Hell, I still remember something that happened on my 21st birthday, and that was back during the McKinley administration! I dolled myself up and went, by myself, to a restaurant/nightclub. Had dinner, then wandered around the dance floor, listening to the music and enjoying watching everyone dancing: just hanging out. Then I heard some guys behind me laughing and making comments about how I looked like the Wicked Witch of the West.
Now, that’s all I can remember about my 21st birthday . . .
Damn that sucks.
PEOPLE OF THE WORLD! DON’T BE SO FUCKING MEAN! IT MAKES THE BABY KARL MARX SHIT HIS DIAPER.
Captain Blunty you and I have come across each others paths before on at least one other issue that we just don’t see eye to eye.
I’m very pleased to say that on this issue we are in complete agreement. These guys who were insulting you are mere arse-wipes.
You shouldn’t take it personally though, because if it wasn’t you then it would have been the next person down the street. It is not a personal attack against you, of course, because these boys don’t even know you.
In your life you are going to meet plenty more ass-wipes, these will not be the last. You have to be prepared for all of them. Don’t be afraid to tell them to shove it.
WHat those butt wipes did was bordering on assaultive, I would’ve reported their aggressive behavior to the cops. WHo knows, they might’ve been coming off a binge and looking to whack someone, maybe they already did and you might have been next! Especially since they followed you, and this is in broad daylight in the morning!
It happens! At least it is fairly common in the USA sadly.
If it was me, i would have breathed on 'em, morning breath and all you know 
Depending on the mental age of these boys, this tactic can work:
Boys: You’re fat and ugly!
Me: (approaching them deliberately) Why would you say that?
Boys: Because you are!
Me: Do you know me?
Boys: No.
Me: What are you hoping I’ll do when you call me names?
Boys: (shuffling their feet)
Etc. Sometimes, boys (more so that girls, I’ve found) can be taken aback by a woman standing up for herself in a positive, non-insulting way. Just replying to their hurtful comments with questions like, “Why would you say that?” or “Do you like to be insulted?” can often take the wind out of their sails.
Quite often, it seems there’s one boy in every group who will be shamed by being confronted. That boy may influence his group, and more importantly, that boy may be salvageable!
Julie
A couple of weeks ago, I was waiting for the city hall theater to open up to go see a play. My girlfriend was with me. We were walking past the benches that were occupied to get to one that was empty to wait when this old man started insulting us.
“Hey do you need a license?”
ignore, ignore
“Hey you two fat fucks, I’m talking to you! Do you need a license to drive that fat ass of yours on the sidewalk?”
I was stunned. We’re both women in our late twenties, still professionally dressed from work, not bothering anyone, and we get heckled on the street by this loser. I turned around, already feeling sick to my stomach becase of how much I hate confrontation of any sort.
The guy was with/in a group of probably a dozen teenagers, mostly boys, but the guy was probably in his sixties. He had that slack-skinned look that my grampa got after years of heavy drinking. The boys around him were laughing at his wit.
I took two steps back toward him and said - mostly in shock when I saw that he was about 45 years older than I had expected - “Aren’t you a little old to be hanging around with kids on a street corner?”
He jumped back behind his live teen shield, who looked a little uncomfortable at…I don’t know what, but something.
He said something witty like “aren’t you a little fat to be so fat, you cunt?”
My girlfriend was tugging on my arm saying “c’mon, let’s just go” and such. We turned to go elsewhere - it’s obvious that the bench wasn’t a good choice for a peaceful 20 minute wait, so we walked away. He yelled “go back to Jersey, you sluts!” at our backs (I have no idea what he’s talking about. I live 5 miles from the hospital I was born in…) we walked around the town hall to the police station behind it I told the desk guy that he was out there harassing people.
Just…what kind of teen would hang around with a probably-drunk old man? It was creepy.
I hate being insulted, like most people it makes me feel bad. I don’t know why some people think that insulting a random person on the street is in any way okay.
Yeah, I know that the reason they do it is to make someone feel bad, but it just doesn’t make sense.
Over the years I have experienced my fair share of insults from strangers. My strategy for coping with the inevitable feelings of anger, depression, self-loathing, loss, helplessness, etc. is to remind myself that if I continue to let the incident bother me, then the assholes win twice. Once for humiliating me at that moment and once for making the rest of my life miserable. I will not give them that satisfaction.
