Had two interactions with men in public today.

First guy walked next to me, I was on my phone, he walked uncomfortably close.

Him: Hey, how are you?

I looked at him, half-thinking maybe we know each other from somewhere, pretty quickly knew: No, we don’t. So I just said:

Good.

I turned onto a park pathway. He kept walking next to me, so I said:

And?

Him: Ohh, I’m good. Where are you going?

Me, increasingly confused: Home?

Him: I’m coming with you!

Me, walking faster: Oh hell you aren’t, bye!

Him, speeding up with me: I just want to ask you something!

Me: You’re not asking me anything, get away!

And then he finally gave up. Honestly, it was fucking creepy. He then stood there and stared at me until I was gone. I was scared. And so happy he didn’t follow me further. I’ll file this under “Situations I’m glad I’m 6ft tall and look a bit scary”.

Second guy: I was waiting at an intersection and then walked to the other side on red when there were no cars. He was stood on the other side. Then, when I passed him:

You’d be the perfect model!

He was nice about it. Even said it in the respectful form in my language that signals distance and respect, him clearly older than me. I said thanks, we smiled at each other. End of interaction. (There’s a whole other conversation to be had about situations like this but that’s for another day)

The duality of men, I guess. And also: This is what it means to pass, I guess.