HollabackUK

Chased by a car

2010-08-21T19:47:00.000+01:00

Hi,

Just heard about your site from Twitter, and am so glad this is being addressed! It seems to go unnoticed and accepted amongst society for men to be able to shout abuse or intimidate women... WHY?!

I was walking home from the pub with friends a few weeks ago, they live a few streets before me so I carried on to my house alone and a car pulled up to the pavement with 2 young men in it. They were shouting 'alright love' 'want to come and join us?' 'we'll show you some fun' etc. It was really scary and I totally panicked so decided to cross the road. They then drove over to the other pavement to me, so I crossed back to the original side and decided to pretend that the nearest house was mine and went up to the front door. After much abuse along the lines of 'Frigid bitch' they drove off, leaving me pretty shaken up and scared. What gives them the right to do this to women??? My friends now walk me to my house first before going home even though it is only 200 yards, I won't risk it again.

H

Yelled at from a speeding car

2010-08-06T18:24:00.000+01:00

In Swansea, Wales, my best friend and I were walking along next to the road and a young man (I assume; I realise one can't know for sure but that's how he seemed to be presenting) yelled at us from a car. Not quite sure what he yelled, but still... sense of entitlement much. It was definitely aimed at us because no-one else was around.

I'm also assuming he was aiming it at my friend (because that day I was being read as male pretty much constantly, it doesn't always happen), who was dressed in hotpants - because it was a hot day and we'd been at a barbeque. I probably wouldn't be half so mad if it had been directed at me, but at my friend... I wanted to kill him.

The whole thing was heightened by the fact we'd just been talking about self defence, and there's no way of defending against a--holes' comments from a speeding car, more's the pity.

Glad I could get this out of my system,

K

Abused walking past a pub

2010-08-03T17:42:00.001+01:00

This happened when I lived next door to a pub. I was walking home with shopping in my hands, listening to Radiohead on my mp3. Some smokers outside the pub shouted at me. One said "Cheer up, love, it may never happen" and when I ignored him "SLAG!" I turned around but there was a small boy with them so I decided to tackle it a different way than my usual shouty-sweary-there-are-minimum-standards-of-public-decency-rant.

I found the pub's name in the telephone directory and rang the bar. I said that I had a right to walk the streets without such abuse and the barman agreed, apologised for them and said he would "have a word".

Kelly

Song about street harassment

2010-08-03T16:55:00.003+01:00

Suburban Mousewife have written a song called Passing Stranger, about street harassment. Sample lyric:

"I’m walking down the street

Minding my own business

Then the voice of some creep

I hear in the distance".

Hollaback UK

Verbal assault in Leeds

2010-08-02T18:03:00.002+01:00

Hi

I was followed yesterday after shopping with some mates. A middle aged man said 'Hi beautiful' as I walked past a pub. I ignored him and he started following me. He said 'Hey! I'm talking to you'. I continued ignoring him and was starting to get scared as it was getting dark and I was on my own. I walked away quickly and he ran after me, stopped in front of me and said really loudly 'you arrogant bitch! You think you're better than me, ugly cow'. This really upset me as I thought ignoring him was the best thing. I was too scared to take his picture as he was really drunk.

Emma

Belfast assault

2010-08-01T18:47:00.000+01:00

Hi, I love this site, and I'd like to share my story.

I was with another female friend, walking near Queens University in Belfast. Part of the pavement was blocked off, so there was only a narrow strip to walk on. I noticed a guy coming up very close behind us, we could even hear him breathing! I assumed he was just in a hurry and trying to get past. When the footpath widened I moved slightly to let him through, only to find his hand followed me! He put his hand right up my skirt and grabbed my ass!

Afterwards he laughed and whispered in my ear "I bet that scared you" as in, "I bet that scared you, LOL!"

I was so shocked I couldn't say anything, and he had been so quick my friend hadn't noticed what happened.

I was so mad and I felt so degraded!

Annie, Belfast

Save the date - Feminism in London conference 23 October 2010

2010-08-01T12:28:00.002+01:00

Whether you’re new to feminism or a seasoned campaigner, come and join us at Feminism in London 2010, a one day conference organised by the London Feminist Network. The day is open to all women and pro-feminist men and will feature many of the feminist activist groups that are campaigning in and around London.

There will be a feminist self defence workshop so be sure and book a place today.

