One night last week I was walking home from running errands. It was about 8 or 8:30, definitely getting dark and I was by myself. On Euclid Street there was an older man standing outside his building and yelled “Hi” at me – since it was dark and I was alone, I did not want to engage in any conversation with him so I just kept walking, didn’t even turn my head to look.

A few days later, this time during the day, I was walking again down Euclid and heard someone yelling from across the street. There was no one else around so I looked to see what the yelling was, it was the same man, yelling at me that I’m not neighborly and I hate black people. I yelled back that I don’t like strange men, please don’t talk to me. He kept saying things about how we’re neighbors and should talk. Whatever, I kept walking. Sure, he may just be friendly and want to chat, but how do I know that? I would rather be seen as rude than be naive and get mugged or raped or followed home by a stranger and robbed. It has nothing to do with race and everything to do with not trusting a strange older man who is dying to talk to a woman in her twenties. Can randoms on the street please stop feeling like they’re entitled to me? And can they please stop making me feel like the asshole for not wanting to engage?

Submitted by anonymous on 5/3/2010

Location: 14th & Euclid St NW

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