Cat Calls

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Dana Sheets
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Cat Calls

Post by Dana Sheets »

On Sunday I was reminded why I usually run at the gym and why I used to wear headphones all the time when I walked alone.

In the course of a 50 minute jog I was cat called five times and honked at three times. A couple of them had an amazing undercurrent of predation. "Hey sweetie, why don't you get in the van?" and the car that slowed down and crawled along the road next to me for a hundred feet or so. That one set off enough alarms that I turned and changed my route.

In both cases I stayed aware of them but ignored them. Pretended not hear...turned a blind eye...all the time thinking in my mind what a pain they were being.

At a certain level I can put up with cat calls that are simply expressions of admiration. But when I get that icky vibe that this isn't someone just looking, this is someone who would like more than a look...well...yuck.

I was in a t-shirt and baggy sweats, I was wearing a baseball cap, running shoes, and looking straight ahead and I'm not exactly a cover girl at 5'3" 120#. So these events were definitely more about opportunity than my looks.

Tell me guys - how many times have you been cat-called five times in one hour when out on a Sunday jog? It certinally doesn't enhance the experience.

Flattery is different from even passing predatory entitlement. And it just ain't fun.
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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

cenario 2--Woman walks alone down street, car of males slows to offer/insult/coral her into taking a "ride" with them. According to this conflict, the woman yells back, but in order to do so, gets closer to the car than any lone and cautious woman really would. The narrator, a clinical, scientific professor-lady frames the lessons from each scene: that catcalling is a misdirected and ineffective form of communication. Maybe.
http://www.getunderground.com/undergrou ... cle_ID=754

Don't agree with the most of the rest of what is on the page but the above scenario is something I've seen time and time again.
Furthermore, the roll play undermined this perfectly plausible, if too timid solution when the scenario depicted a father talking to his daughter about rude boys, and avoided the greater necessity of challenging the rude boys about their rude behavior. By ignoring altogether men's responsibility for their own actions, the performance inadvertently demonstrated women are somehow responsible for their own victimization.
Shouldn't I have just told them all to go to hell? Right....
Catcalling could be explained as:
a. An un-evolved mode of flirting
b. An unwarranted compliment and unavoidable fact of life for attractive females; especially in New York City
c. A revolting attack on a women's sense of self, personal space and security in public
d. A harmless, competitive protrusion of masculinity; often the habit of boredom
e. All of the above
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CANDANeh
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An un-evolved mode of flirting

Post by CANDANeh »

"An un-evolved mode of flirting"

About sums it up
Flirting can be healthy and fun challenge but catcalling is in my opinion foolishness and I`m not aware of any guys "scoring" a date with this form behaviour. If so, one party was not to bright.

:roll:
Beware...the get in the van thing or with more than one guy edging each other on could be dangerous.
Léo
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f.Channell
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Post by f.Channell »

Dana,
I was only cat called once in my life by a bunch of drunk guys while I was running who saw the mullet and didn't know I was a dude.
Made my skin crawl.
I was flashed by a bunch of girls a couple of years ago in a car while riding my bike, although I ride the same route luck hasn't come my way again.
As a father I am aware of male glances toward my daughter which I pretend not to notice at this point. :twisted:

Only advice I could offer is running against traffic so they can't slowly drive alongside and even possibly try to abduct you.

My niece had to run into the woods and hide once when a van full of guys called out to her, turned around and drove up and down looking in the woods for her. This was in a State Park.

Maybe a small weapon might give some piece of mind, also useful with dogs as well.

F.
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jorvik

Post by jorvik »

I've never understood this :? .I once saw a really gorgeous woman walking along in a small dress and as the wind blew at it , all these construction workers started to call after her like a pack of baying dogs, she was obviously upset by it changed her posture and clung to her dress .if these morons where real men they could have watched a beautiful woman walk past on a hot sunny day. did it challenge their manliness to just watch ??.did they think such behavior would make them look better in her eyes 8O ...I really don't know where they where coming from :?
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

While I would never condone cat calling, and find it highly unacceptable and the actions of lower social behavior, there perhaps is one good thing to come of it.

Obviously a large volume of the local male gender finds you ravishingly hot.
:wink:
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f.Channell
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Post by f.Channell »

None of them alone probably would have said a word.
But together they formed a wolf pack.
Image

F.
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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

Meta you, are a card. In the nicest possible way.

"Ravishing" is not really in the typical aggregate of modifiers used in reference to my person. I felt more like meat on a hook than a babe in the woods.
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AAAhmed46
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Post by AAAhmed46 »

PRAISE BE TO ALLAH AND THE KORAN!!!!

WOMAN ARE OBJECTS!

THEY DONT DESERVE DIGNITY.

HAHAHAHAHAHAHA

JIHAD! JIHAD! BURKA BURKA BURKA! JIHAD!