We will be attending - we look forward to seeing you there.

Hollaback UK

Harassed whilst running

2010-08-01T10:41:00.003+01:00

Hi,

I'm so glad I've got somewhere to tell people about all the harassment I get. I get it nearly every single day, no matter where I am or what I'm wearing. The worst times are when I'm coming back from the gym. On Friday night, I was out running and a man shouted 'shake that ass, yeah, shake it for me!' as I ran past him. I was shocked and carried on running, then something exploded inside me. I turned around and ran towards him. I must have looked angry (I was!) because he turned away and began walking off. I ran in from of him, cutting him off. 'Why did you just shout that comment to me? Do you really think it's OK to harassment women in the street?' He stuttered that he was sorry. People were looking at him (good!). I got my phone out to get a picture of him and I got one! It felt great! But it was too blurry to see him. Still, I bet he'll think twice before doing that again!

Karen

Anonymous whistler

2010-08-01T10:39:00.001+01:00

Seen your website. It's really good. I myself have experienced street harassment. It has been going on for a year and a half. It is coming from some maisonettes that are on the road that I live. It's just whistling nothing else. He does not say anything to me just whistles at me. I go to my typing class on a Thursday morning and he would whistle at me as I was walking down the road. He just whistles at me. He doesn't bother anyone else just me. One day I was just walking down the road and minding my own business and I was on my own in daylight hours and I heard this whistle and it has been going on since then for a year and a half. I've told him that I now know his maisonette number and that if he whistles again at me I will get the police on him.

I have the right to walk down my own road without being harassed by smeg heads like him.

I do not see any cops on the beat on foot around in my area except driving around in their cars which is no good.

Regards

Miss C

Confronting a harasser's friend in Oxford

2010-08-01T09:59:00.001+01:00

A female friend and I were coming out of the Magdalen Arms and walking down Iffley Road abut 10.30 at night, when 2 guys walked past. One grabbed my bum. I turned round and said loudly 'hey, you, what the hell do you think you are doing? Come back here and say sorry to me.' He carried on walking, but his friend was so surprised he stopped and turned round. So I said 'Does your friend have no respect for women? Go and get your friend and bring him back here and make him apologise to me.' He stared at me, then started gabbling 'Sorry sorry he didn't mean it.' I said 'Looked like he meant it to me. Do all your friends behave that way? Don't you care?' He carried on gabbling, started pleading with me not to make so much noise. By now his friend had stopped a bit further along the road and looked unsure whether to come back and face me, or wait for his friend. Then my friend grabbed my arm and said she was desperate to get home and use the bathroom, so reluctantly I let him go, saying 'You wouldn't treat your mum or your sister that way, don't let your friends treat women that way, get some new friends.' He said, 'yes I'm sorry.' I don't really know what to think about that episode, except that it's given me a lot of confidence to face guys who are harassing me and other women since, so I do!

Clare

Underground groper

2010-07-31T23:15:00.003+01:00

On an overcrowded London peak-hour Central line train to Liverpool Street, I saw a man with a stick (whether he was actually partially-sighted or just using this as a cover I'm not sure) groping the arses of two women. The first placed his hand on the railing as if he were having trouble finding it, and tried to make him sit down when a seat was vacated, and the second did absolutely nothing until I purposefully caught her eye to communicate that I was pretty sure I knew what he was up to - she said "I thought I was being paranoid", to which I said loudly "he was doing it to another woman before", to make him stop, but no-one else did a thing and I felt really helpless. It also left me quite shaky as it brought back my own past experiences of being groped on the train, and I was angry at myself for not saying anything directly to the bastard about sexual assault being a crime.

Sarah

Airport a***hole

2010-07-31T23:13:00.000+01:00

Last summer I was getting off a plane from Bucharest, Romania to London Luton, I was travelling back with a friend and the out flowing people formed two parallel lines, my friend and I started off beside each other but soon things got muddled, and, trying to regain my former position, by my friend, I wriggled through ... yes a bit rude, perhaps... but I passed no one who had been in front of me previously (the rules of queuing?), anyways, as I wriggled through, a man, very obviously stands in my way, repeatedly, a man who had previously been behind me..
okay, so this all sounds inconsequential, and possibly condemnable on my part, until he very audibly, and with a slight (because, after all, thats all I deserve) look and turn of the head says, 'Is that BITCH trying to push past me?'

