“I jumped in the taxi with the girls, he tried jumping in and I was pushing him out, everyone was shouting him and pushing him”
I was waiting for my night rider bus, at 4am on 28th of oct 2012 come and I noticed a man (Caucasian, short brown hair, 5′oclock shadow, black jeans and a black long sleeve shirt) standing watching me with glasses on, I didn’t think anything of it till I got on the bus and he suddenly got on and sat next to me. I felt as through something was wrong, I don’t know how or why, but I did.
He just sat there I guess looking out the window(not sure due to glasses) or at me, I got up to get off the buss and I didn’t see him get up, I jumped off and so did he at the last minute!
I walk a few steps and he was practically walking on my heels, I turned and said “what” and he hadn’t replied he just stood there really close staring at me no emotion nothing, i was freaking out, i said “what do you want!” He didn’t reply again!
I saw these two girls getting in a taxi and I walked fast (with him in tow) to them and asked if I could get the cab and they said “where are you both going?” I said “I’m not with him he’s following me” he was just following me around the taxi and not saying anything, like he was expecting something, I told him to “f**k off”, and I jumped in the taxi with the girls, he tried jumping in and I was pushing him out, everyone was shouting him and pushing him, he eventually stood there and stared at me, he gestured for me to get out and I tried pulling the door shut but he forced it open and I said lastly “fuck off I’m going to call the cops”.
He slammed it shut and stormed off, the cab started taking the girls home and we noticed an undercover cop car driving, he called to them and they followed us to the scene, and they saw him walking towards factories, so they approached him and he ran! They tackled him down, the taxi took the two girls and i numbers and then took us home and that’s the last of what happened, no one contacted me or told me anything about him, so I went to the cop shop and because he apparently didn’t do any wrong, nothing’s happening, I have been emotionally scarred from this incident, and haven’t gone out since.
A note from your Hollaback! Melbourne Team. Thank you for sharing your story. We want to emphasise how excellent it is that you activated the bystanders – the girls in the taxi – to help you, and that they and the cab driver helped you to protect yourself. That is excellent bystander intervention. We hope that you find strength from the other women on this site who have got your back.
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That is horrendous! So glad to hear those girls had your back and you were able to go to them for safety. Sisterhood is powerful. Of course this has affected you badly, what a terrifying experience. Thanks for sharing here, I feel like we’re building a community where we can support each other and see that these are not isolated incidents that exist in a vaccuum, it is rape culture that supports men frightening women like this and being able to get away with it because “he didn’t do anything”. The criminal code is not equipped to deal with this. We need a community response. We need culural change. You are now part of that, well done.
Ive got your back, girl. Hopefully in time you’ll venture out again, take it little by little.