A creepy innuendo. A sleazy remark to an innocent cashier. Cat-calling girls who are so young they don’t even understand what’s going on. These and other instances are just some of the instances that these women remember to this day.
#1 Model Citizen
When I was around 13, I was walking in the mall. This older man came up to me and started saying, “you’re so pretty, you should be a model. I have a camera in my van. Come with me so I can take your picture". I, being raised to be skeptical, just giggled and didn’t follow him. Eventually, he became angry and shouted, “Wow, it’s not like I’m going to hurt you.” People started staring, so he walked off. I never told my mom.
#2 Just Like Mia
I went to some trashy nightclub with a couple of friends once and got approached by a middle-aged guy. He came to me and whispered in my ear that I looked so hot, just like Mia. I didn't know what he meant back then, so I told him confusedly, "Sorry. I don't know Mia!" He then took out his phone and showed me his saved pictures and videos of her.
#3 Saying No
Oh lord, I remember when I was 13 and a guy grabbed me by the wrist. He said, "Hey sexy, want to come with me so I can show you something? I love bad girls like you." I was so stupid that I was still worried about being rude and apologized to him for saying no. But, when he tried to fully grab my arm, I just ran.
#4 Giving Out Roses
I was at the local pub and there was a little old man (around 70 years old) who went and got a bouquet of roses. He then gave them out to all the young girls. It seemed really sweet, unless you happened to hear what he said. One time he told me that he “wonders what I smell like.” I don’t go to that pub anymore…
#5 Uber Creepy
I was waiting for an Uber home one night. It was after 11:00 p.m. This black car that matches the make and model on the app rolls up, stops by the curb and rolls down the window. The guy inside asks if I'm waiting for an Uber. I say yes and ask his name to see if it matches. He just says, "I'm Uber, get in."
At this point, I'm creeped out and alone on a street corner close to midnight. I refuse and he says, "I'll give you $300 if you get in this car right now, we're going to a party." At that point, I turned around and booked it back into the theater. I’m absolutely not getting kidnapped. Check your plates before you take your Ubers.
#6 A Man’s Wish
I remember this one time when I was walking home and ran into this homeless guy on the side of the street. He thought it would be appropriate to tell me that he wanted to throw me in a bathtub full of Jell-O and make love to me. I’m not going to lie, though, I laughed really hard when this happened. It was weird.
#7 What a View
“You don’t get a view like that every day!” I was 10 and bending down to get something off a lower shelf at the grocery store. I was wearing a new, lower cut shirt but forgot to wear my training bra that day. The guy was probably in his mid-40s. His wife was with him and she looked like she was about to cry. I never wore that shirt again.
#8 Rainbow Hair
So, back when I was a teenager I used to dye my hair all kinds of cool colors. This one time, I had rainbow-colored hair. One time at work, a 60-something-year-old customer said to me, “Does the carpet match the drapes? Never mind, you probably don’t have any down there.” I’ve never been so uncomfortable before.
#9 After Work
I remember this one time when I was just trying to get to my car after work. All of a sudden, this random dude popped up and followed me to my car, telling me about all the disgusting things he was going to do to me. I didn’t know what to do, but I honestly just broke into a run to get into my car. I cried the whole way home.
#10 Denny’s Parking Lot
I had a guy harass me and my friend as we were leaving Denny’s. We had another guy with us. My female friend grabbed onto our guy friend's arm. The harasser then said, “That’s okay. It’s the fat one I wanted anyways.” (I was the fat one.) Our guy friend didn’t leave parking until he saw that we were well away.
#11 The Good Wife
This one time, some loser told me that I would make a good wife for someone like him. He said that to me when he just kept staring at my chest. This all happened in front of his wife as well. I was at work and this guy later flat-out asked me to marry him. I was 17 years old at the time I wanted to disappear.
#12 Being Trapped
Not so much what was said at first, but the insistence that I must save his email address. He also continued to walk with me on my route for approximately 20 minutes, not leaving me alone. Words alone are creepy on occasion, but it's the absolute worst when there's an element of being trapped without anywhere to go.
#13 How Are You?
I was at work, asking the whole “how are you” bit to this one customer who had come in. He answered, “If I was any better, I’d be twins.” I mean, it was normal so far. Then he said, “And they’d be female. And hot like you.” Sir, do you mean to tell me you’d want to be with your own hypothetical twin sister? Yikes.
#14 Blowing Pop
I had an older man ask me to stir his mixed drink with my finger to make it sweeter. This was at a fancy-ish dinner party my family attended. I was 13 and that guy was around 50. He went on to make a joke about me eating a sucker later on, something about "blowing pop." It still makes me nauseous after 20 years.
