As a man stopped and pretended to tie his jacket around his waist, he watched me eat my lunch on Hillsborough Street.
I was sitting outside Jimmy Johns, enjoying my Turkey Tom (yum!) while this total stranger was standing less than ten feet away from me on the sidewalk, smiling to himself and watching me intently as I stuffed my face. As this continued for two minutes, I began to think about two things.
One, I was thinking how creepy this was. I started planning my escape route in case he began to approach me. Two, I was thinking just how much women are objectified in this world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been walking to class on Hillsborough, minding my own business, then a car drives by with the music loud and a guy leans over and says to me, “Hey baby, where you goin‘?” (My subconscious’s response? ‘Uh, I’m going to get an education, where are you going, half dressed and reeking of cigarette smoke? I know your mama didn’t teach you to talk to women that way.’)
Even the truck drivers that drive down Hillsborough turn their heads as college girls walk by, pointing at us to show their buddies. It’s a heyday for the garbage trucks when girls walk by in their shorts and skirts. These men are making us objects to be oggled, and they’re not ashamed of showing it. What is wrong with men in today’s world? Why are they so open to be a drooling dog the second a woman comes around?
Have they no shame? What happened to chivalry? Well, as they say, my friends, it. is. dead.
The older man who tends to the parking garage where I park my car even likes to check me out each morning. As I get out of my car, I check to see if my shirt is riding up, just to make sure I’m not giving him something to see. Every morning, as girls walk by men waiting at the bus stops, I watch the men check them out from behind.
On campus, it’s even worse. As the workmen ride around on their gators and in their work trucks, they stare at girls as they’re walking to class. You would think these men would know better. Once, a man on his gator turned his head completely around to watch me and my friend as we walked by. The whole time I was thinking, ‘please don’t let this guy run over a student.’
So is this something that we women should just “get used to?” Or should we stand up and fight it, telling the drooling men that we are just not interested? The times have changed from when women were just objects; we are now successful students and future businesswomen. It’s about time men started viewing us as equals. So next time you realize you’re being oggled by a gross older man, try the infamous Jenna Marbles’ face, and tell him you’re not interested.
Photo sources:
http://www.lunavidaentertainment.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/pickup-4…
http://thenew1037.cbslocal.com/2010/10/19/golden-rule-to-tell-if-shes-no…