Monday, November 12, 2018

Approaching women on the street

http://xyonline.net/sites/xyonline.net/files/Fabello%2C%20Dear%20Men%20-%20This%20Is%20How%20You%20Should%20Be%20Approaching%20a%20Woman%20on%20the%20Street%20May%2026%202016.pdf

http://xyonline.net/sites/xyonline.net/files/Starling%2C%20Schro%CC%88dinger%E2%80%99s%20Rapist%2C%20or%20a%20guy%E2%80%99s%20guide%20to%20approaching%20strange%20women.pdf

These are two blogs written by women that outline how men should approach women in a public area, if they insist on doing so. Both articles are humorous and well-written, and they make me feel like I'm not alone in how scared I am in public.

In one article, author Melissa Fabello writes:
"Let me say this plainly: If I look uncomfortable when you’re talking to me, I am. I’m not shy. I’m not coy. I’m not playing hard-to-get. I want you to go the fuck away."

This resonates with me and it's something I never really thought about deeply; men are either really bad at taking cues, or more likely, they just don't care. I make myself look as physically uncomfortable as possible when I'm being spoken to by a stranger in public, yet it never really seems to make a difference. Often they think exactly what she said: that I'm being coy or mysterious. I truly just want to be left alone, but I'm too afraid to be rude.

I found these articles helpful if anyone ever needs to explain in simple terms why exactly men should not approach a women on the street.

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