Walking alone towards Dupont, hands full of bags, I was surrounded by a group of 5 young men. They circled me and taunted me with things like “I love you baby” and “Where are you going, we’ll walk you there.” One came very close to my face and asked if he could whisper in my ear. They refused to let me pass. People walked by and sat around without doing anything to help me out. I finally gathered my wits enough to tell them as loudly as possible to back off or I was going to start screaming. I guess they thought I just wasn’t worth the fight – they laughed and let me go. This was a terrifying experience, and I was VERY close to feeling like I needed to start using physical violence in self defense. The fact that people looked on as if it were entertainment was sickening. Groups of young men just sitting around on either side of a sidewalk are THREATENING and make Adams Morgan unsafe for women. More police presence is necessary to disperse these groups, and women must carry pepper spray and feel free to use it.

Submitted on 3/22/12 by Anonymous.

Location: 18th and Florida NW, DC

Time: Evening Rush Hour (3:30P-7:30P)

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