I was studying abroad in Spain and decided to go for a walk one Sunday afternoon to clear my head as I’d been cooped up inside writing an essay all day. I walked to an area on the map I’d never been to before and soon realised that it was a pretty dodgy end of town. Having been catcalled by men driving by in cars 4 times, I decided it was time to make my way back home sharpish.
As I was walking back I suddenly heard a voice behind me calling several times (in Spanish) ‘Bonita!’, ‘Do you want to be my best friend?’ and finally, ‘Don’t you speak Spanish?’ (as if that would be the only reason stopping me from replying!) I turned round briefly to see how close he was and realised it was one of the men who had called from his car a little earlier and that he had been driving in the opposite direction which means he not only turned his car around but also parked it and got out in order to follow me. I didn’t reply and practically ran back to my flat, fortunately he stopped following me after about 100m.
I was so shaken up for the week that followed and asked my Spanish friend whether she’d experienced anything similiar: she explained ‘You have to go into a shop or a bar when that happens’, I told her that it was a Sunday so nothing was open and she just said ‘Oh, that’s too bad’.