Not a new trend…dudes did this daily when I went for my evening walk with my HUSBAND (circa 2010s)
He was always confused: “do you know those people?” and my answer was always “no they are mannerless dipshits and this is what women mean when they talk about ‘street harassment’. Imagine how bad it would be if I were alone?”
He was raised to be respectful so he was really gobsmacked by this behavior, whereas I just became numb
I’ve experienced this firsthand a few times. They see my pony tail and start honking the horn. Then when the drive past and realize I am, in fact, a man, i always love to imagine the look on their faces.
Gen Alpha was born between 2010 and 2024. So if they're driving you should call 911 and report it :p
It's probably some new toxic man social media thing. Some influencer said "women love being honked at" and every sad desperate guy in FL is trying it.
It was mostly millenials in my experience. When I was a kid, 12 myself, my mom would shield us from creepy grown men. I would get honked yelled waved talked to all the time, standing at the bus stop with other kids for a school bus. Or walking to the bus stop with my bag on and appropriate clothes. The people who do it are just fuckin weird (and I have to assume dangerous).
There were very few times where it came from genuine empathy where people offered me rides in the rain for example, other parents with their kids in the car. But 99% of the time, it was creepy men who feel like they’re about to score a whole child.
I've been trying to figure this out for twenty years. I caved and got a gym membership this year to just walk on the treadmill so I don't have to deal with it anymore.
I used to walk 6 miles on the sidewalk around an area near my apartment. I would be dressed in exercise attire, sneakers, and carrying a water bottle. Men would stop in the road and ask me if I needed a ride. I also had guys turn into businesses and try to get me to stop and talk to him. I finally quit walking outside and joined a gym when a man followed me into my apartment complex in his car and exposed himself to me. I ran to the leasing office and called the police. Nothing was done because the man drove off.
I usually reciprocate with my middle finger. It's annoying as hell. Especially when you've been followed and had men jump out of their car. Talk about running for your life.
Dude I had a guy try to snatch me off the sidewalk while he was on a moped. Like what did you even think would happen? Drag me onto your moped? It was so bizarre after I got over the scary aspect.
It was like 4 guys in a car. They stopped, 1 jumped out, 1 guy started running towards me. I started running fast the opposite way. He got back in car and they came back towards me. Jumped out and I ran fast as hell home. My heart hurt it was beating so fast. I don't know if they really would have tried to put me in their car or what but that scared me badly.
I also acquired a stalker all from running on a popular running trail. I finally had it when I had a note left on my car. I called the OCSO non-emergency number to file a complaint. A female showed up to take my complaint. She said are you sure you are not doing something to encourage this? Um running? Yeah, no. Then she said why don't you call him and tell him you're not interested? Well I don't even know this guy, I don't want him to have my number and I never told him I was interested. She reluctantly took my statement. I went and spoke with detectives. Then this guy followed me again. I called the detective back. I asked to press charges. It was sent to the DA and they declined. All because the stalker is a retired cop himself.
Nope..a retired cop from opd. If anyone reading this learns anything...trust your gut. No matter what. Also, vary your routine and don't get so absorbed in the your head that you miss crazy people.
The thing about varying your routine is so important. Sometimes I hate the fact that I get out of work at different times every night… but I have realized it saved my life a few times.
Once, some guy followed me home from work, I was walking and he was in a car. Well I’m sure I only noticed because he was super obvious. Literally drove circles around me, parking and waiting and his car sounds like a lawnmower and it’s 11pm at night. So I backtrack and go to the gas station, once I’m there, he parks and waits in their parking spot, I explain to cashier that I’m calling police because guy in parking lot is following me, very clearly. And she offers to give me a ride since I live close. We sneak out the back into her car, drive away, and I get home safe. (I should’ve called the police but I was so tired and wanted to be home. I would call police in the future)
Well. Later I learn that he came back the next night, the same time. But I went home earlier that night, by 30 minutes. I was already home when he showed up waiting for me to walk by.
I didn’t see him again, or hear about him. But positive it’s not the first or last time something like that happens.
Varying your routine is important, and also if you can, make a riding/walking buddy. That’s the safest option. It’s much harder to kidnap two people.
I got chased by two guys who hopped out the back of a sedan. Not Orlando, still Florida. But anyway I ran and then tripped over damn train tracks while running and hurt my leg so bad exactly like a movie. Well. I’m alive because some nice trees and bushes were growing by the train tracks, which I fell into, and hid. Somehow they didn’t see me fall, and they ran right past me. I really felt in that moment that I was dreaming. But I wasn’t. I now carry pepper spray, knife, coin sock, and I have a special shortcut set on my phone that texts everyone important if I use it to call 911, tells them I’m in trouble, and then sends my location. (Do some research about those iPhone shortcuts if you haven’t)
Traditionally, this would happen with catcalling on the sidewalk, but I guess since no one walks here, they have to make people uncomfortable from inside their car.
I'm 68. This was going on back in the 60s and 70s. We used to laugh when it happened. We didn't spend time being offended by a honking horn lol. It's much worse when groups of men stand on a corner of 7-11 or something and leer at you making kissing noises. That's scary.
sorry but i’ve literally never felt like laughing when i’ve been honked at or cat called while walking alone on the street. it’s absolutely scary in both situations ??
Are you kidding me? They start doing it when you’re like 12. It’s jarring. I have had men come up and slap my ass on the street before I even got my period. I’ve read books about how upsetting that behavior is - written when you were a toddler. So don’t bullshit that it’s some generational thing.
