Woman harassed by strange man while at restaurant
Here we are, trying to embrace the age of independence and having 'me time', but little do we realise that this also comes with some safety concerns.
A young woman, Sihle Moye, shared a video of her experience eating lunch alone at a Spur restaurant a while back. We are all about treating ourselves and embracing time alone, but she brought up an important factor for women.
Dining alone is not as easy and fun for women; it is also a scary experience, not because we are afraid of being seen alone but because we have to be guarded. Being alone in public opens you up to being targeted.
She was harassed by a strange man who kept being intrusive. During the entire experience, she kept thinking about not wanting to be just another statistic.
Often, we are stereotyped as snobbish, impolite, playing hard to get and thinking we are better than others if we don't respond in an 'acceptable' manner when approached by a suitor.
But aren't we allowed to say "No"? Can't we be the authors of our stories and not be told what box to fit into? Gender-based violence and gender-centric crimes are a reality we cannot run away from, and we have to take this into account when we conduct our day-to-day routines.
Sihle Moye was having lunch by herself, but a man who entered the restaurant without waiting to be seated came and sat a table away from her. He then began striking conversation and asking her if he could buy her a drink, and it went on and on. He was a complete nuisance and started harassing her.
She began videoing to deflect, but that didn't stop him. Luckily, this was a while back, and she walked away safely, but not without him creating panic and fear in her.
Watch the video below, courtesy of TikTok, where she said: "I can't be a statistic..."
@sihle_moye Be careful… Yoh what a nightmare. I’m okay, this happened a while ago
♬ original sound - sihle_moye
Read more: GBV programmes ‘not reaching some men’
We can understand why Sihle didn't move and why she responded so as not to come across as rude. However, we think that if you feel uncomfortable in a situation, you can just get up and move to another table.
It was interesting to note that an Indian Airline would be introducing a new feature allowing women to select who they sit next to on their flight. What a fantastic way to flip the script and give women the power of choice.
If you ever feel in distress, remove yourself from the situation and walk up to a security guard or someone of authority. Alternatively, look into safety apps for women or devices that look like jewellery; these could help you immensely.
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Image Courtesy of TikTok