Anyone on MN *never* been flashed at?

"I didn't brood on it or find it scary. I think this is a better reaction than being shocked and horrified, tbh."

Well, yes, rationally much better to be able to laugh or find it pathetic, but sometimes the reality is different. I personally was so shit scared that I really thought I was in danger, maybe because it was night, or because he had covered his face.

I do hate that some people have laughed when I told them this story, I think people hear the word 'flasher' and it immediately has comedy connotations.

It happened to me three times when I was a young girl/teenager. I just thought it was pathetic and weird. I didn't brood on it or find it scary. I think this is a better reaction than being shocked and horrified, tbh.

Oh, just remembered. My mum was flashed at once. She looked at it, curled her lip and said "No thanks, I'll smoke my own."

I've been flashed at a few times. Once when I was about 10. A group of boys pulled down their trousers and chased me down a deserted lane. Not sure if that's flashing or bullying or both Once I looked out of my window and the lad across the road was showing more than he ought to .

Also been groped by an old man on a packed bus. I was in my school uniform and he grabbed my breast. Nobody said or did anything. They just watched an old man grab a school child's breast. I burst into tears and got off the bus. Not even the bus driver did anything.

Other things have happened too. I think it is very common.

Not in the flesh, but when I was 21 and worked in a bookshop the section I was in included 'health'. One day a very embarrassed man asked me if there were any books on circumcision. As he seemed so uncomfortable asking and my ex had been circumcised as an adult it seemed a perfectly reasonable request. I looked at our (paltry) men's health section, looked in the index of one book, nothing. 'What about that one?' he said. I checked the index, there was an entry for circumcision, I turned to the page to be confronted by a whopping full-page colour photo of, of course, a circumcised penis. I realised what his game was, went bright red, slammed the book shut, said 'No, nothing there' and he smirked and left.

Turns out he'd been in a few times that week and had already asked other female members of staff the same thing ? everyone else found it amusing, I was angry and felt like they thought I was over-reacting.

Never, which is a crying shame considering the phrases I've stored up over the years to use against them!

I love your mum Kazmus . :)

:o KazmusMum :o

as children there was a saddo who used to sit on the swings at the park with it all hanging out. We kids used to climb the slide to get a better look! Seemed to be a joke then, but makes my blood run cold now. My dear old mum was flashed at 84, I was so concerned for her, but she apparently just informed him that in her opinion it did not look quite right and that he ought to see a doctor! 'I came through the Blitz ok, a very little willy holds np terrors for me!' God bless you Mum.

never

Never, thankfulkly

Never.

jacksmania Erm,yes.
I've been flashed at twice, once when I was about 7 walking home from school and later as an adult in Egypt. I didn't feel intimidated either time, just cross.

Me, I have never been flashed at. Wish there more of us able to say that to both flashing and other kinds of sexual assault (where sadly I would have give another answer).

Oh. Hmmm, well, I just remembered something, but I don't know if it counts as flashing. I was in Freiburg, Germany, biking along the river around mid-day, and there was a homeless man sat on a park bench along the river, with this trousers round his ankles, wanking away in plain sight. It was one of those utterly improbable "does not compute" things - I was cycling towards him, I saw him and what he was doing but utterly failed to process what my eyes were seeing, even as I biked past. He never stopped as I zipped past, and when I finally took in what I'd just seen I nearly fell off my bike.

So does that count then?

When I was 14 me and a friend were sitting in a Cathedral in a big city in Germany (exchange trip) whose name escapes me and the guy along the pew was masturbating.

Never in this Country though.

i have been flashed at, and hate the fact that it is seen as something amusing.

When i was flashed at, i was 19, it was 2am in the morning, i was cycling home and had a puncture, so had to walk the last bit, i heard a voice behind me, turned round and saw a man, stood there with an erection, he had a stocking over his face, i remember thinking, 'my god he's going to kill me', i don't know why, i was so scared i picked up my bike(!) and ran as fast as i could , when i got home i had to stay in my friends room - shared house. the next day i reported it to the police, and even the policewoman found it amusing, it really, really wasn't.

I've been flashed in Central Park, walking a dog at 8am.

I wasn't shocked or upset. I was fucking FURIOUS.

That could have been a kid!

There were cops in the park, on little golf-buggies. I sent them after him.

I've been flashed. I was walking home from secondary school, past the cemetary with some of my friends. As we were walking by he called out and we all turned around and faced it. It was the first time I had seen a real life penis. We were sooooo shocked.

We called out (to the school across the road), while J and N climbed over the railings to get him.

He ran away. What a wuss.

My friend and I were walking once and some creep was following us (on a bicycle) with his hands down his pants, but thankfully we didn't have to see anything.

I went to an all girls school, our uniforms were like flasher magnets. We used to compare the various methods and found it quite funny. My favourite was the 'not wearing trousers or pants in the car' method, where they drive alongside and open the car door. (although we always went around in groups - not funny if you're on your own.)

Never.

But I have been groped by seedy stranger on a bus. :(

No, never.

I am not sure how I'd react if it happened - I'd like to think I'd say something amusing and deflating like "oooh, like a penis, only smaller" but I'd probably be [shocked].

Nope, never.

I was flashed at 21, on the Tube of all places, by some utter saddo in a long Aran sweater, erection and cowboy boots. Will remember it to this day.

So not me then.