I was walking quickly through the store to the back of the food section to pick up a spice I needed. I was wearing my headphones, though one earpiece is broken. A tall man approached me from behind and asked, “Can you hear me?”

I replied, “Yes.”

He said, “Good because you didn’t see me when you passed me earlier, and I wanted to tell you you look good.”

Livid and scared, I started screaming and cursing at him that his behavior was totally inappropriate and that it made him seem like a rapist to follow me into an empty aisle at the back of the store. I informed him that headphones and no eye contact meant that I didn’t want to talk to anyone — especially him. I also yelled, “What were you hoping to get out of this!? Were you hoping that I would go out with you!?” He didn’t have an answer and kind of slunk away. I felt bad later about screaming at him, and wish I would have handled it better.

Submitted by anonymous

Location: Inside the Columbia Heights Target

Time of harassment:Evening Rush Hour (3:30P-7:30P)

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault you would like to submit? Just click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.