#15 Out Shopping
I was 14, out shopping at an Aeropostale when these two dudes approached me. They had to be in their mid to late 20s. They followed me around the store and kept asking me to try on the mini skirt I had picked out. They also asked me where I lived, my name, and just generally kept following and harassing me. I was super freaked out, hoping that my mom and brother would come back to the store soon to get me out of there.
#16 High School Hair
I was waiting for the train and had my hair in pigtails. This guy in his mid-30s came to me and asked what high school I went to. I told him I didn't go to high school, I was about 26-ish at the time. He looked really disappointed and walked away. It wasn't really creepy until you think about the fact that he wanted me to be in high school and was disappointed that I wasn’t underage.
#17 Gas Station Clerk
I was young, probably 19. I went into a gas station to pay and the clerk said, “Look at you, dressed like a little harlot.” I was in a skirt and shirt. I was really shocked, and the only one in the store. When I didn’t say anything back he said, “You get off turning men on don’t you?” I got so scared. I also lacked the confidence back then to shut it down. Thank God someone else walked in and the clerk gave me back my change. Then I went on my way.
#18 Hugs and Kisses
I was hanging out with this dude at a party while deployed. I'd mentioned a few times that I had a girlfriend back home and he seemed cool and we had a lot in common, so we were fast buddies. Until about 4:00 a.m. or so, when we were all sitting by a fire. He then asked if he could hug me. I was kind of out of it from the party, so I was like, okay, whatever.
But then he asked if he could kiss me. I was like, “Nah, dude. I have a girlfriend, I'm gay. You know that.” Then his face went real cold and he said, "Until I catch you walking back to your dorm alone later." I honestly could’ve cried because I was so scared. Thank God a group of dudes I recognized walked past a few minutes later, so I tagged along fast as I could. I never saw that dude again.
#19 Vampire King
I was wearing a Marshall Lee the Vampire King shirt. One old dude told me that he liked my shirt and I said thanks. He then said that he liked it because it makes him think about me biting him. I was shocked. I said nothing. Luckily, my friend clapped back and was like, "Get out of here, bro. Your wife doesn't even want to bite you." I’m glad I had someone there with me.
#20 Is This Your Uber?
I was super partied out with friends. I went outside to hurl in a trash can out front because the line for the bathroom was too long. After I hurled, I just sat there for a minute in the fresh air. A car suddenly pulled up, rolled down their window and the driver said, “Is this your Uber?” I was not so out of it that I couldn’t remember if I called an Uber, so I said no. I thought the dude must just be confused and I decided to go back inside. Anyway, the next morning my friend texted me that someone went missing that night from that exact area. It freaked me out when I remembered!
#21 Worst Workplace
I had a 65+ co-worker who was simply disgusting. He had poor hygiene, a raggedy, greasy beard, etc. He once told me that he had a Viagra in his lunchbox and that he'd pay for a room after work so I could get him to use it. I told him no thanks. I immediately told our supervisor who literally laughed and said, “Well, you know he didn't mean it. You're not even hot.”
#22 Christmas in Paris
I was in Paris at a Christmas market once and a guy came up to me to tell me I was very beautiful. Before I could say anything back, he said, "You know, I've been following you for a while and saw your friends walk away from you. I could kidnap you so quickly, they would never see you again." Then he laughed.
My friend, who was about eight feet away and heard this exchange, pulled my arm. We both knew that it was obviously time to go. So, we started fast-walking away. We cut down so many alleys, popped in and out of shops, and got on different trains since it was nearly impossible to know if he was still following us.
#23 Driving By
I was walking down the street to meet some friends one night. A man drove by me once, then turned his car around, drove ahead of me and parked up the street. He walked toward me on the sidewalk. Then when he reached me, he turned completely around to walk beside me. At first, he tried to be friendly and suggestive. When I wouldn’t respond and tried to walk faster, he told me he was going to put me in his car and take me to a special place.
I started to run around a corner. He ducked behind the building there and cut me off ahead. I ran full speed across a busy street to the nearest CVS, which was open 24 hours, and called my boyfriend who sped over to pick me up. When we walked outside, the man was waiting by the exit with his front and rear car doors open, like he was waiting to force me into his back seat.
#24 I See How It Is
I was once walking with my friend and a random dude said to her, “Hey cutie, I like the way you walk”. When we just totally ignored him he said, “I see how it is.” We’re high school kids. We’re barely five feet tall. Still, this creep continued to follow us for two blocks before we made it to a crowded crosswalk.
