a coalitional approach and situates street harassment within a larger framework of social and economic questions. Thus, the collective collaborates with a diverse range of feminist, queer and antiracist initiatives. To see what we’re up to, subscribe to our mailing list!

Disclaimer: HollaBack-SF is not responsible for the accuracy of individual postings. All views and positions expressed in posted submissions are those of individual contributors only.

Antiracism

2006-09-11T18:10:00.000-07:00

Replacing sexism with racism is not a proper holla back.

Due in part to prevalent stereotypes of men of color as sexual predators or predisposed to violence, HollaBack-SF asks that contributors do not discuss the race of harassers or include other racialized commentary.

If you feel that race is important to your story, please make sure its relevance is explained clearly and constructively in your post or comments.

Initiatives combating various forms of sexual harassment and assault have continually struggled against the perpetuation of racist stereotypes, in particular the construction of men of color as sexual predators. There exist widespread fictions regarding who perpetrators are: the myth of racial minorities, particularly latino and black men, as prototypical rapists as well as more prone to violence is quite common. This stems in part from a tragic and violent history, where black men in the U.S. were commonly and unjustly accused of assaulting white women as well as lynched by mobs and “tried” in biased courts.

Because of the complexity of institutional and socially ingrained prejudices, HollaBack prioritizes resisting both direct as well as unconscious and unintentional reinforcement of social hierarchies. Simultaneously, HollaBack aims to highlight the interrelations between sexism, racism and other forms of bias and violence.

Further Reading:

“White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack”

http://www.cwru.edu/president/aaction/UnpackingTheKnapsack.pdf

“I was taught to see racism only in individual acts of meanness, not in invisible systems conferring dominance on my group.” Short, accessible piece on white privilege and male privilege.

“A Black Feminist Critique of Same-Race Street Harassment”

http://www.ssc.upenn.edu/polisci/programs/theory/Fogg-Davis.pdf

Focuses on the experiences of black lesbians and the need for black women to hold black men accountable for upholding black patriarchy.

“Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, Identity Politics, and Violence Against Women of Color”

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/Organizations/healthnet/WoC/feminisms/crenshaw.html

Considers the intersections of racism and patriarchy, and how the experiences of women of color remain unrepresented within the discourses of both feminism and antiracism.

Almost Time to Holla Back

2006-09-07T17:30:00.000-07:00

As you can see, there's not much here yet. That's because we are just warming up. Please be patient and check back in to see our site up and running soon...

Meanwhile, starting shooting those harrassers- with your camera phone!

*Don't forget to keep your safety first while crusading against street harrassment.