How do you feel about being whistled at on the street?

[TheBolans]

Do you find it a compliment or a form of harassment?

I saw a discussion with a woman saying people need to get a grip if it bothers them because whistling is harmless. I think if I got the odd whistle every now again at this age, I wouldn’t mind, but back when I was a teenager/early 20s I didn’t like it. It was usually never just whistling. It’s usually shouting crude comments too and so found it degrading and embarrassing. But some seem to think it should be taken as a compliment

Well, they are less likely to be sexually assaulted or subject to violence from a woman.

I agree nobody should touch anyone without consent, whether sexually motivated or not.

I don't know really. It doesn't happen anymore! It would depend a lot on whether I felt threatened or intimidated by it. There are circumstances where I could find it mildly amusing and others where I could feel like my safety could be compromised. And I don't think I could tell which one of those reactions I'd have at this point. It is on a case by case basis.

Tbh it hasn't happened a whole lot to me but whenever it did I took it as a compliment especially in my teens when I was very uncomfortable with my body although in hindsight i never looked so good. It boosted my confidence to think someone else found me attractive.

See I wasn’t confident so I always assumed it was sarcasm!

Poor you x

I wasn't trying to imply you were, apologies if that was the ompression. Just making a general point that because it's not as bad as it was 20 or 30 years ago, doesn't mean it should just be accepted now. Same with loads of things that have changed for the better but not got where they should be yet.

Yes. Our son works in a big bar at night in a party city and the pissed hens are an absolute nightmare for him. They would grope his bum, try and grab his crotch and generally make lewed comments and offers that he found embarrassing and intimidating. They all found it hilarious. Security throws more hen parties out of the pub than stags and stags are never thrown out for pack behaviour, just one or two being dicks. Hens get thrown out on mass. It's very much alcohol fuelled though but still unacceptable.

The last time I was whistled at was leaving the hairdressers, and using a zebra crossing. I had a big bouncy blonde blowdry, and felt fabulous. The driver of the van which stopped for me, must have felt compelled to lean out of the window, when such fabulousness was being paraded in front of him.

Just whistling? From a man some distance away, in daylight, who shows no sign of moving toward me? I ignore it. It's stupid, juvenile, but doesn't read to me as a threat. And it's a rare occurrence. What is much more common is the crude language, shouting, gestures, often from groups of men very close by. That is truly frightening - they've already crossed a line; what might they do next?

I hated it then and I’d hate it now. Although I’m so old anyone wolf whistling me would probably require oxygen to be able to achieve the feat.

It’s never complimentary and always done to shock and embarrass girls and young women.

But no one is saying that is acceptable but isn’t relevant to this thread because the women doing it are appallling and uncouth but they aren’t a threat to him the way a man would be to a woman. You can’t compare the two. But if you want to start your own thread about how men are groped, go ahead.

Men will indeed have sex with anything. Please look up Pony the orangutan, and when you've stopped crying in rage, ask yourself why being thought fuckable by random men is a compliment.