Friday, August 22, 2008
Updated below!
(Title is stolen from inspired by something Heather B. said and I think Susan quoted. It's been stuck in my head ever since.)
You may remember my previous rant about this, what I haven't told you is that it happened again...and again...and again. Over and over and over....
It's enough to make anyone lose their shit, seriously. One night, while waiting at the bus stop with a friend from work, a guy on a motorcycle went by THREE TIMES to look me over. At the BUS STOP with OTHER PEOPLE STANDING ABOUT!! Luckily, he didn't say anything, because I've lost all patience with this nonsense and...well, hold on, we'll get to that. My work friend asked me what I was so upset about and so I told her that when I am out walking about, guys assume I'm a hooker and I don't understand why or what to do about it! She looked at me and shook her head sadly, "Oh, sweetie, it's cuz you're white." Wha? "In the city, the only white women walking are hookers or crackheads" "Well that's. just. great!" Wait!! It gets better!!
On another night, we were both standing at the same bus stop again, but near the corner so we could watch for our separate buses. I had my back to traffic and we were talking about something when she said, "Uh, oh. Here we go again." "Don't tell me, they're checking me out" "Uh, huh." And then I heard it. "Hey, baby, need a ride?" Fuck. Boy, were they surprised when I whipped around and said, "NO, I DON'T need a RIDE!!" And then, of course, the guy in the passenger seat tossed out, "Well it's looks like you need a ride since you're waiting for the bus!!" Brilliant come back, buddy. As the light turned green, and they started to pull away, though, my friend had a much better one, "She doesn't need a ride from your ugly ass in the PASSENGER SEAT!!"** I laughed so hard, I was crying. Wait!! It still gets better!!
A couple of nights ago, I was waiting at the bus stop alone and in the 45 minutes I had to sit there, one guy honked at me, another stopped WAY before the intersection so that he could leer at me, another guy walking on the opposite side of the street made kissy noises at me and then not one, but two cars pulled over to the curb where I was sitting, on a bench, in the inclosure that was clearly a bus stop. The first one was a little car with 2 hispanic guys in it. They pulled right up to the curb, stared at me and then HONKED THE HORN!!! Yeah. I was talking on my cell phone, but paused long enough to tell them that I was waiting for a bus and made the shoo motion with my hand, then as they pulled away I shouted, "BY THE WAY I'M NOT A FUCKING WHORE!!!" At this point, I'm thinking, please, enough, I can't take much more of this. But no, the second vehicle, a truck this time pulled up, once again, right to the curb and the hispanic guy inside grinned at me. Once again, I had to tell him I'm waiting for the bus and he grinned some more and chirped, "Ok!" (Yes, chirped.) Yeah, yeah, yeah, go away!! I could tell you more, but really, the whole thing is exhausting and I can't get a car fast enough. Really. My life, ladies and gentlemen. I couldn't make this shit up. ((le sigh))
**Remember that song "No Scrubs" by TLC? I totally get that song now! It's always the asshole in the passenger seat with the worst nonsense to say.
Update: It doesn't seem to have anything to do with me, it doesn't matter what I'm wearing, it just seems to have to do with the part of the city I live in. I look around and see a great mix of people, but maybe I'm the only one, I don't know. There's just something about alone+white+female in my part of the city that says hooker to those that patron that sort of thing. My mom told me a few days ago that I'll be able to borrow a family car soon, so my public transportation days are numbered.Labels: public transportation, rant, STL
Are you wearing those white sunglasses LOL... FYI I bought a pair at Target. $5 to wear in the pool at Hurricane Harbor.
Big bulky coat at winter may help.
Although once a toothless old man asked me if I was an ice skater while I was on the bus.
Once my friends and I were walking in Memphis (yeah, I know) because our car broke down, and like fifteen cars of people drove by and yelled, "Ha ha! White girls walking!" Which I thought was pretty funny.
Today is my last day at work, maybe I can just give you a lift until I move. But then you'd have to put up with my conservative talk show radio station and pretty soon you might feel like you prefer being mistaken for a "lady of the night." ;-)
Seriously, if you are feeling to uncomfortable sometime, give my wife or me a call and we'll come get you. No reason to have to put up with that.
I'm kind of surprised that's a problem there, actually.