• more about #closeencounters more comments →
    Nighthawk (the former Okori Wadsworth) is headed back to DGUSA in November!: I bit the bullet and decided to sign up for an official Jezebel account. No more firing in and out of Facebook like a drunken sailor for me. So, with ... more »
    Okori Wadsworth: As a guy living here in NYC (and I'd like to hope a pretty aware one) I figured out the best thing to do whenever a situation like this comes up: be a... more »
    JakGuy: A male perspective: There are two scenarios with the too-friendly deli guy. In the first, he's being flirtatious, and that is understandably uncomfort... more »
    Topsyjane: I have this in spades now. I moved to a small town after living in NYC for twenty years. There I had my game face perfected. Now I live in a very smal... more »
    skahammer: Not trying to draw an equivalence -- but as a straight man I've been approached inappropriately by sexually aggressive men and women, and I'm always s... more »
    AliCamillus: I work in electronic sales. If it isn't the creepy guy rubbing my back after getting me in the back corner of the store, or the fake-senile old man pu... more »
    Kathy with a K: I don't think anyone is going to read this, but I want to get it off my chest anyway. (It's so good to see that so many people have stories about this... more »
    PrettyPrettyPrincess: I think it boils down to this - if a guy is even vaguely interested in a girl, he will see even the smallest friendly gesture as encouragement and a s... more »
    SarahMC: Also, a lot of the defensive, befuddled responses from men reminds me of "but I didn't realize I was raping her!" apologism. Pay attention to women's ... more »
    PrettyPrettyPrincess: I have to get this off my chest. The last stranger who said the smile thing to me actually said 'Smile! You catch more flies with honey!' I get the fl... more »
    Veni Vermini Vomui: I don't know if anyone said it, but sometimes, can't you cut a guy a break? The girl at my grocery store started to smile and say hi and recognize me ... more »
    DwayneCabango: This reminds me of a time when I stayed at a small out of the way hotel for business. It was late so I ordered a pizza from an outside place and told... more »
    robot ninja spy: Forgive me if this has been said; I've been trying to catch up on this thread all day to no avail, but what pisses me off more than any of this is whe... more »
    Mediokra: Seriously, Sadie, thank you for posting this. I have been in this situation and reading this post and everyone's reactions (and similar encounters) ha... more »
    Everything MidnightBikeRide does is a balloon.: Can I please just have some platonic male friends without getting creeped all over? With me this happens not so much around total strangers but with p... more »
  • #closeencounters

    When The Nice Guy Down The Street Makes You Uncomfortable

    "Real" harassment against women is, of course, awful, unwanted, and, for some, traumatic. But for a woman, every day can present a hundred smaller, less obvious violations to her comfort zone that keep her on guard. More »