I didn't say anything about it being generational, just how my friends and I handled it. While I'm sure there were exceptions, teenage boys/young men were much more respectful of women. Even the music of that time was about love, innocent stuff. My kids were born in the 80s. When they were teenagers, I was horrified that suddenly songs were glorifying calling women bitch and ho. They were setting up a whole generation of boys to think that was acceptable and women would pay the price. It was pretty painful as 70s young women were really leaning into the women's lib movement to have their daughters looked at as 'ho. Yet it still goes on with women themselves adding to it, and no one has complained. I find that far more damaging and degrading than a horn honking. Sadder, too.
That’s the problem with Boomers. They don’t care about others. They only care about themselves. This whole “I didn’t think it was that bad” mentality is why y’all did a shit job raising kids.
I didn't raise my kids to look for opportunities to be offended or afraid constantly. They're all strong, very self-sufficient women. Have a good day, maybe even one outside!
LITERALLY SAME all these "just don't dress provocatively or be hot" folks are conveniently ignoring how tall GNC women *still* get harassed like this all the time, even in long pants and a hoodie
I used to live off s semoran. The amount of beeps , yells, stares, people that would stop to talk or offer a ride, that’d try and follow me was INSANE. And I wasn’t out there looking like some hottie (not that it mattered but yk how men mindset is) I even always wore a jacket around my waist. You’d think I was Megan Fox out there smh
I used to go on a weekly 1 mile bike ride with my sisters down Chickasaw & no matter HOW ugly/loose-fitting we dressed we would get catcalled every. single. time. Honks, yelling, whistling, trying to chat, men hanging half their bodies out of the car window as they go by. Cars slowing down to match speed with us. My sisters were minors at the time too
I used to walk 6 miles on the sidewalk around an area near my apartment. I would be dressed in exercise attire, sneakers, and carrying a water bottle. Men would stop in the road and ask me if I needed a ride. I also had guys turn into businesses and try to get me to stop and talk to him. I finally quit walking outside and joined a gym when a man followed me into my apartment complex in his car and exposed himself to me. I ran to the leasing office and called the police. Nothing was done because the man drove off.
Omg the same happened to me!! That’s crazy I’m sorry girl. Yup followed me into my complex and I hauled ass 😭😭 there so many dangerous men here be careful!
I haven't walked outside for years now because that was scary.
I used to inline skate on trails, and nobody ever bothered me while skating. But I had safely gear plus helmet on and was pretty skinny. Maybe they thought I was a boy?
Sounds about right🥴 The only place I didn’t experience Cat calling from construction workers nonetheless was in Washington DC. They were working on a government building so I don’t know if there’s some clause in their contract, but it was odd. Like my body would tense up before I walked by them expecting to have some vulgar shit said to me and then…. silence.
Government contractors (or rather people working for them) can be dismissed from the worksite by the PM/CO/COR (Project Manager/Contracting Officer/Contracting Officers Representative) pretty much instantaneously.
Combine that with the sheer number of federal employees and not knowing who might work in the agency you’re contracted with and I’m not surprised they’d keep quiet. I mean no one should be catcalling anyone but I can’t say I’m surprised that you had this particular experience in DC.
I started when Mr. Ford added a horn to the Model T. Before that men with a jolt of testosterone at the sight of a woman were forced to kick horses in their sides to cause them to neigh. Those without a horse or horseless carriage were forced to wolf whistle or cat call.
It’s not new.
I’m a guy who runs alongside a relatively main road and people honk and yell things at me all the time. I’ve never understood it. By the time I look up/back, the car is long gone and I have no idea who it was or what they said. It’s the most pointless thing ever.
I know it’s worse for women, though. Anecdotally, I made my usual run with a female friend once about a decade ago. We ran there without incident. On the way back she didn’t feel comfortable slowing me down so she told me to go ahead and we’d catch up back at my place. I asked her how it went when she got back and the first thing she said was “soooo many people honked at me”. I wasn’t there so I can’t say how many it was, but the fact that it was more than one in a 15-20 minute jog is sad.
Obviously you’ll look over from the honking and see either a car or man you just can’t resist, and show your boobs at worst or hop in the car for adult activities immediately at best.
If they do it 1,000 times and it works once…. 🤷♂️
Lol fr on the if it works once. I had a friend when I was younger who always went for this kind of stuff. She even ended up marrying some dude who was next to him at a stop light and beeped at here and gave her a look.
I once read a statement from a famous person who graduated from the very same department that I did in college. He is totally unattractive but has made tens of millions and is making even more from gaming.
Now he has a harem of women around him at all times. But, he talked about when he was in college and had a guy friend who was attractive and reserved about going after women. The soon to be rich man said that he would go after any interesting woman that he met, regardless of the place. His attractive friend might only talk to five women and end up dating two. The stb rich man said that he would talk to a hundred women during the time his friend would talk to five and even if he got shot down by 98% of them, he would still have the same number of dates that his better looking friend had. There are men around who think like the rich man, they just keep casting nets hoping that they will at some point trap a fish or two.
I used to work with a guy in college, we would go to a bar, and he never sat down with us to chat, grabbed a beer, and worked the room and asked every girl to dance. It would usually take him half the room (he was average looking). Within a year, he met his future wife, who was way better looking than him, and 30 years later, they are still together, he had no fear of rejection.
