To be shocked...

[buttonz]

This probably sounds silly.

I visited my bank today and a man came in and wanted to walk past me (I was in a narrow corridor).

Instead of saying "Excuse me", he put his fingers on either side of my waist and lightly pinched me. I sort of yelped and he walked past me.

I really wish I had politely told him that I didn't like this, but I chickened out.

I'm making a fuss about nothing, I know, but it has shaken me.

I'd have elbowed the fucker in the face, as a reflex reaction in self-defense, not even with intention to harm.

What is WRONG with men putting their hands on women without their permission? It's something most people learn as toddlers - keep your hands to yourself. I honestly can't understand it.

So YANBU at all and I can understand why you froze in the moment and didn't say anything but you would not have BU to have done so.

I have known women do this when they want you out of their way, so it's not only men who are this bloody rude. Would everyone who thinks the OP was right to involve the police do the same if the perpetrator of the assault had been a woman? Asking out of sheer curiosity.

Bloody hell, that's very much not on - and like InionEile, my reaction would likely have been elbows back/sweeping my fist back (I know this, because I very nearly caught my child that way when he snuck up and did something similar)

I understand freezing though, because who the hell would do that to you, and what on earth might they also do - freezing is a completely sensible reaction!

Good luck OP. Ignore the strange people on here who think it's OK for men to assault women rather than just bloody say 'excuse me'

@InsomniacAnonymous
Reeeeallllluy? You have experienced several female strangers touching you intimately in an attempt to move past you? What exactly did Tesco say about that?

InsomniacAnonymous

Assault is assault and, remember, women can be misogynists too.

Handcuffs for all!

However, I think we all know that it's mostly men who perpetrate this sort of random violence against women who are unknown to them.

Lots of people on this thread need to look up the legal definitions of 'assault' and 'battery'. This was both of those things.

at what point does a stranger putting hands on you stop being acceptable?

Well that's actually a relevant question, isn't it? Obviously touching your bum is not socially acceptable. But I'm pretty sure that tapping your shoulder to get your attention is generally deemed as okay (isn't it?)

Doesn't touching your waist fall somewhere in between? Hence the difference in reactions/opinions from people on this thread? To me I'd say it's a bit weird and inappropriate, but not criminal. That's why I'd have probably said something to him at the time about not doing it, rather than going to the police. Nothing to do with minimising, I don't think.

The fact he did this so casually and thought nothing of it means he's an entitled bastard who does this shit all the time.
You did good, OP.

yuck! Im glad you reported it to the police.. its at one end of a worrying spectrum of behaviour... if that man can behave with such disregard for a womans bodily autonomy in a public place image what hes capable of when he thinks no one is looking.
You do everyone a favour whenever you flag up behaviour like this as serious... it is serious.

@InsomniacAnonymous
Reeeeallllluy? You have experienced several female strangers touching you intimately in an attempt to move past you? What exactly did Tesco say about that?

I have absolutely had women steer me by the waist if they want me to move. Maybe it's because I'm young, I don't know. It's really rude.

I really doubt the police actually give two shits though. Round here they don't come for less than a murder!

Yanbu op. Usually when things like that ( unwanted unwarranted touching) occur I also chicken out because I'm so gobsmacked. There was one occasion though when I had epic pmt and a mobile phone shop chap I was discussing a new phone with patronized me and put his hands on my shoulders. I growled ( yes growled, my pmt is bad) " get your fucking hands off me " I surprised myself!

Thanks for the replies.

Just thought I'd give an update.

The police have been really helpful and have taken the incident seriously. They don't think I've made a fuss about nothing.

However, the bank is refusing to release the CCTV footage.