Around 11 o’clock this past saturday night I was on the way home from a nice long bike ride, just a couple blocks away from my apartment. I was in the cool-down stage and was coasting along at a leisurely pace when I came across a kinda strange scene.

On the south side of P St a woman was searching the ground pretty intently, while a group of three or four men across the street on the north side were yelling at her that they’d seen her drop something.

“You dropped something you dropped something!”
“No no no, it was over by the gutter!”
“I seen you drop it when you crossed the street!”
“Back towards the curb a little!”
“Check the drain!”

…with the woman trudging back and forth around the street corner listening to their directions, trying to find what she’d dropped. She was wearing heels and didn’t seem to be having much fun walking around on the uneven pavement, so I slowed down with the intention of helping her look. I scanned the area for 10 or 15 seconds before the woman, clearly getting flustered, yelled back at the guys across the street “I don’t see anything! What did you see me drop?!”

“My name and number, don’t forget to call beautiful!”

Followed, of course, by the inane laughter from the lackeys that always follows such exceedingly clever jokes.

I tried to give her my best “I’m sorry you have to deal with this bullshit” look, but she just shook her head and walked off without saying anything.

It must have been pretty exasperating for her, not only to be harassed just for walking down the street, but to have so much of her time wasted just so the Wannabe Ladies Man could have his punchline.

All I could think to do as I hopped back on my bike to ride the last few blocks home was mutter a quick “thanks for wasting my time” as I rode by, but I doubt they heard me.

Submitted by FFF on 10/20

Location: First and P St NW

Time of Harassment: Night (7:30P-12A)

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