Being followed by strangers

MB, doesn't your exposed arse attract them anyway?

Hey Keydeck, you know the expression Nomen est Omen?

Are there any women on this thread?

No.

That place is bad. The other problem place is Stachaus. between the fountain area and McDonalds. They are always roaming around there.

Penguins?

those too!

I like to stand on the platform at KarlsPlatz with my hand in my pocket. It's not leering; it's admiring.

Haha, very good.

The other problem place...

I thought a while ago it was in some out of the centre of town place?

oh wait, you are making this up as you go along, right.

I like to stand on the rock things around the fountain and pat people who walk by on the head. Occasionally I gob off about Jesus' coming to anyone who will listen. Sometimes I throw coins at people's heads. Sometimes I even follow pixie round in circles, well, after all, it is a circle that fountain and I know how much Pixie likes walking in circles.

wow_just_wow
not the brightest crayon in the box. you keep taking what i am saying, and twisting it, then you confuse yourself. learn how to read

I do find it strange as I've never been followed in all my years in Munich. Maybe that's because I look like a hard mf b*tch.

Sorry, its cos i dont speak "mercan" or whatever bile you said you spoke before.

I never had anything like this happen to me in Munich but it happens to me so much in Paris that I have sometimes reached boiling point. There are some weirdos out there that follow women or harrass women who look different or foreign. I don't know what you look like Broadway but if you have an exotic look to you, that can attrack whackos..in Paris anyway and perhaps even a few in Munich.

I have way too many stories of things happening in Paris to even count them all. But just yesterday had three men harass me. One actually put his arms around me and touched my hair.

Now I scream, "FUCK OFF!" without a moment's hesitation.

Pixie is seriously going to be made to feel inferior cos of that post. 3 times in one day? i doubt even she can claim that!

simply ludicrous.

It is ridiculous Schotte and is one of the reasons I am moving out of my flat and back to a quieter area.

The three instances on Saturday were:

1. I'm sitting in the internet café and suddenly a man comes up behind me, puts his arms around my shoulders!!! and touches my hair!!! Then he says, "What's your name?". I was in such shock that he had his hands on me, I said, "No! get away!"
Then he walked out.

2. I arrived at Pigalle for a friend's party on Saturday night and as I'm on the phone with him looking for the place, some Muslim (they are very often Muslim - that's a fact, not a predjudice) says, "oooh" and tries to speak to me. That's when I yelled "fuck off!" because I was already upset about the man who touched me in the internet cafe

3. When I left the party I was in the Ubahn and yet another obviously Muslim man got on and said in English, "wow" as he walked by. I just stared at the window. Then he sits in the seat behind me with his back to me and starts whispering things in French in my ear. His friend was laughing. I turned around and said loudly, "I don't understand you and I'm married with three children and my husband is violent"

He got off at the next station.

This kind of thing happens ALL the time. In July and August it was so bad that I actually started wearing a wedding ring that my sister sent me. It didn't help that much, it only kept the decent men away.

I have been followed in the metro, whistled at from men in a delivery truck and when I ignored them and didn't even look, they called out at me, "Pute" (whore). I was dressed in a business suit at the time and walking in front of Trinite Church where my office was.

The Muslim men are the worst. They will make strange noises with their mouths and try to speak to me.

One day at Chatelet by the time I got from one end of the street to the other, FOUR men, really, fucking 4 of them, had either approached me or said something to me. By the time I met my friends (on of them is a TTer) at the end of the street..I was so fed up I felt exhausted from it. It's hard to explain.

This only happens in certain areas of Paris though. Thankfully there will be some relief when I move. It's not shadowy, unseen figures following me, it's assertive men getting right up in my face.

As I told Saint, I have had the same experiences in Munich during the day (in the main shopping area round Marienplatz), but they are not as aggressive and I am so good at spotting them now, I can usually assume a frozen bitchy face and avoid eye contact before it goes any further.

Sometimes I think they must try 100 women, 1000 women and one finally says yes, so its an averages game for them.

@Saint
I can assure you that you will not be bothered in the future if you cover all those indecent, naughty bits like hair, wrist, face etc. Have pity on those poor men who are completely unable to control their hormones at the sight of a beautiful woman! It's a well-known fact that we Western women are loose, slutty and of low moral. What are these men supposed to think when you walk through the streets of Paris showing off your beautiful new, red hair? Or worse even, wearing a well-cut business suit!? Now you can consider yourself lucky, because I am feeling benevolent today, otherwise I might even suggest that you deserve punishment for the unnecessary provocation, not these poor, hapless men! Mon Dieu! Les femmes n'ont pas/ne reçoivent pas ce qu'elles méritent.

Well my Dear MajorBummer, you certainly hit the nail on the head. Now if I could just carry a hammer around with me without being to conspicuous. That's just what the world needs; another Infidel with a hammer.

