10 Things Men Actually Said To Me On The Street, In Front Of My Kid
bySteph Montgomery
As a woman, I experience street harassment almost every day, and not just when I am alone. Some of the creepiest, strangest, and most messed up things men have said to me on the street, have been in front of my kids. Ugh.
Sometimes, I would like to think they mean well or intend to compliment me (not that it makes it OK), but other times I think, "Holy crap, does your mama know that you talk to women that way?" Sometimes I respond, even though I am afraid they might hurt me, but when my kids are around I worry about their safety, too. As much as I would like to demonstrate to my kids that it is not OK to pay women unsolicited compliments or tell them to smile, sometimes those important lessons have to wait for later so I know we can all get home safe.
Plus, how do you explain to a 3-year-old toddler that someone calling you, "beautiful" is bad or makes you feel unsafe, especially when that individual claims they're paying you a compliment? How do reconcile telling your kids to smile for pictures when the man telling you to smile on the street makes you want to flip him the bird?
There's no easy answers, I'm afraid. Only hope for a future for my children where women are regarded with more respect (on and off the street) and men know that catcalling and unsolicited compliments are not welcome, because other men call them out when they do it. With that in mind, and because you can't fix what you don't realize is broken, here are a few of the worst things men have said to me on the street, in front of my kids. Bring on the rage.