Today, I ran into a guy on the street who followed me for two blocks and insisted we grab a coffee. I politely said no and told him I was uncomfortable, but he just didn’t get it. Do I really have to shout and react? Why can’t they understand when I say no properly?
I experienced the same thing; last year during the day in Kadıköy, a man followed me. At first, I politely rejected him, but he didn’t understand, so I raised my voice and said, ‘I will call the police,’ and only then did he distance himself. Unfortunately, being polite doesn’t seem to solve things.
You can speak directly and say, ‘No, I’m uncomfortable, you’re bothering me.’ Or you could pretend to be calling a friend, and if the guy still doesn’t leave, just report him to the police. There are mobile apps available for reporting, maybe you should download them.
In such situations, having a firm and clear stance is crucial. You can express your discomfort and, if necessary, send a message to an acquaintance to provide immediate notification. If the insistence continues, I suggest you call 155 directly to report your location.
I get really annoyed when I hear things like this! Don’t get me wrong, but for example, I never act polite. I just push back directly. Once you say ‘No,’ if that’s not enough, the person is clearly harassing you. I suggest pretending to talk to someone next to you.
What’s going on, sister? If it’s something this annoying, why aren’t you shouting about it openly? Sorry, but if you speak politely, they won’t understand that you’re serious. Things like this don’t happen in our neighborhood; someone would have intervened right away.
This is a complete violation of consent. Once you say ‘No’, if the guy continues, it is harassment. Women constantly feel like they have to protect their boundaries while also being ‘nice’. You don’t have to be polite; don’t hesitate to raise your voice.
A man’s motivation is generally a silly thought like ‘If I insist enough, I can convince him.’ But most don’t care about the discomfort of the other party. If you’re not afraid to attract attention, shouting or reacting may be more effective.