Bearing in mind I am a 'petite', 'unassuming', twenty one year old... and he was at least two heads taller, ten years older and fairly 'built'. It was said with such force of vileness, I literally began to quake with anger. What a welcome home from the cheery gents of England.

So, I turn to the man, by luck of fate I'd moved forward in the other line, and said 'One, I did not push past you, Two, I am NOT a bitch.' Probably archetypal 'bitch' behaviour. My friend high fived me (mentally), the man's face was apparently gob smacked.

Lucy

Welsh bum

2010-07-31T23:11:00.003+01:00

A charming youth showed his not entirely attractive bum at Penryn station. Sadly, he was all too happy to oblige me with a photo.

Manchester predator

2010-07-31T22:47:00.000+01:00

Dear HollabackUK,

I'm often a victim of street harassment, but this most recent episode reminded me how much it gets to me.

I was with two friends (female) in Manchester city centre. We had just been for an early evening drink and were walking together down the street. Me and one of my friends were going to go in a different direction but offered to walk our other friend to the bus stop. There was a tall man smoking outside one of the bars we were about to pass, chatting to a much shorter guy opposite him. If I had been on my own I would have crossed the road (or had my earphones in, which helps me to ignore these people) but I try not to suspect everyone of being a moron, so after my initial reaction, thought no more about it. We were just about to pass the tall guy when he addresses all of us with "Girls" and asks us for directions. I often get asked for directions and know the city pretty well, so had no problem with stepping up and telling him where to go. I started to worry when he leaned over and asked for clarification. I told him again.

This is where it gets gross. Just as I start walking off he says, "Can I ask a favour?" Since I don't want to be rude, I reply, "What's that?" This is met with, "Can I cum on your tits?" It's strange how little I was shocked at this point, being more angry that I should have listened to my instincts. Despite having been in similar situations many times before I meekly replied, "Erm, no thank you. (sarcastically) That's reeeally nice though, thanks."

I went home, wondering how I could feel so violated by words (again), being angry at myself for not reacting more robustly and then finally mulling over what exactly that guy would need to hear to stop him from doing it again. I still haven't come up with anything.

Hannah

This is what a feminist activist looks like

2010-07-31T22:44:00.001+01:00

So, today I had a really good day. First, I see that the Welsh government are taking street harassment seriously in this fantastic campaign. Then, having gone for a quick Friday afternoon drink with a colleague, I become depressed.

It's my turn to get a drink, so I go to the bar to get a drink for me, my colleague and my boyfriend, who are enjoying the summer evening outside. Waiting at the bar, a guy in front of me who isn't waiting to be served politely moves aside for me to reach the bar. It becomes obvious that he is one of a group of four men hanging about the bar - he seems fine, and at least seems to possess some manners - but as I'm stood waiting to be served I feel a hand on my backside. I'm actually so shocked that I don't move, I pretend I didn't notice - because how the **** did that just happen?! Please tell me you didn't just touch me because I'm a woman on my own at a bar? Waiting for drinks, I can hear the guys behind me laughing about what they just did, whilst I formulate the ideal response. I try to be cool, and when I've paid and am heading away from the bar, I say "I'm a feminist activist, so whoever just touched my arse just made a really stupid mistake". I have NEVER seen such horrified expressions as I did on these guys - complete dismay and horror that a women had called them out on their actions. I walked away casually back to my boyfriend and friend. Ten minutes later, the politer of the bunch who had moved from the bar for me comes to 'apologise' for his idiotic friends. Reasonably nice guy, but why are you apologising for your friends? I reiterated that I don't appreciate that kind of attention and it is unacceptable; he again apologised. Fair enough - maybe this affected these guys and made them think that this isn't a good way to behave, but then: why the hell am I telling grown men how to behave?!

My one regret: I didn't make a bigger scene and take a snap for hollaback. I wish I could think quicker.

J

Hassler hollabacked!

2010-07-31T22:35:00.001+01:00

Here's a man who thinks it's cool to hassle women in the street. Making psh psh noises won't attract us, and laughing with your other thick friends will really p*** us off. When I walked up to you with my phone out saying "hey asshole, this is for hollaback uk " I wasn't kidding. Now women all over can see what a stud you aren't.

