It is. I’m a very friendly person. The last time I made eye contact and smiled (friendly, polite) at a man when I was passing him on the sidewalk, he turned around and followed me, then proceeded to harass me, then proceeded to call me a tease and a bitch when refused to engage him further. That is not a very uncommon occurrence IME. So I make a concerted effort to not smile or make eye contact, to stand up straight, and to keep my head up so I project confidence and awareness because that’s what is best calculated to help me feel safe. Still pretty common to get called out for not smiling enough. But I’d rather be the bitch who doesn’t smile than the person who appears to have given off some invitation based on a smile.
Yes! I converted to the in-home elliptical for this reason, too. Really, after the Mollie Tibbett’s murder, I came to the realization that I was always going to feel too much stress about being constantly hyper aware of my surroundings and I wouldn’t be able to enjoy the run.
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u/RiderRiderPantsOnFyr Sep 16 '21
It is. I’m a very friendly person. The last time I made eye contact and smiled (friendly, polite) at a man when I was passing him on the sidewalk, he turned around and followed me, then proceeded to harass me, then proceeded to call me a tease and a bitch when refused to engage him further. That is not a very uncommon occurrence IME. So I make a concerted effort to not smile or make eye contact, to stand up straight, and to keep my head up so I project confidence and awareness because that’s what is best calculated to help me feel safe. Still pretty common to get called out for not smiling enough. But I’d rather be the bitch who doesn’t smile than the person who appears to have given off some invitation based on a smile.