Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
A VIDEO OF a woman getting spoken to, hollered at and harassed on the streets of New York is going viral today.
It shows her walking across the city as she is hit with comments about her looks, her body and her reaction to the contact.
The footage has sparked lively debate amongst commenters, some of whom believe the woman is being given compliments. To begin a discussion about our experiences closer to home, the team at TheJournal.ie has shared some of their stories from the streets of Dublin.
As I walked by a corner pub on a summer’s evening, there were men sitting down outside. After I walked away from them, one of them shouted, ‘Look at the hole on her…’
“Oi, Tits R Us.”
‘Smile!’ followed by ‘Cheer up love, it might never happen.’
“It was really hot so I was wearing shorts. There were three guys standing outside my house (friends of my neighbour I think) and before I even had the front door closed they were whistling. Then they started shouting ‘nice arse’ at me and when I didn’t respond they called me a ‘stuck up bitch’. There was something about the fact that I had to face that as soon as I stepped outside my door that was particularly upsetting.”
In Dublin, probably the most annoying one was being asked by a group of Englishmen where an ATM was, and when I told them, they asked me where the nearest brothel was.
“It’s amazing how quickly things can go from “ride” to “fucking bitch” if you don’t deliver the desired response.”
Which one of you will come home and fuck me?
“For some reason I remember more instances as a teen – my best friend getting motorboated by a guy on a city centre street in the daytime, a local lad cornering us in an alley and tapping us with a hurley between our legs – and I think it just makes you so wary and protective of yourself.”
I was waiting for my brother on Westmoreland Street after a night out and he was late. A guy came over and put his hand up my skirt. I kicked him away, but remember being so angry. I also blamed my brother for being late, which is entirely unfair.
“A few weeks ago, I was getting off a bus and the driver said to me, ‘You’re not going anywhere – you’re my bitch for the day’.”
On a train, being told repeatedly by a man sitting opposite that I should smile more because I’d look prettier if I smiled. Followed by, “It’s not like anyone has died, love.” As it turned out, I was on my way to my 11-year-old cousin’s funeral. I could have shamed him by saying that, but I decided that I shouldn’t have to have suffered a tragic family loss to justify why my face just looks like it does.
“The first time I remember it happening was this truckdriver blowing his horn and whistling out the window at my cousin and I as we walked home from the shop eating ice creams. We were 11.”
When I was a teenager I was waiting at to cross the road and a random guy stood beside me, looked me up and down and whispered ‘slut’.
“At a bar, guy asked if I wanted a drink, I said politely said no thanks, he asked again, I said I really didn’t want a drink and he goes ‘Jesus it’s not like I’m going to fucking rape you’.”
Walking on the street in Dublin one summer, a guy just walked up to me wordlessly and grabbed my chest. I shouted at him, and there were loads of people around but they just ignored it and he sauntered off.
“Oh I remember this guy pulling over as I walked up the road with my (girl) friend once and asking if we were ‘into S&M’.”
An old guy followed me into the loos in a pub in Temple Bar a few years ago as well. I didn’t notice until I turned around to close the cubicle door and once I saw him I slammed the door closed and locked it. He whispered “your loss” and walked out.
“I was walking the five-minute journey home from an Order of Malta meeting when I was 16 and some guy started walking along beside me and started talking. Then when I got to my street, he said “so how about a kiss?”. I said no, and he said “Come on, we’re friends”. I was freaked and walked away, and he started following me. I ducked into a neighbour’s drive because I didn’t want him to see where I lived, and just hid there until he left.”
One night when I pushed a guy off me for grabbing my ass in a pub he said I ‘shouldn’t wear shorts if I didn’t want to be groped’. Naturally, I was labelled an ‘aggro bitch’ for pushing him away.
We would love to hear YOUR experiences of street harassment in the comments section.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Yes 2021 here and 1690 for some up north.
No screw the UK we need to stop letting them dictate how we run things, they will be the ones who look ridiculous enforcing a different timezone for the smaller region on the island.
Endless summer time sounds fantastic!
@Ian McNally: knowing them they’ll choose endless winter.
@Ian McNally: Portugal and Spain gave 2 different time zones, so what? no big deal.
@Ian McNally: Portugal and Spain gave 2 different time zones, so what? no big deal.
@Gus Sheridan: have 2 ……..
Time to get rid of it
@Dick Face: only the planters and the nuts.
@DartMcCart: And what about the other 78 people ?
If EU changes, UK will change too. 80%+ of UK citizens are in favour of getting rid of the biannual time change.
@sean o’dhubhghaill: I’m in favour of the biannual time change
The energy savings argument was always been rather tenuous. Germany introduced the change in 1916 in the probably mistaken belief that it would help reduce energy use, the U.K. followed suit not wanting to let Germany get the upper hand in war preparations and Ireland was instructed to follow suit. We didn’t even get to have an opinion. Farmers were bitterly opposed which is interesting because you often hear that they are the reason the clock changing tradition must be kept.
1916 in Dublin would be 1690 in Belfast and 1776 in Washington DC.
We are part of Europe or not simply!!
@Dizzy: not please
No one cares about Norn Iron leave them to it
@Stevie Doran: Really?! No one at all. Are you certain of that?
We’ll be the same as Belfast for half the year
There is already two time zones in Ireland.
CET and Healy Ray’s Dark ages.
Our politicians are good at manipulating figures, I’m sure they’ll figure something out.
We should change the two economic zones as well
Another chance for those living in Ulcer land a chance to say No.
I’m definitely leaving Ireland if we won’t change with the rest of Europe. The U.K. Will make up their own minds anyway!!!!
Ah the poor government! Won’t bother them too much! It’s the workforce that pays their alarm calls who are going to feel it!
How can these cowards not even make the simplest decisions without someone holding their hand. Daylight savings time is an archaic ritual, the reasons for which have long since stopped being relevant. Who cares if NI keep it, it’s not as if we won’t be able to function. Not only do they want a team of consultants holding one hand but they want the brits holding the other. We’re doomed if this lot ever have to deal with a crisis situation, the country will fall apart around them while they ask consultants and focus groups what would be a popular course of action.
I’ve living in places where this is normal, like Australia and parts of the US. Everyone seems to be missing the bonus here – you can drink until last orders and then hop a taxi and five minutes later drink for another hour until last orders again.
have your say