Daily harassment

2010-07-31T22:28:00.002+01:00

I am writing to you to let you know about my most recent experience of street harassment. I was taking a leisurely walk in a baggy tee-shirt, leggings and trainers (not that it matters how covered up I was) and I walked passed a group of boys (about five) of a range of ages and a girl with a pushchair at the bottom of a bridge.

As I walked passed I heard one of them call me a slag over my Ipod. Luckily, I was in a foul mood so I turned to this boy and asked him if he had just called me a slag, which silenced them.

I asked him again and he denied it so replied saying I thought that is what he had said and continued on my way. They began shouting at me behind me but I couldn't quite make out what they were saying, I briefly considered continuing but decided that I am sick to death of facing this on a daily basis so I stopped again and this time took out my headphones.

"Why don't you come and f*** me, it will cheer you up?" I heard one of them say. He couldn't have been older than 17, unattractive with short dark hair and glasses. I quickly told him off for swearing in front of the girl's two children but he persisted in repeating himself. The other's were in the background shouting various misogynistic insults; "bitch", "whore" etc. all too familiar to me.

So I retaliated by telling him that even I did not feel sorry enough for him to take his virginity off of him and that no woman every would, so it would have to remain with him, quietly festering into a mental illness. I also told him to watch his back because if he carried on like that he was going to get into trouble.

My comebacks didn't really silence him-it was all he could do to repeat himself, but they made me feel fantastic because I stood up to him in front of his friends and maybe... just maybe he'll think twice before he repeats his behaviour towards another woman. I actually stopped halfway across the bridge and wondered if I should go back and photograph him but decided against it, a decision I greatly regret.

I really hope that this story helps other women to understand how common street harassment really is and how it is the harasser who is out of line and not the victim.

Annabel

Cambridge creep

2010-03-21T17:15:00.004Z

I work in Cambridge and I think it's hilarious to wink creepily at women then block their path along the pavement and act innocent and confused when I get confronted about it. Please can I be on your blog? Here's my tasty photo.

Thanks to Kate for spotting me and shopping me!

Back HollabackNYC's funding bid - vote now!

2010-01-06T20:35:00.002Z

HollabackNYC have made it to the second round of the Knight News Foundation! Vote now to help them win!

http://tinyurl.com/y9mvlw6

Swimming pool hollaback

2009-12-09T21:23:00.002Z

Two days ago I was getting out of my local pool and walked past the kiddie area on the way back to the changing rooms when a quite young boy, with a group of other young men and women in their late teens, shouted "ha, BBW". Unfortunately I've been in contact with porn, so turned and decided to challenge him - mainly because there were women in the group.

I walked over, and he tried to swim away (really the most pathetic part of the whole thing, since it was a baby training pool). I asked him what he said. He said, nothing. I said, I understood what he said, and that BBW stands for "big breasted woman". I asked him whether he thought it was acceptable to comment on other people's bodies by shouting at them. He was silent, and his mates had started giggling. I asked whether he would like his mother or sisters to be shouted at in the same way, or whether he would like his body to be commented on in public. He said, no, miss. I asked him how he felt. He said sorry, so I went to get a shower.

This was my first proper verbal (I have fought off attackers) challenge to someone who has attempted to sexually intimidate or embarass me.

I feel good!

Sent by Nicki

Daily harassment

2009-12-09T21:16:00.003Z

Dear HollabackUK,

The following experience is one that belongs to my best friend and I am sharing it on her behalf. She doesn't use computers a lot but it's so fantastic it needs to be shared!

We lived together whilst studying at the University of Leicester and always received harrassment from men on our street. Every. Single. Day.

On one such day my housemate was walking home and in passing a man leaned close enough for her to hear him say 'If I was ten years younger ...' in a horrible seedy manner.

Thinking on her feet she turned around and declared 'If you were ten years younger you still wouldn't stand a chance!'

Brilliant.

Sent by Frances

Bus botherer

2009-12-09T21:08:00.002Z

Yesterday I was waiting for the bus in a pretty busy part in Birmingham (lots of noise, market traders flogging fruit, traffic etc..), everybody at the stop was minding their own business and still minded there own business as they boarded.

I go to sit at the back and carry on emailing on my phone, a large man then proceeds to sit on the the seat in the middle (I am sat next to the window). A few minutes into the journey he turns to ask me 'have i seen you before?', slightly creeped out I make no eye contact and reply with a stern 'no'.

