"I was just trying to be nice" and other tropes

Here's a great firsthand account of the kind of harassment women face that's become all-too commonplace.

I read the story first on Tumblr, and have been hesitant to link it (a lot of people are particularly private when it comes to their Tumblr blogs despite its being a public platform), but it went viral pretty quickly, and people are taking notice for better or worse. The Jezebel comments have been pretty disappointing. I know Jezebel has changed a lot in the past few years, and while it's only a feminist blog in the most peripheral sense of the word, I do expect better of their commentariat. Stop the victim blaming! Yes, teaching women ways to diffuse sexual harassment is a valuable tool, but it's even more valuable to teach guys to STOP DOING IT.

What bothers me most reading these stories is the perception that men are somehow "owed" attention from women. If a stranger doesn't want to talk to you, she doesn't want to talk to you. End of story.