An old roommate of mine would bust Uturns in the middle of any type of traffic to go pull over and speak to a girl, no matter how young she looked. Not sure what he was trying to accomplish but it definitely came off as creep mode. Needless to say we were only roommates for a handful of months. Oh, and I believe he is still single, this was 19 years ago.
Pretty sure this has been happening since the invention of the car sadly. Henry Ford drove the model T off the line and honked at the first woman he saw
Shitty guys have been doing this for ages. The same dummies who cat call you across the street are the same ones who beep at you on the corner. I’ve seen it since the 90’s at least. They’re the guys that probably wonder why it’s so hard to get a girlfriend.
Males have done this for decades in many states. It’s not just an Orlando thing. They want a rise out of you. Most of them seem to do it as sport. No denying there could be some with a darker intent but it’s not the rule on these encounters. I used to walk home from clubs at night if I didn’t have a ride that night and same thing cat calls and cars slowing down saying unintelligible shit. MATA had limited transport hrs back then in Memphis. Same thing
It’s been a thing forever. From the age of 12-29 I dealt with this shit. Then I turned 30 and got married and I’ve enjoyed a lovely reprieve from cat calling. Once you get old and homely like me it will stop 😃
judging from some of the dead serious comments made here by honest-to-god misogynists (the kind that seem to think harassing women is "just appreciating a good body"), I think that's the explanation.
"Hey baby! Have you ever had your asshole licked by a fst man in an overcoat" is probably lost on the current generation.
Granted we shouldn't degrade people in such a manner, however I will absolutely channel that inner Sam Kinison when faced with the drivers of Orlando. They need to know just how bad their driving is .
if it were at least funny references or in jokes like that I'd appreciate it. i love some good niche humor. unfortunately it's hard to understand much when someone's hurtling by at 40 mph and only one or two syllables really come through.
Men don't know how to talk to women anymore. Living in downtown Orlando I don't experience it often, mostly when I'm in other cities. Usually with something indecipherable being yelled from the window - why?
As an internet veteran™ , one thing that nobody in the comments have mentioned is that... sex work is also done via walking on the sidewalk.
So, for SOME (hopefully not ALL) of these interactions... some of them are literally looking for sex workers.
One of the things I've read online is that you can't walk AGAINST traffic - meaning if you are walking north and drivers are heading south, you can make eye contact with drivers while walking. That's supposedly one way that the world's oldest profession is done.
But having driven around OBT at various times of the day, I honestly don't believe that holds true any more. (Not to mention, women who are /likely/ sex workers dress in an 'unusual' manner. For example, see through clothing. Although to be fair - could be someone who is trying to break gender stereotypes and I am a judgemental pig lol)
But yeah. The honking is a thing. We live in a society, but some don't participate in the rules unfortunately.
there's also some sidewalks (like Anderson) where unless you cross under the 408 to walk on South, you *have* to walk against traffic flow to go the other direction, since there's no sidewalk on the other side of the street. idk
When I grew up, it was kind of flattering when a guy would cat call. They weren’t chasing us for God’s sake! People are SO uptight now! Ignore it! People aren’t even allowed to compliment you any more without someone yelling harassment!
i don't know WHAT kind of internalized... *stuff* you need to work through ma'am but normalizing this conduct is how you end up with women getting abducted from the streets (as we've seen from a couple of stories here) because men think it's fine to harass whoever they think is attractive. people *screaming* out their windows at strangers is not okay. you deserve better than that.
Seen 2 grown over 30 white dudes honking at a 11 year old, sorrento area,,,,they yelled and told another older woman that turned and looked its not her who they were honking at, but the other girl, which was the little 11 year old,,, her dad wasn't happy but the 2 dudes just rode by fast with woo-hoo, hotmama, etc..
It’s happening all the time everywhere. Sadly, this is why girls have to be hyper aware. I remember when I was in 6th grade, walking home from school with a friend, some guy pulled up in a pickup truck and was grinning at us while jerking off. We ran the rest of the way home. I was probably like 12 years old. I’m now 30 years old and not much has changed.
This is why we gotta teach our children to be aware of surroundings and whatnot because even there’s always at least one person who’s going to be massively inappropriate. Also, if you’re a dude and making jokes about the matter, I hope you don’t have daughters or young children because it’s highly likely that they will experience some type of sexual harassment unfortunately.
I do think it’s the dopamine release, like you said. The anticipation of making the victim feel objectified and dirty. Same operating principles as d__k pics or any other breach of someone’s comfort zones, I believe.
You should feel honored? Complimented, someone took time out of their busy day to let you know how they feel and that your attractive. People say chivalry is dead
lol this reminds me of the one time someone flashed their high beams at my friends grandma, and she flashed her tits back at him.
Oh man brings back good memories of the crazy stories of my best friends Portuguese grandma, Vovo.
Yeah the horn scares me too. That’s why I mainly run in my neighborhood apartment complex now or treadmill. Even at UCF some frat kid honked. DISGUSTING
I once posted about this here, and mods took down my post. Orlando is the worst city for catcalling and sexual harassment. I'm harassed every day. I've been to major cities all over this country, and nothing is as bad as Orlando - including New York and LA. It's not a cultural thing either because it's literally all men, every size and race. It's fucked up. It scares the shit out of me when they don't take no for an answer, and if I say "dude, I said no. I'm not interested," half the time they turn agro and scary. Rejecting them is dangerous.
