I am not a street harasser. I am a man, I live in a big city, I probably could be one if I wanted to, but, like other "man" things I never got into (watching sports, driving stick, coming up with new and inventive handshakes that just confuse the other guy who was anticipating a normal handshake), harassment's never been my thing.
Which doesn't mean I don't sympathize. Ever since July, when a young woman named Lindsey from Minneapolis lit up the blogosphere with uploaded videos of her confrontations with cat callers, harassment has been quite the dirty word.
To the harassers I say: I know you're only trying to make the world a better place with your unsolicited and often grossly inappropriate comments to passersby. I know that, but a lot of people don't seem to get it. With women like Lindsey in the world, who's to say these days whether what seems like a well-timed whistle will earn you an eyelash bat or a face full of mace. The world is changing and so must your strategy. In an attempt to help you minimize risk to your personal safety and ego, I'm preparing a list of tips to keep in mind during all your future harassing endeavors. Here's a sneak peak.
