harassment still finding itself close to home

Submitted by: KAV
Location: Yonge & Davisville

What annoys me so much about this particular event is that it happened right outside my apartment building. There's been construction going on here for almost two months now that consistently wakes me up early in the morning and makes my floor vibrate throughout the day, so I'm already irritated with the noise and disruption in my place due to the construction that's being done.

Today I was walking home from the TTC stop and three or four of the construction workers were standing on either side of the sidewalk facing in - I had to walk through them. As I walked past I heard one of the construction workers say "hi", and assuming that he wasn't talking to me I kept walking. It soon became apparent however that he had, in fact been talking to me when he then turned in my direction and in a pervy, suggestive tone told me "don't be shy..."

Don't be shy to do what, exactly?

I guess he didn't expect that I'd just finished a presentation in my feminist literature class... I turned around, walked back and said "Did you really just harass me outside my own building??" The guy looked shocked and embarassed and started to stutter something about how he "was just saying hi!" I turned around and walked back into my building.

I refuse to be intimidated to leave my own apartment. I can't decide whether I should wait and see if this happens again before I report it.