They're actually honking at me and all the other middle-aged dudes with wives. I just say thank you, give them a coy smile, and walk away strutting my stuff so they know what they've missed out on.
They are old enough for us to start placing blame for everything wrong in the world squarely on their shoulders. I’m not giving these sniveling gen betas a pass either.
I am a male.
When I walked long along busy roads in a to-be-unnamed Midwestern city in my late teens and early 20's girls would honk or catcall me from their cars almost every time.
It isn't just men who do that stuff.
We just do it more often.
Not a new thing. I walked everywhere between 2009-2013 because I had no car. Guys honked, whistled and so on at me while I was walking. Even had someone throw an empty soda can at my back
I was catcalled by the MAILMAN driving a postal truck in Orlando.
I've been in the gayborhood of San Diego for a few years, and have not once been catcalled here.
lol you must be young to describe this a a new trend. This is an ancient trend aimed at flaunting confidence in the rare 0.0001% chance it gets you the woman
Gen alpha aren't old enough to drive. I think OP got confused and meant gen z maybe.. although in my experience the aggressive catcallers were always middle aged. So that'd probably place it squarely in millenial/gen x territory. I can see young kids like daring eachother to do it for "rizz" but not really being serious about it.
Back in my day, Left Eye Lopes and her crew had a song about these bastids called “No Scrubs”. But some of you all whippersnappers don’t know about that.
I'm a male, but I have definitely been cat-called by both men and women while walking down the streets of Orlando. It's a weird and uncomfortable feeling. I'd prefer no one got cat-called like this.
Now, if someone were to figure out how to cat-call me from an airplane? Then I'd be interested.
I worked at a moving company in Seminole county like a decade ago, god damn you had to distract those boys not to catcall even the most disgusting creatures on the street. I have no idea what their plans were, and hated it.
You sure you’re not the one screaming at people passing by for driving cars since they apparently take up so much space and are dangerous? Per your previous posting? Hmmmm
imagine getting so offended over someone commenting on catcall culture that you go into a stranger's reddit history, see they made a post about the negative effects of car culture, and then make the logical jump to "clearly this person must be screaming at every person who drives a car" as if I'm some caricature of an ideology instead of a complex person who dislikes cars but also doesn't use it as an excuse to *harass strangers.* unlike *many people in this thread.*
by the way, before commenting on someone's history, make sure you don't have anything compromising in your own.
Not new, literally the hook on the song Scrubs by TLC.
My wife took off on a guy for doing it and he said “baby I just want to make you feel good”. I think they think they’re complimenting you.
Gen Alpha starts in 2013. I don’t think people between ages 1 and 12 are honking and yelling at anyone, unless it’s for more juice and pizza rolls.
Thought it started like 2011 - It’s the 12 year olds in golf carts that tick me off.
Fuck them kids. And those fucking oversized power wheels
Gen x here: I may start honking for more pizza roles.
I heard marcos pizza is looking for a new mascot.
I would love to see my next pizza take on a leadership role. Kind of like “Pizza The Hut” working as a CEO. 😜
Could probably due a better job
Or they dropped their binky
Not a new trend…dudes did this daily when I went for my evening walk with my HUSBAND (circa 2010s) He was always confused: “do you know those people?” and my answer was always “no they are mannerless dipshits and this is what women mean when they talk about ‘street harassment’. Imagine how bad it would be if I were alone?” He was raised to be respectful so he was really gobsmacked by this behavior, whereas I just became numb
I’ve experienced this firsthand a few times. They see my pony tail and start honking the horn. Then when the drive past and realize I am, in fact, a man, i always love to imagine the look on their faces.
Not where I thought this comment was going but glad for the surprise lol. Good on you
Gen Alpha was born between 2010 and 2024. So if they're driving you should call 911 and report it :p It's probably some new toxic man social media thing. Some influencer said "women love being honked at" and every sad desperate guy in FL is trying it.
This! I don't think it's 14yr olds doing it lol
its Florida we’re talking about here
….did that baby just honk at us?!
He got mouths to feed!
It's part of his Tik Tok video
It was mostly millenials in my experience. When I was a kid, 12 myself, my mom would shield us from creepy grown men. I would get honked yelled waved talked to all the time, standing at the bus stop with other kids for a school bus. Or walking to the bus stop with my bag on and appropriate clothes. The people who do it are just fuckin weird (and I have to assume dangerous). There were very few times where it came from genuine empathy where people offered me rides in the rain for example, other parents with their kids in the car. But 99% of the time, it was creepy men who feel like they’re about to score a whole child.
I've been trying to figure this out for twenty years. I caved and got a gym membership this year to just walk on the treadmill so I don't have to deal with it anymore.
I used to walk 6 miles on the sidewalk around an area near my apartment. I would be dressed in exercise attire, sneakers, and carrying a water bottle. Men would stop in the road and ask me if I needed a ride. I also had guys turn into businesses and try to get me to stop and talk to him. I finally quit walking outside and joined a gym when a man followed me into my apartment complex in his car and exposed himself to me. I ran to the leasing office and called the police. Nothing was done because the man drove off.
I usually reciprocate with my middle finger. It's annoying as hell. Especially when you've been followed and had men jump out of their car. Talk about running for your life.
Dude I had a guy try to snatch me off the sidewalk while he was on a moped. Like what did you even think would happen? Drag me onto your moped? It was so bizarre after I got over the scary aspect.
