Street harrasment: "If You Can't Slap 'Em, Snap 'Em"

The NYTimes recently reported a story of a woman who caught a man trying to take pictures up her skirt from the subway, by snapping a picture of him with her camera-phone. Apparently the man was "was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court on Wednesday on misdemeanor charges of unlawful surveillance, attempted sexual abuse and harassment."

For anyone who has lived in NY, this behavior doesn't quite shock, "On crowded subways and streets, women have long been targets of deliberate jostling, groping, obscene photography and indecent exposure."

This is not a rare event, and not isolated to cities. I experienced indecent exposure twice while living in NY, and once even in my suburban childhood home: at our back door, all the way down the driveway. Disturbing doesn't quite cover the feeling.

In an older NYTimes article noted

This week, as the Police Department announced the arrest of 13 men charged with groping and flashing women in the subways, women around the city nodded. Yes, they said, this had happened to them. Yesterday. Last month. Last fall. Twenty years ago.

Started in 2005, a blog-style website encourages people to post pictures of harassers caught on such cell phones: Hollaback NYC.
The site also highlights other blogs in different cities, resources for self-defense and legal links.

...HollaBackNYC is a collective comprised of men and women who believe in building communities where everyone feels comfortable, safe, and respected. Many people, particularly men, are unaware of the frequency and severity of disrespect and intimidation that numerous folks, especially women, experience in public spaces on a daily basis. HollaBackNYC aims to expose and combat street harassment as well as provide an empowering forum in this struggle.

Add hollabacknyc@gmail.com to your cellphone and send pics straight to Holla Back NYC

Action at your fingertips.