I wish I were Allyson, because that response is so succinct and good!

I did point out that I have actually had "I am going to kill you fat bitch!" shouted at me on the bus when a man tried to converse with me and I said "I am sorry, I prefer to read my book"

I give you permission to plagiarize.

Seriously, I hear this ALL THE TIME. And it sucks when you're being told that your own experiences are some sort of silly fantasy in your head. Next thing they'll tell me that I don't really menstruate, and that whole aisle in the pharmacy is just that one aisle out of dozens of aisles that don't have maxi pads, and therefore my having to deal with my period is offensive to the snack aisle.

Allyson, you are so kick ass. BTW, I've been listening to Beastie Boys in my car the last few days, inspired by you.

And it sucks when you're being told that your own experiences are some sort of silly fantasy in your head.

Silly Allyson, just because you've had experiences that were frightening doesn't give you the right to feel frightened.

The girl is also holding her own. I also want to make them think because I am old, fat, and ugly, and I still have to make accomodations to ride public transportation without unwanted and threatening conversations. It is so outside their perception.

It really takes so little effort to respect a stranger's right not to converse with you. And I figure when it's a woman by herself not responding to a greeting at the park or wherever (I customarily say hi to everyone I pass), she's likely to be doing it out of prudence rather than distaste for my presence specifically.

Sophia, after your last post I was thinking about this phenomenon. I'm also fat, and I think that perceptions are that we wouldn't be so sensitive since we're not so often accosted. Unfortunately, since being fat makes you a target, I think maybe we get a higher percentage of unflattering to threatening comments, so we're automatically threatened just like the pretty, skinny young things.

Isn't it nice we have something to bond over? t /sarcasm

Like that tag ever closes.

And I figure when it's a woman by herself not responding to a greeting at the park or wherever (I customarily say hi to everyone I pass), she's likely to be doing it out of prudence rather than distaste for my presence specifically.

Or a transplanted northerner! I'm pretty sure someone tried to say hi to me on the street like that recently, and I just didn't notice until it was too late to respond, because I Do Not look at people in public. (I believe this is also to blame for the fact that I hardly ever saw anyone famous in NYC....)

Because of the lack of public transportation, it happens to me far less in LA than it did in Boston. We're all in our car cocoons. When I was walking up and down the street to deal with my car issues, I was startled by the first catcall, it hadn't happened in such a long time. And then I said, "oh yeah, this is how it is."

The weirdest comment I have ever gotten (and I have received this multiple times from different men) is that "I look like I would be a good provider". And I tend to relate it to being fat, white and wearing business appropriate clothes, which is rather rare on the public transportation system I am using. Or I am just being too sensitive.

I also tried to bond with the guys, because in my sheltered life before public transportation, the worst that happened to me was random calls from cars telling me I was fat (thanks for the update! I hadn;t noticed!)