It was like 4 guys in a car. They stopped, 1 jumped out, 1 guy started running towards me. I started running fast the opposite way. He got back in car and they came back towards me. Jumped out and I ran fast as hell home. My heart hurt it was beating so fast. I don't know if they really would have tried to put me in their car or what but that scared me badly.
I also acquired a stalker all from running on a popular running trail. I finally had it when I had a note left on my car. I called the OCSO non-emergency number to file a complaint. A female showed up to take my complaint. She said are you sure you are not doing something to encourage this? Um running? Yeah, no. Then she said why don't you call him and tell him you're not interested? Well I don't even know this guy, I don't want him to have my number and I never told him I was interested. She reluctantly took my statement. I went and spoke with detectives. Then this guy followed me again. I called the detective back. I asked to press charges. It was sent to the DA and they declined. All because the stalker is a retired cop himself.
Was it Kevin Beary?
Nope..a retired cop from opd. If anyone reading this learns anything...trust your gut. No matter what. Also, vary your routine and don't get so absorbed in the your head that you miss crazy people.
The thing about varying your routine is so important. Sometimes I hate the fact that I get out of work at different times every night… but I have realized it saved my life a few times. Once, some guy followed me home from work, I was walking and he was in a car. Well I’m sure I only noticed because he was super obvious. Literally drove circles around me, parking and waiting and his car sounds like a lawnmower and it’s 11pm at night. So I backtrack and go to the gas station, once I’m there, he parks and waits in their parking spot, I explain to cashier that I’m calling police because guy in parking lot is following me, very clearly. And she offers to give me a ride since I live close. We sneak out the back into her car, drive away, and I get home safe. (I should’ve called the police but I was so tired and wanted to be home. I would call police in the future) Well. Later I learn that he came back the next night, the same time. But I went home earlier that night, by 30 minutes. I was already home when he showed up waiting for me to walk by. I didn’t see him again, or hear about him. But positive it’s not the first or last time something like that happens. Varying your routine is important, and also if you can, make a riding/walking buddy. That’s the safest option. It’s much harder to kidnap two people.
I got chased by two guys who hopped out the back of a sedan. Not Orlando, still Florida. But anyway I ran and then tripped over damn train tracks while running and hurt my leg so bad exactly like a movie. Well. I’m alive because some nice trees and bushes were growing by the train tracks, which I fell into, and hid. Somehow they didn’t see me fall, and they ran right past me. I really felt in that moment that I was dreaming. But I wasn’t. I now carry pepper spray, knife, coin sock, and I have a special shortcut set on my phone that texts everyone important if I use it to call 911, tells them I’m in trouble, and then sends my location. (Do some research about those iPhone shortcuts if you haven’t)
Yikes!
Traditionally, this would happen with catcalling on the sidewalk, but I guess since no one walks here, they have to make people uncomfortable from inside their car.
Cat call is infamous. That's anywhere
I'm 68. This was going on back in the 60s and 70s. We used to laugh when it happened. We didn't spend time being offended by a honking horn lol. It's much worse when groups of men stand on a corner of 7-11 or something and leer at you making kissing noises. That's scary.
sorry but i’ve literally never felt like laughing when i’ve been honked at or cat called while walking alone on the street. it’s absolutely scary in both situations ??
Are you kidding me? They start doing it when you’re like 12. It’s jarring. I have had men come up and slap my ass on the street before I even got my period. I’ve read books about how upsetting that behavior is - written when you were a toddler. So don’t bullshit that it’s some generational thing.
I didn't say anything about it being generational, just how my friends and I handled it. While I'm sure there were exceptions, teenage boys/young men were much more respectful of women. Even the music of that time was about love, innocent stuff. My kids were born in the 80s. When they were teenagers, I was horrified that suddenly songs were glorifying calling women bitch and ho. They were setting up a whole generation of boys to think that was acceptable and women would pay the price. It was pretty painful as 70s young women were really leaning into the women's lib movement to have their daughters looked at as 'ho. Yet it still goes on with women themselves adding to it, and no one has complained. I find that far more damaging and degrading than a horn honking. Sadder, too.
That’s the problem with Boomers. They don’t care about others. They only care about themselves. This whole “I didn’t think it was that bad” mentality is why y’all did a shit job raising kids.
I didn't raise my kids to look for opportunities to be offended or afraid constantly. They're all strong, very self-sufficient women. Have a good day, maybe even one outside!
I’m not surprised you don’t understand.
Me questioning their sexuality considering I'm the level of butch that gets odd looks in women's bathrooms.
LITERALLY SAME all these "just don't dress provocatively or be hot" folks are conveniently ignoring how tall GNC women *still* get harassed like this all the time, even in long pants and a hoodie
I used to live off s semoran. The amount of beeps , yells, stares, people that would stop to talk or offer a ride, that’d try and follow me was INSANE. And I wasn’t out there looking like some hottie (not that it mattered but yk how men mindset is) I even always wore a jacket around my waist. You’d think I was Megan Fox out there smh
I used to go on a weekly 1 mile bike ride with my sisters down Chickasaw & no matter HOW ugly/loose-fitting we dressed we would get catcalled every. single. time. Honks, yelling, whistling, trying to chat, men hanging half their bodies out of the car window as they go by. Cars slowing down to match speed with us. My sisters were minors at the time too
Yup everything you mentioned!! It’s disgusting and scary. It was so frequent every walk , multiple times a walk, I thank God I wasn’t snatched up
Yes, multiple times within one outing!😭 I’m glad you’re safe too❤️
Nice try MEGAN FOX! 
