If you walk too fast, you’re scared. They can sense fear.

If you walk too slow, you’re a target. They can catch you.

You need to get out fast, but not too fast.

A friend of mine told me the other day that he was intimidated to walk in a certain part of downtown Reno. His hand was on his knife. I told him I felt the same way, with my hand on my pepper spray. He told me that I was fine, because I was walking with two guys. Sure, I felt safe, but he noticed that my hand never left the canister. He just looked at me, and said, “this is what it’s like for girls, isn’t it?”

Yes. It’s habit for girls to be afraid. From too young of an age, girls are taught that if they aren’t street smart, bad things will happen to them. The danger was twisted to make them feel that if they weren’t careful, they would be punished. It wasn’t about the predatory men that need to be stopped, it’s that if you’re not careful, it’s your fault.

“You should have seen it coming.”

“Seriously? Didn’t she know better?”

“Well it was bound to happen.”

No. No. No.

It shouldn’t matter whether I’m walking alone downtown at midnight, or if I’m in broad daylight.

I’m a human. And no other human has the right to touch me unless I tell them that they can. And I promise, I did not give anyone downtown permission to touch me.

But, since I was about eight years old, I’ve been taught to avoid men walking on the sidewalk.

Ladies, I know you’re with me.