If you're a woman, then you know this to be true: We have to deal with plenty of creepy behavior from men. And even though some men might "mean well" when they do these things, that doesn't make them okay (AT ALL).
Don't believe me? When Reddit user u/SuperElectronicGray asked women to share creepy things men do that they "think [are] okay," tons of women chimed in with responses that are not only not okay, but also unfortunately all too relatable. Here are just a few:
1. "Maybe it's just me, but asking if I live alone. Now, if at this point of inquiry there was an already an established friendship, I suppose it's okay. But if you're a stranger or an acquaintance, that freaks me out."
2. "Saying things like, 'If I was X years younger...'"
3. "Restricting movement in any way. Pinning me in a corner, holding my wrist down, and blocking my escape, etc. may make you feel powerful, but it makes me worry I'll be trapped for a while and then dead."
4. "Following you around while you're out because they want to keep talking to you, even after you've already made two attempts to end the conversation."
5. "Getting sexually explicit within the first message."
6. "When I'm walking down the sidewalk and they follow me slowly in a car while trying to talk to me. I fucking hate this."
7. "DMs that look like this:
'Hey
Hey
Hey
I’m not interested
Fuck you, you stupid bitch.'"
8. "Blocking an exit while trying to start a conversation. Just don't do it. EVER."
9. "When men I don’t know well at all do random favors for me without me asking. I know it can come from an innocent place, but I’ve had enough buildups to creepy behavior that started with small things like that, so I’m immediately suspicious."
10. "I have curly hair and I'm sick of men thinking they can just come and grab a coil of hair and pull it, like I'm some kind of slinky spring! Don't touch my fucking hair and don't call me moody when I tell you to stop!"
11. "Honking, yelling, or some form of catcalling while I'm running or even just walking down the street."
12. "Constantly pushing for a date after we say we aren’t interested. Like, a high school boy having a crush and the girl saying, 'I just like you as a friend...' and so the boy keeps pushing like she’ll fall in love. Sorry, that’s just a fairy tale. Please stop after we say we don’t like you. No hard feelings! We just don’t want to date you."
13. "I have a large tattoo on my shoulder, and I've had several men come up from behind and move both my tank top strap and bra strap to see it better. It's been mostly in grocery stores and Lowe's, of all places."
14. "Bringing up sex within the first hour of conversation. Dude, I probably don’t even remember your name. Don’t ask me about my favorite position or when the last time I had sex was."
15. "Hassling you for a date because you're single. 'But, you don't have a boyfriend...' The point is, dude, I'd rather be single than date you. Take the bloody hint."
16. "'Daring' me to kiss my girlfriend in front of him in order to 'prove' I'm lesbian/bi. It's disgusting and daily."
17. "When they say, 'Where's my hug?'"
18. "I'm an elderly woman, and it really really pisses me off when men I don't know call me 'Sweetie,' 'Honey,' or 'Sweetheart.' Just don't. I'm not your grandma with a dish of cookies for you."
19. "Picking me up. I’ve always been really skinny, so guys think it’s okay to just...lift me. The really bad part is, I have really bad back problems and have broken my spine multiple times, and picking me up is one of the things that can actually break my spine. Yet even guys who know this still do it. WHY?"
20. "Flirting with me in a position where I can’t leave, like an Uber or taxi. It’s terrifying. One time, I had an Uber driver flirt with me the entire time I was in the car late on a Friday night after a party. He actually ended up skipping my street and I thought I was going to die that night. Most of the times when women don’t want to talk with you and/or aren’t interested and you keep pushing it, we get scared that we’re gonna be assaulted or killed. A real possibility at any time!"
21. And finally, "Telling me to smile. It used to make me really uncomfortable, but now I just grin manically at them."
What creepy behavior have you seen or experienced from men that they seem to think is perfectly okay? Tell us in the comments.
Note: Some submissions have beed edited for length/clarity.