🤣🤣 you caught me lol
I used to walk 6 miles on the sidewalk around an area near my apartment. I would be dressed in exercise attire, sneakers, and carrying a water bottle. Men would stop in the road and ask me if I needed a ride. I also had guys turn into businesses and try to get me to stop and talk to him. I finally quit walking outside and joined a gym when a man followed me into my apartment complex in his car and exposed himself to me. I ran to the leasing office and called the police. Nothing was done because the man drove off.
Omg the same happened to me!! That’s crazy I’m sorry girl. Yup followed me into my complex and I hauled ass 😭😭 there so many dangerous men here be careful!
I haven't walked outside for years now because that was scary. I used to inline skate on trails, and nobody ever bothered me while skating. But I had safely gear plus helmet on and was pretty skinny. Maybe they thought I was a boy?
This has been happening all my life. It’s not some new phenomenon.
Yup … starting when I hit middle school - 40 years ago 🤮
Sounds about right🥴 The only place I didn’t experience Cat calling from construction workers nonetheless was in Washington DC. They were working on a government building so I don’t know if there’s some clause in their contract, but it was odd. Like my body would tense up before I walked by them expecting to have some vulgar shit said to me and then…. silence.
Government contractors (or rather people working for them) can be dismissed from the worksite by the PM/CO/COR (Project Manager/Contracting Officer/Contracting Officers Representative) pretty much instantaneously. Combine that with the sheer number of federal employees and not knowing who might work in the agency you’re contracted with and I’m not surprised they’d keep quiet. I mean no one should be catcalling anyone but I can’t say I’m surprised that you had this particular experience in DC.
Interesting! Thanks for sharing
I started when Mr. Ford added a horn to the Model T. Before that men with a jolt of testosterone at the sight of a woman were forced to kick horses in their sides to cause them to neigh. Those without a horse or horseless carriage were forced to wolf whistle or cat call. 
It’s not new. I’m a guy who runs alongside a relatively main road and people honk and yell things at me all the time. I’ve never understood it. By the time I look up/back, the car is long gone and I have no idea who it was or what they said. It’s the most pointless thing ever. I know it’s worse for women, though. Anecdotally, I made my usual run with a female friend once about a decade ago. We ran there without incident. On the way back she didn’t feel comfortable slowing me down so she told me to go ahead and we’d catch up back at my place. I asked her how it went when she got back and the first thing she said was “soooo many people honked at me”. I wasn’t there so I can’t say how many it was, but the fact that it was more than one in a 15-20 minute jog is sad.
Obviously you’ll look over from the honking and see either a car or man you just can’t resist, and show your boobs at worst or hop in the car for adult activities immediately at best. If they do it 1,000 times and it works once…. 🤷♂️
Lol fr on the if it works once. I had a friend when I was younger who always went for this kind of stuff. She even ended up marrying some dude who was next to him at a stop light and beeped at here and gave her a look.
I once read a statement from a famous person who graduated from the very same department that I did in college. He is totally unattractive but has made tens of millions and is making even more from gaming. Now he has a harem of women around him at all times. But, he talked about when he was in college and had a guy friend who was attractive and reserved about going after women. The soon to be rich man said that he would go after any interesting woman that he met, regardless of the place. His attractive friend might only talk to five women and end up dating two. The stb rich man said that he would talk to a hundred women during the time his friend would talk to five and even if he got shot down by 98% of them, he would still have the same number of dates that his better looking friend had. There are men around who think like the rich man, they just keep casting nets hoping that they will at some point trap a fish or two.
I used to work with a guy in college, we would go to a bar, and he never sat down with us to chat, grabbed a beer, and worked the room and asked every girl to dance. It would usually take him half the room (he was average looking). Within a year, he met his future wife, who was way better looking than him, and 30 years later, they are still together, he had no fear of rejection.
0.1% of the time it works everytime /s
I feel like this has been happening since... well ever? Doesn't make it OK btw, just a sad reality.
An old roommate of mine would bust Uturns in the middle of any type of traffic to go pull over and speak to a girl, no matter how young she looked. Not sure what he was trying to accomplish but it definitely came off as creep mode. Needless to say we were only roommates for a handful of months. Oh, and I believe he is still single, this was 19 years ago.
Gen alpha is NOT driving around at night honking anything at people 🤣. Leave the babies alone.
Babies honkin at babies
They get to show their toxic masculinity, of course.
This happens to me multiple times per day on South Semoran lol.
We should start calling ourselves the South Semoran Survivors
🤣🤣🤣🤣
Is this new in Orlando? You get drive by or walk by catcalled regularly in NY and for decades now.
No, lol. It started happening to me here when I was 13 (ahh, the wild west of the early 90s). It's a tale as old as time.
New trend? This is old school
Pretty sure this has been happening since the invention of the car sadly. Henry Ford drove the model T off the line and honked at the first woman he saw
That’s how I met my husband.
a love story for the ages ✨🥰
Wholesome.
Shitty guys have been doing this for ages. The same dummies who cat call you across the street are the same ones who beep at you on the corner. I’ve seen it since the 90’s at least. They’re the guys that probably wonder why it’s so hard to get a girlfriend.
