Random verbal abuse in the street

There's a good article in today's Guardian about how Surryey police have sent officers undercover as joggers at rush hour to see how much harassment there is of women and girls from random men, there were 16 arrests and numerous talking toos.

Maybe I live in a more civilised place or I don't go out much, but I don't see this. It used to common when I was young in London. I'd assumed, it seems erroneously, that things had moved on a bit. Maybe not.

Going on the article its got worse rather than better over the years, or maybe women are less willing to put up with it and rightly so. 

I wondered what the arrests were for, obviously mentioned were theft. So many men seem to feel entitled to grab handfulls of women, rub up against us on public transport or whatever. It dosen't stop as you get older either, my Mum was assaulted in Lidl's check out, she was 85, I saw this bloke looking like he was trying to push past her and she was guddling about in the handbag, bobbing up and down, then she swung round sharply with her elbows and said sorry I didn't know you were so close to the bloke behind her, he was about the same age as her. She told me that he's rubbed himself up against her and that she'd been trampling on his feet and getting her elbows into a position to give him a sharp jab, which she did. I was appalled that someone did this to her, that even at her age your not safe, impressed that she dealt with it so well, she said she's gained lots of practice over the years and trampling on a mans feet was easier when she was able to wear stiletto heeled shoes.

Going on the article its got worse rather than better over the years, or maybe women are less willing to put up with it and rightly so. 

I wondered what the arrests were for, obviously mentioned were theft. So many men seem to feel entitled to grab handfulls of women, rub up against us on public transport or whatever. It dosen't stop as you get older either, my Mum was assaulted in Lidl's check out, she was 85, I saw this bloke looking like he was trying to push past her and she was guddling about in the handbag, bobbing up and down, then she swung round sharply with her elbows and said sorry I didn't know you were so close to the bloke behind her, he was about the same age as her. She told me that he's rubbed himself up against her and that she'd been trampling on his feet and getting her elbows into a position to give him a sharp jab, which she did. I was appalled that someone did this to her, that even at her age your not safe, impressed that she dealt with it so well, she said she's gained lots of practice over the years and trampling on a mans feet was easier when she was able to wear stiletto heeled shoes.

I think many older people are habituated to unwanted commentary, they were probably told not to make a fuss and make exceptions for men. 

I was once asked by a builder why so many women with small children hand around building sites, "looking at the men", and that they shouldn't complain when they're noticed back. He was most put out when I told him that it's not the women who want to stand and watch a building site, but thier small children who have screaming fits if they're not allowed to watch the diggers and other big machinery.

TheCatWoman said:

its got worse rather than better over the years, or maybe women are less willing to put up with it and rightly so.

I agree that women have gotten better at calling out this behaviour over the years.

Older generations can be part of the problem though - I had a heated arguement with my mother recently over how she responded when one of her grandchildren was telling her about being catcalled in the street.

Her response is "well men will be men". I asked her how she felt her granddaughter felt about the unwanted attention and she was quite flippant about "she probably enjoyed the attention" and I had a hard time keeping it civil while trying to explain it is unacceptable.

I also recall one of my teenage girlfriends used to walk past building sites and seemed to enjoy the attention of builders and was quite proud when she got whistled or catcalled at.

This would be in the erly 80s when she was 16.

I'm not making a point by the way, just noting that some women are contributing to the problem, at least from the older generations. For what it's worth I'm a supporter of feminism in principle and agree with you that this sort of behaviour is unacceptable.