“Hey Baby, Lookin’ Good!”

And Other “Creative” Catcalls.

Story by Jennifer Sandy

I was at the gym today: I hopped off the elliptical and made my way over to the ab machine with my ear buds in but no music playing. I walked past a group of guys who were curling weights in front of a mirror, and as I walked by, the eyes of a man in the group followed me.

He turned to me and said, “Hey, sexy, why don’t you come over here and get sweaty with me?” It takes a lot to stop me in my tracks, but that comment did. Because, ew. But, not thrown for too long, I used the fact that I had ear buds in my ears to pretend I didn’t hear him, and continued my work out.

Eventually, after making some comments that I didn’t hear because I was busy on the ab machine working out to Royal Teeth’s “Wild,” and after receiving a few high fives, he went back to admiring himself in the mirror.

After I was done, I went to the women’s locker room to get my gym bag. Cat Call Guy and his friends were conveniently waiting near the entrance, and were still there when I walked out. None of them said anything, but as I walked to my car, I noticed they were right behind me.

Sadly, this isn’t the first time something similar has happened to me. I’ve been followed to my car twice before. Once, by a man at the mall when I was 18, and then again in the spring of 2014 by a guy at school(the public safety officer I reported it to at my school’s police department actually had the gall to say, “Well, you’re a pretty girl. He was probably hitting on you.” As if that was an excuse. But that’s a story for another day) So, with my mace in hand, I turned around to face them. I wanted them to know that I saw them and I wasn’t going to lead them to my car, which is what I’ve read you’re supposed to do in situations like this. When I turned around, I stood there, staring them down for a split second before Cat Call Guy was like “Dudes, I think our car is this way.” And I watched them as they made their way to a car on the opposite end of the parking lot. I didn’t move until I saw them drive away and was sure they were gone.