I was sitting on the front wall of the GAO property, reading and waiting for a friend who was coming in on one of the Chinatown buses. I was startled out of my book when I felt a hand grabbing my thigh. My split-second reaction wasn’t to yell or strike or react because it could’ve been my (female) friend being silly. But a split-second later, I saw that it was a young man who then high-tailed it down the block and around the corner.

I was so surprised by it all, that I didn’t end up doing more than going back to my book while being much more wary of the people walking by. But it left me feeling shaken and a bit violated. I shouldn’t have to worry about people touching me inappropriately at all, and that it happened on a busy street in the middle of the day in front of a government building made me feel like I wasn’t safe from it anywhere.

Submitted by anonymous

Location: 441 G Street Northwest

Time of harassment: Day Time (9:30A-3:30P)

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