To The Man Who Threatened Me In Broad Daylight
There are a few things I'd like to thank you for.
Dear F*cking Asshole,
You may not remember me, but I remember you like it happened yesterday, and not a little over a week ago.
As I walked out of Burger King into the broad daylight, you held open the door for me - nice. I said thank you, to which you responded, "You know I'll follow you home right?"
I was shocked. Is this something you regularly do, harass unsuspecting women in fast food joints? Or do you only save your charm for special ladies like me? To my relief, you stayed in the restaurant. Whether you saw my boyfriend waiting outside (who could have easily beaten your ass, by the way) or it was just a sick joke, I'll never know.
I may have been the only person in the world close enough to hear what you said to me, but I'm as sure of what I heard as I am about the rising of the sun.
Though you'll probably never read this, I want to express the impact that those seven words had and still have on me. I couldn't enjoy lunch in the beautiful, sunny weather and I looked over my shoulder for the rest of the day.
What you did was disgusting, but you reminded me of a few important things, and I want to take the time to thank you.
Firstly, you reminded me that I need to buy more mace since mine got confiscated at a basketball game a few months ago. It's an essential item for a single woman living in a city and I'd been neglecting to replace it, so thanks for helping with my grocery list!
You reminded me of why, when I get dressed up and put makeup on, I ask myself in the back of my mind if I'm drawing too much attention to myself and if I'll be harassed for it. That day, I was dressed up for a job interview and felt like a beautiful badass - until you broke down that confidence with seven words.
The fact that taking care of myself and wearing clothes that I feel good in makes me scared for my safety, says something about society, and you are contributing to that. You reminded me that in 2019, people still can't comprehend the impact that their words have on others. In 2019, people also still don't have enough respect for women to, like, not threaten them in public for no reason.
You reminded me that no matter how comfortable I get as a single woman living in a big city, I always need to be aware of the potential dangers around me. I need to constantly be aware of my surroundings, even doing simple things like buying french fries four blocks from my house, because of people like you.
Sincerely,
Every woman this happens to on a daily basis