As I'm untangling my headphones he then asks 'whats your name?', I ignore this and then he asks it again twice (seriously like I'm going to answer that when I'm creeped out), I put on a cold demeanour carry on with my business and don't pay him any eye contact at all.

The man then asks 'dont you talk to strangers?' (I found this quite amusing and also weren't we taught at school not to talk to strangers?), still ignoring him I put on my headphones and look out the window hoping that this man gets off before my stop, he did and I can breathe a huge sigh of relief and can relax with the knowledge that some strange man won't ruin my journey.

Sent by anonymous

Train tosser

2009-11-26T21:33:00.002Z

Hi, I'm Celia - I wanted to let you know about my experience today. I'm 33 and dress normally, pretty cpnservatively actually. I was at Victoria today and when getting off the train had to jump the gap between the train and platform. A man, around my age was waiting to get on. He said 'yeah, baby, jump! Aaaaallllllriiiiiighhhht, mmmmhmmm!! Work it!'

What a loser!

Sent by Celia

Groped in the lift

2009-11-05T11:57:00.000Z

I get stared at and comments made to me by men. I don't encourage them. I was in the lift at a train station on Monday evening. A man keeps looking at me, I concentrate on staring at the doors. There were a couple of other people in the lift. The doors opened and he brushed past me, touching my bum. He said quietly into my ear 'You like cock'. I yelled 'That man just groped me!'. No-one turned round or responded. I told the man at the barriers. He said 'Well, he's gone now', and shrugged.

Sent by Kath

Review on how public authorities respond to rape complaints

2009-11-04T16:54:00.001Z

Harriet Harman, Minister for Women and Equality, Home Secretary Alan Johnson and Solicitor General Vera Baird today announced a review into how rape complaints are handled from when a rape is first disclosed until the court reaches a verdict.

Read more on the review.

Free personal safety training for women 14 -21 in London

2009-11-04T15:39:00.001Z

The London Centre for Personal Safety offers free personal safety and self-defence training, with focus on sexual assault prevention. View their website to find out more and apply.

Bugged on the bus

2009-11-04T08:37:00.003Z

This happened just now! I was getting onto the bus to work and a man waved me in front of him. I smiled in thanks and he came and sat next to me. He kept staring at me and finally said 'Baby you smell soooo fine'. Eww. I got my phone out to get his picture but he got up as it was his stop. He then mouthed 'I'm watching you' as the bus went past. So creepy!

Sent by Aiysha

Offered money by harasser

2009-11-02T20:00:00.001Z

In the part of London I used to live in, I literally couldn't leave my home without getting some level of harassment, ranging from the 'Hey baby' to the obscene. Here are two of the most memorable incidents:

I was going to the supermarket one evening and stopped at a cash point. There was a small queue and whilst I was waiting, a man in his early twenties stopped and asked me whether I would go home with him. Obviously, I said no and looked away. After asking me another two times and being rebuffed, he then offered me £100 to go home with him. I think he finally went away after the third time and I had said I would call the police if he didn't leave me alone. Women should be able to stand at a cash point without being treated like an object that can be bought. He would have been wrong whatever I had been wearing, but just for the record, I was wearing a long skirt and a baggy jumper - not exactly 'provocative'.

The second incident was one afternoon in summer and I was walking to the bus stop. A car slowed down next to me and the man driving shouted 'nice legs' at me. Not the nastiest piece of harassment but it made me uncomfortable and I ignored him. I realised that he was driving slowly next to me and then he shouted 'I'd like to have those legs over my shoulders'. That angered me and I shouted 'F*** off!' at him and I got a lot of abuse in return but thankfully he sped off. I realise my response wasn't necessarily the most sensible or helpful response but it was the best I could come up with at the time.

My most recent experience was just yesterday after leaving Paddington station. As I was crossing the road a man old enough to be my father made kissing noises at me as we passed each other.

The more this happens and the more Hollaback blogs I read, the more angry I get that so many men seem to think that it's acceptable to treat women as objects there just for their amusement and that they get away with it. I'm always going to be responding to these idiots from now on.

Sent by Fran

Hassled buying a poppy

2009-10-30T14:53:00.002Z

Hi, thank you for the site, it is reassuring to know it's not just me that feels tangry about street harassment.

