“I didn’t want to believe he was following me at first”
Location: Columbia Heights
Time: Night (7:30pm-12am)
I used to live in Columbia Heights off Otis Street NW. I lived in a studio apartment on the first floor of an apartment building. One week, while I was making dinner in my kitchen, I noticed a man peeping at me through my window.
As soon as I noticed him, he ran away.
I don’t know how long he had been peeping through my window. But it happened again the next week.
Not a month after those incidents, I was walking down the street at night from my apartment to a restaurant about 6 blocks away. After a block of my walk, I became conscious of a a man following me. I didn’t want to believe he was following me at first, but it became clear the longer I walked. He started to get closer to me and started to repeatedly say “hey mami” “hey mami” “hey mami” to me. I told him to leave me alone, but he kept making advances. He followed me for at least 5 blocks harassing me.
I have no idea if this guy was the same guy(s) who were peeping through my window, but I told this story in particular to illustrate how often harassment happens and how men disregard and disrespect women’s personal, private spaces. And unfortunately, I have many other stories about times that I (and many of my women friends) was harassed on the street, physically and sexually assaulted by male coworkers , and ultimately raped by a male coworker. This culture that we have – of not respecting, valuing, and dignifying women, has got to stop. I’m about to give birth to a baby girl, and I’m fearful of what she may go through simply because of her sex or gender identity. We have to change our culture. WE HAVE TO!
Submitted 3/28/18 by “NMGL”
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If you experience or have experienced sexual harassment on the DC Metro system: Whether the event is happening at the moment or occurred months ago, we strongly encourage you to report to Metro Transit Police (MTP): www.wmata.com/
If you need assistance in coping with public sexual harassment or assault, please contact the DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC) 24/7 crisis hotline at 202-333-RAPE (202-333-7279).
