Women Share Times They Were Being Followed And A Stranger Stepped In To Help Them
There’s nothing more disturbing than being followed by a stranger while on your own. Sadly, so many women out there have experienced the feeling at least once in their lifetimes. And the fear sticks to you. Gallup’s annual crime survey showed that 45% of women in the US do not feel safe walking alone at night, compared with 27% of men.
This Twitter thread reveals just how united women are when it comes to protecting each other on the streets. When one girl wrote on Twitter “If a girl suddenly acts as if she knows you in public and acts like you’re friends, go along w it she could be in danger,” it immediately resonated with others.
More women joined the thread and shared their own stories of being followed and saved, or protecting someone else. It all reveals just how important it is to keep an eye on what’s going on around you and stepping in when your gut is telling you to.
This woman shared how to make sure you don’t miss out on helping other women who are being stalked
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Others quickly started sharing their own terrifying stories
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Every one of us can become a better bystander against harassment—especially when it happens in public spaces like public transport, streets, and metros. Claire Tatyzo, who runs intervention workshops, suggests “instead of giving yourself reasons to avoid intervening, think about the reasons you should do something.”
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Here some practical pieces of advice on how to do so. First, if you witness someone harassing a woman with an improper line, joke, or acting poorly in general, call them out. “That’s not ok” or “it’s not funny” would be enough to make the harasser think twice before doing it again.
Second, employ the “old friend” method that has been discussed in the thread. According to ABC, one man in one of Tatyzo’s workshops saw a woman being harassed at a bus stop. He went up to her, pretending to know her, and said, “Hey, Sally,” which created an opening for her to leave. Another way is to interrupt other passersby and tell them that you’re lost.
And third, if you ever feel like someone may be in a problematic situation, often trusting your gut should be fine—simply check on them. Ask them if they’re okay, and if needed, ask again. Asking and double-checking is never too much, and it can literally change the whole situation.
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One girl described the terrifying moment she and her brother were followed by a white van
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Another had issues with a stranger on the bus
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One person shared another great way how to help someone in a dangerous situation
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And this girl shared the frightening moment she was followed by a stalker
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Men also started asking how they could help if they see something like this happening
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And this woman gave them the perfect solution how not to scare the girl but help her instead
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A lot of times it can diffuse the situation to also just call the person out. I personally feel that one reason this has never happened to me is because I'll start right back with a mean look. If I keep being followed or started at I'll loudly say "ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME???" or "WHAT ARE.YOU LOOKING AT?". That stops most creeps very quickly.because they don't want the attention drawn to them.
But it's so scarybto do that. What if it provokes the person ?
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I took a snap of a dude i thought looked like a douche, he was groping a lady at the bus stop. I first thought they were mid consentual making out, but then i saw her face and she looked sooo young. I then acted like i knew her, and im very glad i did. She was 17, too drunk and was ghosted by her friends and this creep were trying to get her home with her. I took her on the bus with me, got her to call her parentes on my Phone to come get her. Her father called me the next day thanking me, i sent them the pic i snapped and they reported the creep. Dont know what happened after, but now im no longer afraid of stepping in if my gut is telling me to.
In most cases I had confronted the stranger or / and called the cops. You never know who might be the next one he will follow.
Janine, on behalf of all victims, and possible victims, thankyou for including "called the cops" as one of your possible responses. Not all strangers need to be reported... but those who do, absolutely do. Too often people won't, assuming that someone else will deal with it. You are one of the few who HAVE, & DO take action - and for that, THANKYOU.
Load More Replies... A lot of times it can diffuse the situation to also just call the person out. I personally feel that one reason this has never happened to me is because I'll start right back with a mean look. If I keep being followed or started at I'll loudly say "ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME???" or "WHAT ARE.YOU LOOKING AT?". That stops most creeps very quickly.because they don't want the attention drawn to them.
But it's so scarybto do that. What if it provokes the person ?
Load More Replies... I took a snap of a dude i thought looked like a douche, he was groping a lady at the bus stop. I first thought they were mid consentual making out, but then i saw her face and she looked sooo young. I then acted like i knew her, and im very glad i did. She was 17, too drunk and was ghosted by her friends and this creep were trying to get her home with her. I took her on the bus with me, got her to call her parentes on my Phone to come get her. Her father called me the next day thanking me, i sent them the pic i snapped and they reported the creep. Dont know what happened after, but now im no longer afraid of stepping in if my gut is telling me to.
In most cases I had confronted the stranger or / and called the cops. You never know who might be the next one he will follow.
Janine, on behalf of all victims, and possible victims, thankyou for including "called the cops" as one of your possible responses. Not all strangers need to be reported... but those who do, absolutely do. Too often people won't, assuming that someone else will deal with it. You are one of the few who HAVE, & DO take action - and for that, THANKYOU.
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