#25 Burger Joint
“You’re going to get a spanking” in a sing-song tone of voice. I was working at a mom and pop burger joint and made a silly mistake. I was 19 years old at the time and the dude in question was anywhere from 60 to 70 years old. When I got embarrassed, he acted proud of himself and said, “Look how red she’s turning!”
#26 Sixth Grade Boys
I was in the sixth grade and had three boys discuss my chest in front of me like I wasn’t there. The first boy said I stuffed my bra, the second one came up and explained to him how he could know that I didn’t. The third joined in on the explanation of real versus fake like they were looking at a painting on a wall. I sat there flabbergasted at being noticed in that way.
#27 In Another Country
This one guy insisted we be Facebook friends. He also kept hugging me and kissing my cheek (which I don't like anyone doing). We were both tourists in another country and my guesthouse wasn't far, but I was too scared to walk back to it because I didn't want him to know where I was staying. I ended up walking to a massage place I had been to before. He left me there, thankfully.
#28 Theater Group
I was part of a Christian theater group when I was 11. My mom put me in it to make more friends. On my first day of rehearsal, one of the male instructors (probably about 25-30) came up to me and told me I needed to go home and change because my pants were distracting. I was wearing regular, old black leggings that went down to my ankles. He only said it to me and not any other girl because I've always had a rather curvy figure. I ran out crying because I felt so embarrassed. My mom was furious and I never went back there again.
#29 Need a Pen
I worked at a truck stop and needed a driver to sign something, but didn’t have a pen. He was a super gross, old fat guy, missing quite a bit of teeth. He said that I could borrow his pen, but then I’d have to get in his truck with him. He was going to lock the doors and I wasn’t allowed to get out. I recoiled in horror as he gave me the most disturbing smile.
#30 Bitter Millennial
When I was at work, this one customer told me to stick my finger in his iced tea to make it sweeter when I offered him sugar. I merely told him, “I don’t think you want your iced tea to taste like a bitter millennial, sir.” I then put sugar down and just walked away. He stopped being creepy the rest of his meal.
#31 Casual Conversation
This stranger at a store started a conversation with me (I was 16 and the cashier) asking me about school. He then turned the subject to asking if I was a naughty school girl and said he was sure I had many of the male teachers after me. A friend of mine noticed me freaking out and came over. They then told the guy to leave me alone.
#32 Walking to School
I was walking to school one morning, on the usual route, along a suburban intersection. An older woman (maybe in her 30s) was ahead of me. This guy drove up alongside us and started saying gross things, mostly to me, and cursing at us. I was pretty much just flabbergasted, the lady was disgusted, but the dude drove off like it was nothing. I was about 10 years old.
#33 First Date Icebreaker
I was on a first date, having lunch at a burger place. He asked, loudly, if I had relations with anyone yet. He then said I “need to practice for my future husband” when I said I was saving myself for marriage. Everyone was looking and I just wanted to pass away on the spot. Needless to say, there was no second date.
#34 Grossest Laugh
From a super out of it homeless guy, more than twice my age. He told me, "If I was 20 years younger, I'd try to get busy with you.” He then let out the grossest laugh I've ever heard in my life. The worst part was that this was at work, and my co-workers laughed about it. It was embarrassing. I'm pretty sure this guy would have said this to anybody, as I’m no beauty.
#35 Sugar Baby
"Hey girl, you need a sugar daddy?" It was super gross. The man who said that to me was honestly old enough to be my father, if not my grandfather. He was also, by no means, appealing in any way. So, I obviously gave him a very polite, "No, thank you!" I then just exited the gas station we were in and headed home.
#36 Wow, That’s Crazy
“I’ve always wanted to be with a red head.” 0/10 did not enjoy it. I was also working and unable to react, so it took me a minute to even process what he said because I was in customer service mode, just nodding along. I was sort of surprised I didn’t respond with a “neat” or “wow, that’s crazy” in a monotone.
#37 Close Calls
This one old man said that he was a new dirty film director in our small town and he asked me if I'd be in one of his films. I was only 17 years old at the time. He then told me his entire name and full address. Apparently, he didn’t get the hint and he kept pushing the matter. He literally called my job every day to find out when I was there.
Another time, I was walking down the street at midday in full view of a busy outdoor restaurant. A guy pulled his huge SUV over and tried grabbing me to pull me into his car in front of everyone. I ran for my life and he actually chased me on foot for three blocks before giving up. No one helped me. Thank God I’m fast.
#38 You Mean the Band?
I'm Chinese. This old guy started a conversation and told me how he used to be stationed in Korea and how much "they" loved him there. He then proceeded to ask if I "liked to kiss." I tried to play it cool by saying, "You mean the band? I guess they're okay." I was giving him an out, but he barrelled ahead and clarified himself. I asked for the check and paid so fast that I knocked a stool over. It really sucked because I was a regular there and saw him a few more times after that. I wasn't alone, thankfully. I just pretended not to notice or remember him.
