I had to go out to Bayside twice this week. I always dread these weeks. It's not that I hate Bayside. I love walking by the tattered awning of Breakdown Records, watching teenagers come out of Mandee's all excited about their new purchases of sort of borderline slutty clothes that are kind of awesome, and, during tax season, I especially loved the woman dressed up as the Statue of Liberty for Liberty taxes.
Okay, so usually I just kind of get a kick out of Bayside, and texting my friend that I am out in Gayside; it's just the 2+ hour commute from hell that kills me.

On Monday, it was raining as I walked from the LIRR station to campus. I mean, I've got to get there some way and I forgot to buy an unlimited Metrocard this week. On my way, walking down 216th Street, a guy slowed his car to a crawl to say something to me. I ignored him, mentally chanting "Focus on the iPod. Focus on the iPod," figuring this would be over soon. But it wasn't. He stayed stopped and waved to me and kept talking. I have no idea what he said. I don't care what he said. All I care about what that I was too freaked out to yell anything back.
I finally got my ass to campus and had to take the new and improved circuitous route to my building. I was running late, as usual, because of this need for maze-like travels. I walked into the admin building and came face-to-face with "young man" walking out. He just stood in my way as I tried to get through the door. Finally, I said "YOU GO!" and he responded with some sass that sounded like "I haven't seen you in a long time, little mama."
Oh, fuck that shit. Just fuck it.

Street harassed twice in a day?

On Wednesday, I had a job interview and was awesomely snazzily dressed for it. I was a little uncomfortable having to wear professionalish clothes for a 12-hour day, but I was managing. I shelled out my fucking $7.50 for peak fair to the 'side (thanks, MTA!) and proceeded to walk to campus again.
Hey, I do like the walk.
I was at, I am not joking, the exact same spot as the kissy-faced, waving shit, when a white van drove by and a guy in it yelled "How much do you charge?"
Oh, no, he didn't. He didn't. But he did.

Street harassed three times in three days?

A friend of mine was driving me home that night and I told him these stories and he was really perplexed, like what the hell do you do with all the shit that comes up from having that happen sort of perplexed.
I am rarely harassed, living in a well-populated amazing place in Brooklyn so I just was like "Keep walking?"
He sort of said "Um, obviously, but seriously, what..." and the conversation was over, as I am sure his mind drifted to his pre-teen daughter facing the same sort of shit now and forever.

He missed dropping me off at my subway stop and circled back to find it again. I kept telling him just to leave me on 4th Avenue, and he was confused, again, complaining that I had just told him these stories and now I expected him just to leave me on the streets of Brooklyn at 10pm. Of course, I don't worry about the streets of Brooklyn. I think just to prove something to myself, I let him drop me off right outside the subway. He drove off and I walked down the dark street to the next stop, with nobody bothering me but the NYPD smiling and waving from their squad car.
Which is a whole other story.