On my lunch break yesterday I stopped to donate some money to a man selling poppies. I spoke to him fot a bit and as I walked off a man said 'Hello darling'. I ignored this and he said 'It seems you have to be selling poppies to chat up a young lady'. I carried on going and he yelled 'stuck up b****'. Charming.

Sent by Elaine

Police response on street harassment

2009-10-29T18:16:00.006Z

Anyone who is subject to harassment in the street can call 999 if they feel their safety is threatened or can contact their local branch and report the matter via the telephone. The police will always take reports of these types of incidents to identify any emerging patterns or individuals who may be targeted. I would advise anyone who is the subject of harassment in the street to report the matter.

Harassed in Hackney

2009-10-29T13:17:00.002Z

I live in Hackney and I encounter street harassment from men in the area
every single day. Sometimes 4 or 5 times a day on a particularly bad
day. This takes the form of lewd comments and gestures to being grabbed
by the arm or around the waist and called a variety of names, from
'b*tch', to 'c*nt' and 'ugly' (I am neither). Yesterday, a man on a bike
approached me and tried to start a conversation with me whilst I was on
my way to work.

My previous experiences has made me very reluctant to
speak to men I don't know, or to give them anything that could be
considered a green light. I have tried telling them to go away firmly,
pleading with them to leave me alone and ignoring them. Ignoring them
tends to work best, so I ignored this guy. He continued to follow me,
shouting "how dare you ignore me, you f***ing c*nt!", and he came up to
me, grabbed me by the arm and spat in my face, before riding off,
leaving me standing there stunned. I have never felt so humiliated and
so utterly powerless.

Sent by Kerry in Hackney

Zebra crossing abuse

2009-10-28T18:38:00.001Z

I have a young daughter who is 3 months old. I took her to the doctors for a check up and on my way home I crossed a zebra crossing.

A van stopped and I started to cross. I dropped a piece of paper so leant down to pick it up. A man in the van shouted 'bend over a bit more darling'. I ignored him and he shouted 'fat c***' at me. I'm so upset that I'm shaking while I write this.

Sent by Karen

Help HollabackUK - street team volunteers wanted

2009-10-28T12:29:00.005Z

HollabackUK needs you to help stop street harassment. We want to let women all over the country know about HollabackUK.

Unfortunately we can’t make it to the places we’d like to; this is where the HollabackUK Street Team can help. We are looking for women across the country who can help promote HollabackUK by putting up flyers in your student union, your local bar, work place, library, cafe or anywhere else you can think of!

This is your chance to get people talking about HollabackUK. Email hollabackuk01@gmail.com to apply.

Croydon creep in court

2009-10-27T20:13:00.007Z

A man has plead guilty to filming up a woman's skirt on a train:
http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/courts/Musician-admits-filming-woman-s-skirt-Croydon-train/article-1451907-detail/article.html

Sent by Transpontine

Nothing personal campaign

2009-10-27T13:00:00.002Z

Call on London's newspaper owners to stop the exploitation of women:
http://www.eaves4women.co.uk/Nothing_Personal_campaign.php

Stared and shouted at

2009-10-27T10:47:00.001Z

I am 17, and because of my 5"2 height and baby face look about two/three years younger. And yet, if I choose to wear a skirt (which is never much above knee-length) I am regularly wolf whistled at, shouted at (usually unprintables) and stared at. This has the effect of making me feel very uncomfortable, because (funnily enough!) I dislike being ogled in the streeet, and secondly I look about 15! That's practically paedophilia, especially as most of this comes from men nearer my Dad's age than my own.

Thankyou for creating Hollaback, I think it is desperately needed!

Sent by Claire in Kent

Universal sign for pervert

2009-10-26T08:49:00.005Z

I'm 23 and dress pretty conservatively - on Friday at about 9pm I heard 'Hey' 'Hey, look up' when I was walking home. I did, to a balcony on an upper floor of some block of flats near me. A man in his twenties(?) leant over and did the universal sex sign at me - you know, the one made with two hands that boys do in school. Then he said 'I want your pussy'.
I walk past these flats everyday.

