I experienced four incidents on a Saturday evening in the space of ten minutes while walking down a relatively isolated street (for pedestrians) but it was fairly busy with lots of cars on the streets.

I was wearing my work outfit (I work in a retirement home) which consists of an overlarge dark navy shirt with sleeves to my elbows, a collar and most of it covering my bum, with a long baggy black workpants and ankle high black boots. My hair was pulled back in a tight and tidy ponytail.

I was making my way down the street when a car honked at me from behind. I resisted the urge to look back, but I could see a car drive past with at least two guys leaning out of it checking me out.

I was a little upset, but chose not to show it. What got me truly angry was that barely ten second later, a car drove from behind me and a random man yelled out to me, “You fucking slut!”

Considering that I was dressed as I described, in overlarge clothes and baggy pants, I was very upset. My response was to give him the finger, but the car was speeding and they probably hardly saw it, but they definitely saw my hand move up.

Five minutes later, another car drove by and one man yelled out ‘Merry Christmas’. while barely 20 seconds later, another in a taxi with its windows down said ‘Hey Babe’ as the taxi drove past.

The other later incidents would not be very upsetting, but being called a ‘slut’ had already riled me so much that I reacted badly to the other minor ‘call outs’.

I wish there was something I could do to against these ‘drive by’ harassers. I’ve walked down that stretch of road a many a time, and the harassment is worst on weekends, Thursday and Friday nights. However, to have been harassed four times in the space of less than 10 minutes by drive by cowards….

- Ann

Location: Castle Hill, Sydney, Australia

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