Saint, how do you know these men harassing you are Muslim?

They stop every couple of blocks for prayers. Saint has to wait for them to finish.

Darn it, living out in the country is making me feel a little left out. Does being followed by a pony when I cut across a field count? We haven't actually been properly introduced, so it could technically count as a stranger!?

You should be flattered by the attention. It would be nicer if the follower was human, I agree, but you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Don't mind him, he's just horsing around.

People, this is really oatrageous. This girl is clearly not interested in a roll in the hay with a muslim pony. It would behoove you all to stick it in your bagpipes.

Because they look like this, only less clean:


And they speak heavily accented French and are normally with other men dressed, behaving and speaking just like them. And sometimes they carry signs saying: "Hug me I'm Muslim"

But hey, I could be wrong, the could be California surfers.

ps
Paris has the largest Muslim population of any European city. That increases the chances of coming into contact with Muslim men. Unfortunately, not all Muslim men are female friendly and respectful.

Well Saint, I hope you have enough horse sense not to let this happen to you again! Otherwise I'd have to get on my high horse again.

Ok, that's enough.

No worries MB, I just bought a new business suit for casual days at the office

That's quite a fine filly you got there, Saint.

Oops, I did it again.

Hi there Sorry to hear about your troubles - do not let it get you down- I guess it is just one of those things relocating to another country one has to go through these kind of teething problems ... living in JHB in South Africa one always need to be "on guard"(sometimes to the extreme) - when my sister visited me from the UK in SA when I still lived there she found the way I carried myself very amusing - I think she termed it aggressive... I never took note of it as it is just a way of life there - just made me think of your situation - maybe it would help if you put some thought into what your body language says - the way you walk , the way you carry your bags , if you exploring a new area try always to look as if you know exactly where you are and what you doing , as other people have already said the whole eye contact thing , also when approached I guess one does not need to be too rude as that could maybe aggravate the situation but be very firm maybe hold hand up to indicate your not interested and keep walking (I know this can sometimes be hard- by nature I am a friendly person and can also land up in situations like you ) - I also think if you ever really spooked and in real doubt rather walk into the nearest pub or shop until the "unwanted" disappear - I think it is important to follow your instinct and not just think that you been paranoid ...(but maybe that is my paranoia left over from JHB still:-)) I find Germany to be very safe and in general I find German people to be very helpful and friendly in an event where assistance is really required ... Also not sure if it helps but when I first got here I felt very intimidated because I did not speak German very well at all and in some ways it made me very shy and a little bit of a walk over (one day some man yelled at me in the supermarket - he was just been plain rude and totally out of line but all I could do was stand and look at him as I did not have the confidence to tell him where to get off but now I try my best to have a different attitude - Just because my German is not 100% it does not give anyone the right to treat me badly/as a dummy and I put an effort into trying to carry myself with the usual confidence I would have at home .. Anyway that's my two cents for what it is worth ... I hope you will continue your exploring and enjoying life in Germany and seeing all the wonderful things in it and not let a few idiots get you down !

Have to agree on the body language thing. I have to say, stopping and staring and telling them to go away in whatever language never really worked for me... they only seemed more amused by it. What worked best for me is first identifying potential followers ahead of time, and then adopting the cold stare, heavy-footed "don't mess with me" walk and a shooting a quick snide glance in their direction. That seems to head off any trouble.

theres no need to make fun of people who speak a different first language from you.

racist.

QUOTE(Saint @ Nov 12 2007, 11:44 am)
The Muslim men are the worst. They will make strange noises with their mouths and try to speak to me.

She's obviously never been to Glasgow...

...or Cork.

Too true, however at least people can and want to go there... as distinct to Westmeath which, before it became a suburb of Dublin, was surely the best kept secret in Ireland...

Schotte, you're being followed by a stranger RIGHT NOW...

I would count a "teuchter" singing "Donald woooors yeeeeer trooosers" and "The lights of auuuld Abeeeeerdeen" as a person singing a different language too.

Yes I would make fun of them and so would most people from Glasgow.

I have been hassled in Munich on a Sunday afternoon while reading in a cafe. I think some people are just freak-magnets and you have to live with it.

Honourable friend, Westmeath by virtue of the Barony is an autonomous geographical entity. We are still fighting for political freedom and independence from them hoors in the Pale and with the courageous help of our leader, Mary O'Rourke (St.) victory will be ours. The war cry of the Rantapine may be faint around the hills of Rathmore and Kilkenny West right now but the ominous rumblings of the lorryloads of Semtex can be heard in the distance. Corkonians - you're either with us in this fight or you're against us. We intend to treat our supporters generously when the Rantapine reigns.

They clearly thought that Ardvark never did anyone any harm

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