road

Vali

Sunday: watched a woman forced off the road by aggressive and dangerous drivers. On a road technically with a national speed limit (60mph), but impossible to do those speeds due to tight turns. Overtaking forbidden. She perhaps didn’t know the road and was cautious on the turns – dropping to 20-30mph. The car behind her was getting impatient. Driving close to her bumper. When her break light showed it would be accompanied by the horn sounding from the car behind. Finally there was a left hand turn that she pulled into. The tailgater blared their horn and speeded past. The next car dipped towards the woman (now still and off the main road), before straighting last minute and speeding off sounding their horn. I was third behind. Stopped to let her back on the main road. She had been reduced to tears.

Demelza

While crossing the road to meet a friend for lunch I continued down a small path towards the tube station. Headphones in, I jump when a man in his twenties who can’t be much older than me taps on my shoulder. Pulling out my headphones I look around to see if I’ve dropped something and he is being lovely and letting me know. No, this man proceeds to tell me I am ‘the most beautiful THING he has ever seen, that he had let me cross the road at the crossing and had HAD TO park his car, jump out and chase me down this path to tell me this.’ Thoroughly creeped out I grimace/smiled and said thank you, making to walk away. “No, no, do you have a boyfriend I want your number” he asked urgently. I replied, “I actually have a fiance, of 8 years, I’ve just come from our shared house, so yes I am with someone, and I don’t think he or I would be okay with giving you my number.” Never ready to give up our knight in rusted armour proclaimed “but he aint your husband yet is he?” He then proceeded to pull my hand/mobile which was unlocked and put his number in my phone. I did nothing, frozen in shock and confusion. He then rang his number from my phone and put himself as a contact and mine in his. He said he would text me later that day.. When horrified and seeking female support I text my friends following him sauntering back to his car. What did my friends say? “Yep, guys are getting smarter, they prank call your phones now to make sure you aren’t giving them a fake one, we just now have to have a block list as long as our arms.” This event took place, midday in the UK in London.

Helena

A man hang out of the window of a van, while I was passing on my bike he leaned out further trying to touch me, I gave him an angry look while he looked back at me with a blank, surprised face; totally oblivious to the fact that his behaviour was unacceptable.