To grown men who sexually harrass teenagers:

[bettyellen]

45. I do think more women fight back these days. But it's often a matter of opportunity.

Those truck drivers could harass the girls because apparently there were just enough pedestrians, and they just harass and drive off, easy. They'd probably not do that in a smaller middle class town if they were on foot- living and working there because there is a bigger chance of reprisals. In a super crowed area, like NYC they'd be less likely to get singled out for shitty behavior. In lower income neighborhoods, cat calling was normalized and sometimes accepted as flattering, because the ladies enduring it were perceived as low in status as you could get. Compared to a lot of other crap in their lives, it was not their biggest grievance either.

I was just harassed horribly and threatened with rape by an odd stranger downtown, and I wouldn't have even bothered to say anything (it was broad daylight and crowded) but I ran into a cop when the guy was in view. I doubt that cop would have done anything at all if it wasn't a very wealthy neighborhood. As it was I had to assure the police he had said some really disturbing violent and pornographic things and moved in to touch me. Only then did he decide to go talk to the guy.
There's a lot more opportunity for this weird stuff in walkable areas, and walking is more of a way of life out here, was my point.