Groped at Midday

I shared my story a few weeks back about the bus stop in Edmonton. I thought I’d come by and share another experience. Of course, I always have to pick the worst of the bunch, because if I wrote in with every experience I’ve ever had with street harassment, I’d do little else.

Anyway, I was walking down the street in downtown Edmonton in the middle of the day. It was the middle of summer, and, since the summers are so hot there, I was wearing a sundress. I didn’t hear the man walking behind me until I felt his breath on the back of my neck. He lifted my skirt and grabbed my butt with both hands.
I spun around and started to yell at him “Hey!” He ran off so fast that I didn’t get a good look at him. I just knew that he had black hair and a smaller build. I didn’t feel like chasing him, so I just screamed “Fuck off!” at his back.

Sadly, it was eight years before I shared that experience with anyone else. I knew I’d most likely be blamed for it for wearing a sundress that flattered my body. I was so used to being blamed for my own harassment at this point that I’d stopped talking about it. It wasn’t until I discovered this website that I started talking about it again.

– MH

Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

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