a series of creeps at Nuit Blanche

Submitted by: Merlisa
Location: College subway station, the subway, and then Yonge/Eglinton

It's been a while since this happened but I feel like I should share my story. This happened during Nuit Blanche, which is an art event that I'm sure many Torontonians are familiar with. I get sexually harassed often, but this happened way too many times in such a short span of time, that I feel like I should share this.

I was going home late at night while Nuit Blanche was going on in the streets. I was going to take the bus, and I was waiting there for a few minutes when this old man kept trying to make conversation with me. I just ignored him, and he kept asking questions over and over again. Gross.

The bus was taking forever (and I didn't want to deal with the pervert any longer), so I decided to take the subway instead. I was waiting on the platform at College station, which was full of people. I passed by this one man who I thought made this grunting animal noise at me when I walked by. I wasn't actually sure if he did it, and just to make sure, I walked by him again, and he grunted at me again. Um, ew. He kept looking at me and I just stood away from him.

The subway comes, and I sit down. It must have been only 5 minutes after the grunting guy went away, that this other guy starts harassing me. I have my iPod on, and he's looking at me and keeps yelling at me, waving at me, trying to get my attention. I pretended I couldn't hear. He was with his friends and they were all laughing. This went on for a while, until we (both of us, unfortunately) got off at Eglinton station.

Now, I'm at Eglinton and Yonge, and the previous guy is gone. I start walking along Yonge St, past this big crowd of people waiting for the bus, and this tall creep sticks his hand out and tries to shake my hand and say hi to me. Ughhh!

So this is my Nuit Blanche story. And I know it may not be as gross as some stories where perverts are jacking off or whatever, but I felt very unsafe that night. I'm not a super tiny girl, I'm about 5'5 or so, but being harassed 4 different times by random men on the street is NOT fun. Its scary and unwanted.