The Terror Of Catcalling, Ctd

[freshwest]

1. Interesting that the other half of the population is clueless on this.

Sexual assault, just like the possibility of an unwanted pregnancy, and especially from rape, is a fact of life. A guy I knew told me how when he was 18, hitching rides cross country in the rain, an old man picked him up.

Since it was cold, he was grateful when he took him out to eat and offered him to stay at his hotel. Unfortunately, he wanted him to pay for the room 'in kind.'

He exclaimed to me angrily 'After that I never trusted anyone ever again!'

I started to say something regarding the age of 18 being a bit late to consider such a thing, but then, men have always had the freedom to travel alone, be out at night, and do many other things that women must avoid. Rather than lecture, I let it go and just listened to his story.

Any woman who could arrange her life so as to not be hitchhiking, would not. Any woman who was not desperate for a place to sleep, would not take the offer. Because even if an assault has not yet happened, women learn even earlier than 14 that they must restrict their life to avoid kidnapping, assault and murder.

I'm glad this woman had a chance to enlighten these students and help them realize just how heavy a burden this is.