Location: North Capitol St and L St NW
Time: Evening Rush Hour (3:30pm-7:30pm)

I was walking home from work around 7pm up North Capitol Street from Union Station. As was passing Mt. Airy Baptist Church on the NW corner of L Street and North Cap, I suddenly felt someone slap my behind. I was on the phone with my sister at the time (my mistake for being on the phone, right?) and was so taken off guard that when I turned around and saw a young teenager jogging away from me all I could do was yell “That was extremely inappropriate!” I was just so surprised.

I kept on walking, continuing to talk on the phone about what had just happened, and within 30 seconds, I hadn’t even traveled a whole block, it happened again! Only this time he slapped my behind harder. Something ticked in me and I started yelling my lungs out after him, and admittedly, I started running after him. I felt so angry, violated and offended – I didn’t know how to react. I quickly learned that he could run twice as fast as me, so I stopped running, feeling helpless. Fortunately, there was a woman getting out of her car in front of the apartment building on the SW corner of M st and North Cap, and she spoke with me and calmed me down, but no one saw the boy’s face.

I reported the event to the police 24 hours later because I was very upset about it when it happened; in hindsight, I wish I had reported it when it happened. They told me there were some cameras around the church. Next time, I will call them right away.

Submitted on 11/7/12 by “RL”

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