Sent by Clare

Toilet blocker

2009-10-23T09:53:00.001+01:00

Hi, thought you'd want to hear this story. I was with some mates in a bar on the weekend. Loads of guys were crowding round the telly to watch a football game. The crowd was right next to the ladies loo, blocking my way. I said excuse me to a group of them. A man, about 50, stood close up in front of me and said 'You're not excused'. I half shouted 'I need to use the bathroom, please move out of my way'. He moved and then yelled 'My god your arse is huge' as I walked past. It's not! I'm a size 8 - 10. WTF?!!

I've told my friends about Hollaback as they get annoyed all the time by men. I'll get a photo next time w*****s, next time!

Sent by Serena

Tales from the District Line

2009-10-22T17:28:00.003+01:00

I'll never forget this one. I moved to London when I was 18 and in the first week there I was on the District line about 7am one morning. The carriage had a few people in it, men and women. Opposite me diagonally in the next carriage was a middle age guy who began staring at me. I looked away and when I glanced back he was masturbating.

This shocked and upset me and I got up to get off the train. I said to the people around me loudly 'That guy is masturbating!!' but they didn't say one single word to me. When I got off the guy waved to me. Ugh.

I wish I'd kicked him where it'd really hurt.

Dear men...

2009-10-22T14:45:00.004+01:00

Dear men,

Why do you feel you have to appraise my appearance on a daily basis? It doesn't matter where I am, what I'm wearing, if I'm with my boyfriend or hungover in trackies on a Sunday morning, there you are in the background saying 'nice legs', 'look at that', 'cor','I'd give you one', 'want a ride?', 'where are you going, can I come?' Get it? He actually meant cum. Hilarious. Has that line ever worked? The list is endless and I must ask:

why do you do this?

Sent in by Petra

Give us a smile darlin

2009-10-22T14:39:00.003+01:00

I get this all the time - 'smile', 'cheer up love'. 'morning darling, give us a smile' from random guys on my way to work. I find this weird and offensive because:

a Do these men seriously think I exist to brighten up their day by smiling at them?
b I'm walking to work. To work. No reason to be beaming brightly for your entertainment.
c I'm constantly anticipating lameo sexist comments or double takes from men. And I'm wearing work clothes. I'm my way to work.
d Do they think they're so charming, handsome and amazing that my face would immediately burst into a huge grateful smile at their presence? Idiots.

Sent by Lisa

Milkshake moron

2009-10-22T14:04:00.003+01:00

I'm 16 and was in Cardiff a couple of weeks ago, me and my best friend were out shopping. I said goodbye to her and bought a milkshake at McDonalds. I was crossing the street and a car stopped. The driver beeped and leaned out of his window and shouted 'can I suck your straw?'. I stuck my middle finger up at him and he mimed back cunninglingus - it was so disgusting and humiliating. There was a group of guys on the side of the road that I crossed to to get my bus and they were all laughing, saying 'can I have some too?' and 'can you suck mine?'.

Sent by Eliza

South London sleaze

2009-10-22T13:52:00.003+01:00

I'm from South London and this happened to me this morning. I got off the bus on the way to work and a man standing outside a shop said 'hey sexy'. I ignored him and carried on walking and he started to follow me!! He said 'hey, I'm talking to you, where are you going?'. I kept going, didn't turn round. As I was walking into my work he yelled through the doors - 'Bitch! What makes you think you're so f****** special?'. Nice.

Submitted by Rachel

Support HollabackNYC's new project

2009-10-21T08:55:00.004+01:00

HollabackNYC are fundraising for a new project. They are proposing to create an online map where women can "Hollaback!" directly from their cell phones. Quick, 140 character stories can be submitted through three easy portals: a) text it, b) tweet it, and c) submit it through a "Hollaback" mobile phone app. Once submitted, harassment and assault data will be mapped and later analysed in an annual "State of Our Streets" report which will be sent to the police, public officials, and the media.

Read more about this great project and vote to support HollabackNYC.

UK man gives rape case award to victim

2009-10-20T16:54:00.001+01:00

Just seen this positive story at Hollaback Savannah.

Tube harassment

2009-10-20T16:20:00.000+01:00

I was on my way home on the tube last Saturday afternoon. The tube carriage was fairly empty and a guy, mid 30's, sat down opposite me. He began staring at me, which I ignored. After several minutes of this, I felt really uncomfortable. I glanced up and he said 'you look like you take it up the arse'. I wish I'd taken a picture of him but my instinct was to get away fast. I said 'so do you' but I felt my stomach sink as I got off and saw him move to sit down next to another woman.