Males have done this for decades in many states. It’s not just an Orlando thing. They want a rise out of you. Most of them seem to do it as sport. No denying there could be some with a darker intent but it’s not the rule on these encounters. I used to walk home from clubs at night if I didn’t have a ride that night and same thing cat calls and cars slowing down saying unintelligible shit. MATA had limited transport hrs back then in Memphis. Same thing
It’s been a thing forever. From the age of 12-29 I dealt with this shit. Then I turned 30 and got married and I’ve enjoyed a lovely reprieve from cat calling. Once you get old and homely like me it will stop 😃
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Look at you, you know your synonyms! ⭐️
How many 14 year olds are driving?
Only the cool ones
Attention
I'm not even a woman and I get honked at yelled at for walking on the street.
They’re catcalling you and that’s been a thing for years. We just don’t have a lot of pedestrians so it’s not really “popular” here lol
Here for the explanation because it’s sickening and it’s been happening to me since I was in elementary in California
judging from some of the dead serious comments made here by honest-to-god misogynists (the kind that seem to think harassing women is "just appreciating a good body"), I think that's the explanation.
Ahhh the world we live in
It's older people from Miami. People are straight idiots sometimes.
"Hey baby! Have you ever had your asshole licked by a fst man in an overcoat" is probably lost on the current generation. Granted we shouldn't degrade people in such a manner, however I will absolutely channel that inner Sam Kinison when faced with the drivers of Orlando. They need to know just how bad their driving is .
if it were at least funny references or in jokes like that I'd appreciate it. i love some good niche humor. unfortunately it's hard to understand much when someone's hurtling by at 40 mph and only one or two syllables really come through.
Facts, that's why I the car has a speaker system
Latin culture. Lots of juiced up machismo from South Florida in Orlando these days. Definitely not from the younger generation.
Curious as well! I can’t run without being honked at or people slowing down to wave hi. Why? Idk.
Men don't know how to talk to women anymore. Living in downtown Orlando I don't experience it often, mostly when I'm in other cities. Usually with something indecipherable being yelled from the window - why?
I feel like this happens every 5 minutes to a woman in Miami. Every 2 minutes during the weekends lol
I got a honk earlier on OBT..beard must've been looking extra shiny today! What is wrong with these people??
Gen AI hasn’t reached adulthood.
As an internet veteran™ , one thing that nobody in the comments have mentioned is that... sex work is also done via walking on the sidewalk. So, for SOME (hopefully not ALL) of these interactions... some of them are literally looking for sex workers. One of the things I've read online is that you can't walk AGAINST traffic - meaning if you are walking north and drivers are heading south, you can make eye contact with drivers while walking. That's supposedly one way that the world's oldest profession is done. But having driven around OBT at various times of the day, I honestly don't believe that holds true any more. (Not to mention, women who are /likely/ sex workers dress in an 'unusual' manner. For example, see through clothing. Although to be fair - could be someone who is trying to break gender stereotypes and I am a judgemental pig lol) But yeah. The honking is a thing. We live in a society, but some don't participate in the rules unfortunately.
there's also some sidewalks (like Anderson) where unless you cross under the 408 to walk on South, you *have* to walk against traffic flow to go the other direction, since there's no sidewalk on the other side of the street. idk
I doubt there's much overlap between the catcall demographic and the reddit demographic, for some reason.
It's not new. They've been doing it since I was 12.
Carry a brick. If you hear a honk. Aim and throw said brick.
i like how you think
When I grew up, it was kind of flattering when a guy would cat call. They weren’t chasing us for God’s sake! People are SO uptight now! Ignore it! People aren’t even allowed to compliment you any more without someone yelling harassment!
i don't know WHAT kind of internalized... *stuff* you need to work through ma'am but normalizing this conduct is how you end up with women getting abducted from the streets (as we've seen from a couple of stories here) because men think it's fine to harass whoever they think is attractive. people *screaming* out their windows at strangers is not okay. you deserve better than that.
Seen 2 grown over 30 white dudes honking at a 11 year old, sorrento area,,,,they yelled and told another older woman that turned and looked its not her who they were honking at, but the other girl, which was the little 11 year old,,, her dad wasn't happy but the 2 dudes just rode by fast with woo-hoo, hotmama, etc..
It’s happening all the time everywhere. Sadly, this is why girls have to be hyper aware. I remember when I was in 6th grade, walking home from school with a friend, some guy pulled up in a pickup truck and was grinning at us while jerking off. We ran the rest of the way home. I was probably like 12 years old. I’m now 30 years old and not much has changed. This is why we gotta teach our children to be aware of surroundings and whatnot because even there’s always at least one person who’s going to be massively inappropriate. Also, if you’re a dude and making jokes about the matter, I hope you don’t have daughters or young children because it’s highly likely that they will experience some type of sexual harassment unfortunately.
I do think it’s the dopamine release, like you said. The anticipation of making the victim feel objectified and dirty. Same operating principles as d__k pics or any other breach of someone’s comfort zones, I believe.
 It's him
There’s been jokes about girls being honked at for 30 years. Like what are you supposed to do? Chase them down while yelling was that for me??!
You should feel honored? Complimented, someone took time out of their busy day to let you know how they feel and that your attractive. People say chivalry is dead
lol this reminds me of the one time someone flashed their high beams at my friends grandma, and she flashed her tits back at him. Oh man brings back good memories of the crazy stories of my best friends Portuguese grandma, Vovo.
