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It can be easy for people to forget what others go through while walking alone if they don't often experience it themselves.
Women and LGBTQ+ people often face incidents of street harassment from unwanted attention and comments to catcalling, sexual harassment and even assault just while they're trying to go to work or run errands or just go for a walk.
Rebekah, or @rebekahlindsayyyy on TikTok, recently shared a video that went viral of her walking to work. As she went down the sidewalk, she had to walk past a group of men who were socializing on a stoop.
As she passed the group, one man tried to get her attention by saying:
"I hope you have a good day at work, miss."
Rebekah turned and asked:
"Excuse me?"
The man repeated his statement and she answered:
"Oh, I thought you were begging for money or something."
The men laughed at her response and one could be heard saying:
"I like that. That was a good comeback."
You can watch the video here:
Rebekah fortunately was able to not only walk away from this incident unharmed but also with a funny story to share, given her comeback as well as the men's reactions to it.
TikTok quickly flooded the video with comments, amused by their fellow TikToker's quick thinking.
Some were impressed by the videographer's comeback.
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
Others felt the need to comment on the "comeback" remark.
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
But there was more discussion about what led to filming in the first place.
Many at risk individuals have begun the habit of filming themselves while alone when they're about to encounter a group of strangers. It makes it less likely for something truly dangerous to happen, as it will be caught on film.
What some TikTokers couldn't understand was how this qualified as street harassment, as the man appeared to be making a nonsexual comment to the woman filming, without explicitly commenting on her appearance or his sexual interest in her.
But others pointed out this still counted as street harassment, as he likely would not have given the same attention to another man and his comment inherently was unsolicited, disruptive and attention-seeking, which is at the root of all forms of street harassment.
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
@rebekahlindsayyyy/TikTok
While TikTok couldn't agree over whether this qualified as street harassment, the video shared an important reminder of what many people, especially women and LGBTQ+ folks, go through on a daily basis while out in public.
Everyone should remember it can be more important to be safe than to be polite, especially when someone we don't know approaches us.