Captain Blunty I’ve always had a weight problem, but up until fairly recently was always able to keep my weight at least close to normal by vigorous exercise - usually walking and jogging and constantly watching what I eat.
One time, 19 years ago, I was on one of those walks when a carload of fucks drove by, and one of them stuck his head out and shouted “Why don’t you go on a diet, you fat bitch?” By the time I got home I was in a full sob. It didn’t help that my mother rode me my entire life over my weight, but at that time I was actually at my ideal weight. I guess it’s my stocky body type that made them decide I was “fat”. And I kept asking myself “why the hell do they think I am in jogging clothes, jogging shoes, and speeding down the sidewalk?”
Like I said, that was 19 years ago and I still remember it like it was yesterday. It is because of that one incident that, now that I really am a fat bitch, when I go for my walks I only go when night has fully fallen for fear the appearance of another fat bitch doing her best to not be fat insults another fuck’s sensibilities. This is also the incident that makes me occasionally make the comment that some people seem to think fat people are fat only for the purposes of insulting their sensibilities.
I hope your willingness to talk about it here, and the support you receive, means that in 19 years you won’t even remember it happened.
Beautiful is so much more than looks. I have a friend who would not be considered beautiful by society standards, but she is one of the most caring, sweet, brilliant women I know - and to me, she is beautiful. I have been there when she’s been called names on the street, and it took all I had not to go beat them to a bloody pulp. Because she shook it off - because she knows that she’s worth more than that and that she was a bigger person than they were. I love her for that.
I’m glad you’re feeling better. Please don’t let these guys get to you. I know how you feel - especially about the binging (not about the purging, although I did try that a few times), and I’ve been shouted at for no reason, and yes, it did hurt me terribly. Rise above them because you are worth it. Don’t forget that. (And feel free to email if you need to talk - the address is in my profile.).
Ava
I’m sorry you experienced that, Captain Blunty.
If it’s any consolation, the whole incident really wasn’t about you in the slightest. Truly. The vicious cretins had an excess load of pointless meaness they wanted to dump and you just happened to be handy. If a supermodel walked past them they would have found hateful to say. (Snobbish bitch, whore, etc. ) They would have vented their spite on anyone they felt unlikely to fight back, with their insults tailored accordingly.
Anyone whose ever been on the receiving end of drive-by insults knows that sick, sucker-punched-in-the-stomach feeling. It’s danged near impossible not to feel hurt, furious and outraged. Of course that’s why they do it: pointless aggression, hurting total strangers just for kicks. They’re pathetic losers.
I didn’t see them but can tell you anyway that they’re grotesque, butt-ugly people in all the ways that count.* You, on the other hand, are not. Hang in there, Captain Blunty, and don’t let them stay inside your head a second longer than you can help.
Veb
[sub]Probably you were too stunned to register what they looked like physically but betcha they weren’t exactly burnin’ studmuffins themselves, y’know?[/sub]
Abso-fucking-lutely, this is our compensation for having to meet these ugly people – we are not them.
Don’t worry about these sad little fuckers, Captain Blunty.
Also, take solace in the fact that all of these asshole’s karma is going to kick them in the asses harder than they could ever imagine.
I also agree that when confronted, most of these children will immediately back off. Doesn’t work for drive by’s, but it will in other situations, much like Cricket described. These people are cowards, you see? They pick easy targets, ones they don’t think will fight back. That’s what makes them hateful bullies.
I’m extremely sorry that you put up with that Captain Blunty and I’m sorry that society is so warped now that adult men are making fun of women who don’t fit their “ideal”.
I don’t exactly fit the “ideal” either. And yes, once people know why, I get called out names on the street, picked up and yes, once or twice, beaten upon. Which is probably why I’m quite the skeptic and I have a hard time taking compliments or even believing people in general.
Beauty is inside, not only outside and I’m sure you are a beautiful person all around. Keep your chin up because the only opinion that matters is your own. You know how hard you are working to better yourself, concentrate on that and know you are better than they are.
What a disgusting display! I’m very sorry, Blunty, that you had to be the target of such assholes. I hope you’re day is going better, and I also hope they get run over by a truck.