#39 On the Bus
I often find myself riding the bus. I usually sit adjacent to the door so I can quickly exit. This old guy was about a quarter of a mile from his stop and decided to wait in front of the door. Shamelessly, he would just stare at me. He wanted me to catch his attention. I tried to ignore him, but he wouldn’t stop looking. Once the door opened, he gave me the creepiest look I have ever witnessed. He then proceeded to give me a crooked smile and compliment my eyes.
#40 Light Rail
I was on the light rail with my grandmother and a homeless dude across the way kept smiling at me. When I glanced at him, his smile broadened and he asked me to marry him. He then laughed at my embarrassment. My grandma didn’t say anything and I’m not sure if she heard him or just ignored him. I was 13 years old.
#41 Train Station Weirdo
One time, this random guy at the station kept following me, saying that it was so spicy of me to be “gothic Lolita.” (I only had blue hair.) I kept telling him that I had to catch my train and that I didn't have time to talk. He kept following me, so I started to run away. He then shouted, “Do you have Facebook?!”
#42 Refusing to Pay
I worked at a fast-food place with a drive-thru in high school. At 17, I had a middle-aged man tell me he wouldn’t pay for his food until I let him “see that butt” because he “bet it’s real firm and round.” The words “juicy”, “smooth”, and “sweetheart” came up too. My manager had to come to threaten to call the police on him after about five minutes of him refusing to pay. I was so scared and shocked. I just kept saying “No, that’ll be $2.96 please” and “Sir, I’m a minor. Please stop.” I’d never experienced pure predatory creeping like that and thankfully haven’t since.
#43 I’ll Wait
I was about 15 and walking downtown in my city. As I passed the doorway of a hotel, I was stopped by a man, probably in his 30s. He asked me some innocent questions first but began talking about how beautiful I was. Then he said if I married him he would take care of me forever. I told him I was 15, and he said, "It's okay, I'll wait." I hightailed it out of there as fast as I could.
#44 Prong Collar
When I was younger, I worked at a dog boarding place. I brought a dog with a prong collar up to the owner to go home. He just looked at me and said, “Here honey, let me take that. You don’t even want to know what I’d do with it.” Then he actually winked at me. I was only 14 years old when all of this happened.
#45 Guitar Teacher
When I was 13 or 14, my older (late 40’s, 50) guitar teacher let me know he wanted me to come to his house so he could “take pictures of me.” He offered to give me bracelets that he said he had gotten on vacation without his wife knowing. He was a truly disgusting, sweaty little sleaze with stained fingers, and a creepy, wheezing laugh.
#46 Good Genes
I was around 18 years old and at my great aunt's funeral. We had finished up at the burial and went back to the church for a small reception to have lunch. My second cousin (I think, he was my great aunt's son) who was around his mid-40's at the time sat next to me and wouldn't leave me alone. This was my first time meeting him and some other family members because I didn't live in the same state as them.
He didn't have the best upbringing and was basically an addict who had been living off of my great aunt his whole life. His appearance was really strange and just generally creeped me out with how much attention he was giving me. I remember him saying in front of everyone, even my parents, that it was a shame we were related because I had some "good looking genes." I still feel my skin crawl just thinking about it.
#47 Hotel Rooms
This, thankfully, hasn't happened to me in a few years but I've had it happen. I've had grown, old men come into my store at night while I was working alone and ask me if I wanted to go back to their hotel room with them. These men are always at least 300 pounds, out of it, and are always Middle Eastern. I don't know why they did this. I always turned them down. I had to start wearing a ring on that finger, just to turn them away. I still wear a ring and they don't come in.
#48 If You Run…
I’ll never forget this one creepy guy I came across a few years ago. This guy was being an absolute freak on the train. He turned around in his seat to stare at me and kept telling me to look at him. So, I finally pretended I was at my stop and stood up to leave. Then he said to me, "If you run, I'll find you."
#49 Falling Socks
The very first time that I was cat-called, I was bending down and pulling up my socks since they had fallen into my boots. Suddenly, this one random guy from a car yelled out, "Keep pulling up those socks, sweetie!" I was quite young when all of this happened, so I didn't realize what was going on at the time.
#50 I Know
One time, this guy reached over in class and grabbed my upper, inner thigh while we were laughing with some friends. I immediately asked him why he did that to me. I also told him that his behavior was really creepy. He responded, “I know. That’s why I did it.” Then he just smiled in a calm, matter-of-fact way.
