Why do men do this?

some people are more visual. The gazing in this kind of situation makes me uncomfortable, as if a predator is sizing me up.

I'm sorry, I didn't mean any offence, I was just thinking 'out loud' and typing what I thought. I didn't mean to imply that only abused women would think like this. Sorry.

Yeah, had this happen a million times. They go all silent and stare, creepy fucks. Just carry on with your lives saddos.

I don't think the OP is "misreading' at all, nor that you have to have been 'abused or mistreated' in order to legitimately read these looks this way. The 'male gaze' (term coined originally by Laura Mulvey talking about cinema, but applicable to RL) is a fairly well-documented phenomenon, and can't be reduced to individual actions by consciously sexist individuals.

Our society has naturalised the power asymmetry of looking as men 'naturally' looking and women 'naturally' being 'looked at' to the extent that women have, traditionally, been socialised to look at themselves through the eyes of men. There are no men in the world who feel self-conscious walking towards a group of women standing at a bus stop, or feel disappointed and suddenly invisible in middle-age when women stop wolf-whistling at them on streets.

I've never been mistreated or abused, and have nothing but lovely men in my life. Always have. I absolutely hate being the centre of attention though, so for me, it's a desperately uncomfortable, and yes, intimidating feeling, on that basis.

I don't think you have to have been mistreated by men to find it uncomfortable, to be honest.

MrsBert that's the way to go I reckon, it'll confuse/surprise them.

Talk back. Say hello. Make a remark in Turkish/Serbo-Croat/Mandarin. Re-take the initiative and remind them you are actually a sentient human being walking the dog and thinking about Isis/ the weather/work, rather than some purely visual object presented for them to rate.

I don't actually think it's consciously a power stare ('Here's a woman, let's intimidate her'), more a largely unconscious gendered power thing whereby they are more conscious of you as a thing to be looked at than as a sentient being who is looking back and thinking 'Why are they all staring?' Or 'what a lot of ass-crack on display'. And definitely bolstered by the group thing.

This happens every now and then to me but as you describe they're often parked straddling the pavement and I assume they're looking to see if they have to move out the way, the van or them, or often I'm waking with dogs or have baby in carrier and so I assume they're looking at the dogs or baby.
Anyway I've never taken it as a power struggle and I just look back at them and smile. Then they move or go back to work.

I have been very lucky to not have been mistreated by men or abused, do you think (understandably) sometimes more is read into other people's intentions if your experience with men or groups of men is different?

I work in offices on building sites, a really loud, cheery "Good Morning!" with ferocious eye contact doesn't stop it, but I feel like I'm getting some power back by doing it.

Hate it. Especially when it's a group. They just down tools and stare. I wonder if they genuinely don't realise how intimidating it can feel - after all, they'd be delighted if a group of women stared at them.

Heh. Yeah. And the conversation stops as you walk by. And you just KNOW they're looking at your arse.

Well, maybe not now. But 10 years ago? Yep. Hated it.

Maybe the stare was a bleary-eyed thought about the great night out he'd had. Or thinking about the rest of the weekend.

It's not all about you, you know.

Anyway, I would just stare right back. A friend of mine has a great saying at a time like that - "Am I wearing something that belongs to you?"

No, you are not alone. It is a power thing