Editor:
I went for a walk in the rain along the river.
I wanted to use the concrete stairs beside the River Market that go over the train tracks and lead you back to Columbia Street. As I was approaching the bottom of the stairwell, I saw a young couple with their baby stroller blocking the entrance to the stairs.
I asked them if they could move so that I could pass them. Since they didn't react, I thought that perhaps they didn't hear me the first time. So, I asked them again if they could move.
They moved their stroller a bit and as I passed them and began walking up the stairs, the father yelled at me to go F*** myself.
I was utterly shocked.
After all, I only asked them to move, as they were completely blocking the access to the stairs, despite the fact that there was space at the side of the stairs that was also covered by a roof. I told him not to talk to me this way as I only asked them to move so that I could pass.
The viciousness in his tone was unbelievable. And then, he started screaming all sorts of obscenities at me.
And why am I writing to the local paper about this? Because this is yet another instance of a woman being harassed because she happens to be walking alone. If I were with any male, this father would have never started screaming profanities and trying to scare me.
This happened around 3:30 p.m., when it was still quite light outside. It is absolutely terrifying as a woman to have a total stranger attack you verbally, simply because you would like to pass him and his family in order to enter the stairs. Even though there were a few people around, no one came to my defence.
I was shaking halfway home.
I am tired of men thinking they can bully women just because they are men. All I did was ask them to move.
I didn't deserve this kind of hostile response.
Juliana Laskowska, New Westminster
