Hello!

I have a question about my rights on a public street. When I walk down a public street (in regular clothing) and a man leans out of a car to bark or scream sexual obscenities at me, what should I do? Obviously I cant have him arrested for practicing free speech. What are my rights and what can I do to stop this harassment?

Thanks,

Ivette

Ivette,

Sadly, as you guessed, you have few protections against street harassers. Obviously if it ever escalates then you can pursue assault charges or stalking, but that's slim, and so sad that laws only help us when things get to the extreme. The best response seems to be to ignore the comments. They are trying to get you to respond, so no response is best.

Good luck, it's certainly a far too common problem.

--Amy