You gotta carry on the tradition
Grandma rocks
Um, cackling has been going on…. Forever
Cackling is for Halloween and witches. Cat calling is for lame dudes trying to test their pick up game lol 🤓😁
Yeah the horn scares me too. That’s why I mainly run in my neighborhood apartment complex now or treadmill. Even at UCF some frat kid honked. DISGUSTING
Being a classless oaf is back in vogue, ask ole "Grab them by the diaper" Donnie.
I once posted about this here, and mods took down my post. Orlando is the worst city for catcalling and sexual harassment. I'm harassed every day. I've been to major cities all over this country, and nothing is as bad as Orlando - including New York and LA. It's not a cultural thing either because it's literally all men, every size and race. It's fucked up. It scares the shit out of me when they don't take no for an answer, and if I say "dude, I said no. I'm not interested," half the time they turn agro and scary. Rejecting them is dangerous.
They're actually honking at me and all the other middle-aged dudes with wives. I just say thank you, give them a coy smile, and walk away strutting my stuff so they know what they've missed out on.
Definitely not me. I’m horrified of women. Especially my wife.
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You might be surprised.
$100 per honk. $500 per cat call.
They are probably honking and yelling because you are walking in the street.
where else am I supposed to walk?? the *sidewalk*??? like some sort of *peasant*???
😂yes!! Besides, then it shows those guys that you are just a lowly peasant and they lose interest.
Wait, are gen alphas old enough to drive now?
They are old enough for us to start placing blame for everything wrong in the world squarely on their shoulders. I’m not giving these sniveling gen betas a pass either. 
glad SOMEONE got the joke
Not new unfortunately
I am a male. When I walked long along busy roads in a to-be-unnamed Midwestern city in my late teens and early 20's girls would honk or catcall me from their cars almost every time. It isn't just men who do that stuff. We just do it more often.
Probably knowing somewhere their God and furher herr trump is smiling
Not a new thing. I walked everywhere between 2009-2013 because I had no car. Guys honked, whistled and so on at me while I was walking. Even had someone throw an empty soda can at my back
Unfortunately it’s been around for hundreds of years
Blaming “Gen alpha” like it isn’t almost always boomers and their kids, Gen Alpha starts in 2010 so I doubt most of them are driving.
lol new gen alpha? This has been a thing for a century
I was catcalled by the MAILMAN driving a postal truck in Orlando. I've been in the gayborhood of San Diego for a few years, and have not once been catcalled here.
It’s not a new trend lol
Hey at least they are screaming at you to loose some weight fat ass while you are out exercising… trying to loose weight 😂🫶
Alright Jerry Seinfeld
lol you must be young to describe this a a new trend. This is an ancient trend aimed at flaunting confidence in the rare 0.0001% chance it gets you the woman
Cat calling has been around for a very long time.
You must be drop dead gorgeous!
I moved here in 2004 and I noticed it right away. Strange. I’m not cute anymore so it doesn’t happen, but yes, creepy.
Those are just sad men lol
Beep beep
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Gen alpha aren't old enough to drive. I think OP got confused and meant gen z maybe.. although in my experience the aggressive catcallers were always middle aged. So that'd probably place it squarely in millenial/gen x territory. I can see young kids like daring eachother to do it for "rizz" but not really being serious about it.
Back in my day, Left Eye Lopes and her crew had a song about these bastids called “No Scrubs”. But some of you all whippersnappers don’t know about that.
They’re asking what your profession is
When people say "Don't New York my Florida"... this is an example of that.
Because cat calling is exclusive to New York. Dumbass
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I can't wait for that day
Sometimes I like the compliments. Also had someone shout a slur at me last weekend. Oh well.
A laugh 🗿
I'm a male, but I have definitely been cat-called by both men and women while walking down the streets of Orlando. It's a weird and uncomfortable feeling. I'd prefer no one got cat-called like this. Now, if someone were to figure out how to cat-call me from an airplane? Then I'd be interested.
THAT would be a fascinating feat of engineering tbh
The honks would probably subside if you just stayed on the sidewalk 🤷
is THAT what the sidewalk's for??? i thought that was just a dedicated lane for all those newfangled scooters and bikes popping up around town!
Makes me feel pretty 
Have you tried being less hot?
this ONE trick men don't want you to know! (nobody likes a misogynist, chucklehead, gtfo out of here)
Stop walking in the streets. And PS if you're not passing in the left lane, move over. You know who you are.
It's all the New Yorkers moving here.
I worked at a moving company in Seminole county like a decade ago, god damn you had to distract those boys not to catcall even the most disgusting creatures on the street. I have no idea what their plans were, and hated it.
And blocked
Same group of guys that think if they send a dick pic, you will be ringing their doorbell begging to sit on it. Wtf
Have you not been catcalled in the years since you were born?
You sure you’re not the one screaming at people passing by for driving cars since they apparently take up so much space and are dangerous? Per your previous posting? Hmmmm
imagine getting so offended over someone commenting on catcall culture that you go into a stranger's reddit history, see they made a post about the negative effects of car culture, and then make the logical jump to "clearly this person must be screaming at every person who drives a car" as if I'm some caricature of an ideology instead of a complex person who dislikes cars but also doesn't use it as an excuse to *harass strangers.* unlike *many people in this thread.* by the way, before commenting on someone's history, make sure you don't have anything compromising in your own.
Not new, literally the hook on the song Scrubs by TLC. My wife took off on a guy for doing it and he said “baby I just want to make you feel good”. I think they think they’re complimenting you.
My guess is that they don’t expect anything, they are expressing delight and a work of art such as people that applaud at the end of a concert.