On a serious note, i know some female friends that really complain about this.

Obviously 90% of woman dont like it.


So why is it that, to this day: Guys still do it!
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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

ROTFLMAO
I loved "Team America World Police"!!!!!
:lol:
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JimHawkins
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Post by JimHawkins »

AAAhmed46 wrote: On a serious note, i know some female friends that really complain about this.

Obviously 90% of woman dont like it.
Of course, but if you fill a truck with girls, drive by any man jogger and have them all hoot and holler at him how do you think he'd react?

Most men of any status from what I've seen will just love it and tell all their friends about it for the next decade or so.. :lol:

Different for women I suppose...

But hey in most cases it IS a compliment.. You look attractive and someone noticed it--no matter how half assed the expression was! Hey there may come a day when you wish folks would still scream out how hot they think you are..! :lol: 8)
AAAhmed46 wrote: So why is it that, to this day: Guys still do it!
To put it into perspective IMO to understand this behavior in some males you have to combine at least these two elements:

1. The mindset of a group of fun loving women <women so women can relate> hooting and hollering at an upscale male strip club on "Lucy's 40th birthday."

And

2. A pack of wild wolves all deeply engaged in a long, deep DNA driven howl at the moon...

I guess what is hard for women is to separate the howling canines from true predators..

You don't need to be a super model to be VERY attractive to most guys. But most of the time those who howl with the pack are incapable of making a genuine attempt at interaction, or at least one that would elicit a civil response. So, they get it off their chest the best way they can while validating each other's heterosexuality and they have fun doing, it for better or worse.

As in any other possible threat situation women should take care not to encourage whackos and just move on.. Anyone who follows you or makes you uncomfortable should be treated like any other threat.
Shaolin
M Y V T K F
"Receive what comes, stay with what goes, upon loss of contact attack the line" – The Kuen Kuit
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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

A compliment? Right. I should feel good that men toss off predatory comments to lone women? They're not complimenting me when they use predation terms. They're making themselves feel powerful, making themselves feel good. It isn't about me. I'm simply a convinient excuse to show off some ego.

They know they've crossed a line when they say something like "wanna get in the van sweetie." and should I dare to call them on it I'd be called a bitch.

So the allusion to a howling pack of canines is quite apt because in their eyes I'm seen as somehow being a needy felmale in heat because I happened to jog past them.

:roll:
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MikeK
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Post by MikeK »

I'm a caveman and a MC Pig, but I don't think men yelling out their car windows is being complimentary towards any woman. It's dumb behavior that at best won't impress most any female.
In regards to certain types of clubs there is a game being played with certain rules to be followed by the players. One side is doing stunts to seperate the suckers from their money and the other is being allowed to behave in a normally unacceptable manner by turning over that money. It's not reality, and the gals don't really feel complimented.
Last edited by MikeK on Fri May 12, 2006 6:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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-Metablade-
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Post by -Metablade- »

Yesterday while driving, I noticed a young woman walking down the street, and she was holding a clothing store bag.
As she walked, articles kept falling out of it, and she was unknowingly leaving a trail of merchandise behind her.

I sharply pulled up to the intersection, and before she could cross the street, I looked at her through the passenger side FROM the driver side (which I forgot to roll down because my new car has power windows and I am not used to such luxeries) and loudly I began saying and was motioning: Behind YOU! You dropped your stuff! BEHIND YOU BACK THERE!!! (and I'm making the "twirl your body around" motion with my finger.) She did glance behind her, but she didn't see the items, so, like a doofus, I raised my voice and made more motions.)
The look on her face turned from surprise to apprehension then a bit of horror.)
I then realized what I must have looked like to her...
I tried to change my expression, and mouthed (with a look of desparation on my face):
"God, No, wait, you don't understand, YOU...DROPPED...YOUR...STUFF...BACK...THERE!!!!" But it was too late. Her expression turned into survival mode and before I made things worse, I decided to drive off.

Great...I can see it now. She goes home to her roommate and says:

Woman: "You'll never believe what happened to me today! Some pervert pulled up to me in his car, blocked my path, and tried to accost me from his car!"

Roommate: "Geez! What is this city coming to?"

Or..

Woman: "Some raving lunatic verbally accosted me motioned for me to do my little turn on the cat-walk, then started yelling incomprehensibly, then drove off. Hmmm...I seem to be missing my dress and other stuff I bought today.."

Roommate: "You probably left them at the store, but seriously, you should carry some mace or something!"


How embarrassing..!
:oops: :oops:

Further proof that no good OR bad deed ever goes unpunished.
:lol:
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Dana Sheets
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Post by Dana Sheets »

Goodness. I'm sure after she got home she realized what the heck you were doing and feels silly for being so skittish. Ah well. C'est la vie.

New car? What did you end up buying Meta? You know you miss your Nissan. (I'm a big nissan fan myself.)
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