Mexico City
Débora Poo Soto is studying International Relations at National Autonomus University of México Visual Anthropology at National School of Anthropology and History Photographer. You can find her work here and here.
Monday, September 15:
Number of times: 5
1.
Time of day: 5:55 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Chabacano, Obrera.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was walking to the subway and passed this man—a worker, around 35, not too tall, casually dressed—when he mumbled something to me.
2.
Time of day: 5:56 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Chabacano, Obrera
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? There was this regular guy, probably a worker or a student (or both), about 25. We were walking in the subway as he stared at me.
3.
Time of day: 6:05 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Chabacano, Obrera
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No, he was with two friends.
What happened? A student, around 20, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, whistled at me as I walked by.
4.
Time of day: 6:08 p.m.
Location: Subway between stations, Doctores and Salto del Agua
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? This guy—probably a student, around 20, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt— was chatting with two friends but stopped as I walked by. One of the men ignore me, but he yelled out as I passed.
5.
Time of day: 6:15 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Salto del Agua
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was doing a subway transfer when a worker, around 40, casually dressed, gray hair and a beard, approached me and asked for my info.
Notes: Monday was a national holiday in Mexico, so the city has a different rhythm. I didn’t have class or work.
Tuesday, September 16
Number of times: 3
1.
Time of day: 8:15 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Centro Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? A worker, around 40, casually dressed, whistled at me as I walked by.
2.
Time of day: 8:17 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Centro Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A student/worker, around 25, stared at me intensely as I exited the subway station.
3.
Time of day: 8:45 p.m.
Location: Subway station, Plaza Luis Cabrera.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No, he was with a woman having a coffee in Starbucks.
What happened? It was a man around 35, dressed in jeans, a hoodie, and a baseball hat. He also had a beard. The whole time he followed me with his eyes until he couldn’t see me anymore and he had to turn his neck.
Wednesday, September 17:
Number of times: 5
1.
Time of day: 9:45 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Doctores.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A cleaning worker of the subway station—around 45–48; a little bit gray; long hair; beard; tall and skinny—looked at me in an extremely aggressive way.
2.
Time of day: 9:55 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Doctores.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was waiting for a transfer. A man—between 24–27; a student/worker; wearing jeans and a sweater—stared at me and looked at my legs until I got on the train.
3.
Time of day: 10:05 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Centro Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A worker, around 40, whistled at me as I walked by.
4.
Time of day: 2:50 p.m.
Location: Ampliacion Pedregal de San Angel
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was riding a scooter and a man, around 30, probably an office or bank employee, yelled out at me as I went by.
5.
Time of day: 2:52 p.m.
Location: Ampliacion Pedregal de San Angel
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was still riding a scooter so I couldn’t hear, but a man called out to me again. He was around 25–28; also some kind of young professional.
Thursday, September 18:
Number of times: 4
1.
Time of day: 10:43 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Chabacano
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A man, over 40 and nondescript, leered at me as we rode the train.
2.
Time of day: 10:47 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Chabacano
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? It was a worker, around 34. More staring once I’d exited the train.
3.
Time of day: 10:55 a.m.
Location: Subway station, Salto del Agua.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? I was waiting to transfer. He—Around 42–43; probably an office or bank employee; tall and bald—stared at me and stood close as we waited.
4.
Time of day: 10:oo p.m.
Location: Centro de Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A worker, around 38–40, casually dressed, stared at me as I left the train.
Friday, September 19:
Number of times: 2
1.
Time of day: 1:00 p.m.
Location: Asturias
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
Where was it? Asturias
What happened? He was a subway janitor, but I’m not sure if he worked for the city or the subway. He was 45–55, skinny and smoking a cigarette. He called me, “Hermosa”several times and made kissing noises—“tss tss”—until I stopped and looked at him. I started screaming at him and asked him if he knew this was sexual harassment. He just laughed and I left very upset.
2.
Time of day: 10:10 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad, one block from my home.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? He was around 26–30; not really sport dressed, but he was running. He yelled “Hola” at me as he ran by. I was walking home and he slowed down to run close behind me as I was walking. I was scared because it was late and dark and there weren’t too many people around. I was walking faster now, and started thinking about what I could use to hit him if I had to, and I thought about using water bottle if he came to close. I turned around to see how far he was and saw that he had stopped and was just jogging in place, watching me. Eventually he kept going and turned a corner. I walked extremely fast to get home.
Saturday, September 20:
Number of times: 1
1.
Time of day: 10:40 a.m.
Location: Centro Medico
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? He was around 27–29; tall; sport-dressed; beard. He was with another guy, both wearing sports clothing on their way to do exercise. One called out to me as they passed.
Sunday, September 21:
Number of times: 7
1.
Time of day: 6:15 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? There were five different guys of all ages were standing outside my building. They all stopped talking and stared at me as I went inside.
Notes: All of these men attend the Alcoholic Anonymous group that meets right in front of my house. I have been fighing back with the group, not because I have anything against AA, but because this place runs 24 hours and living next to them is hell. Groups of men gather at all hours directly outside my building.
2.
Time of day: 6:17 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? I was on my way out to go for a run, on the corner of my block. Three different guys, between the ages 0f 30 and 40, all construction workers, yelled as I ran by.
3.
Time of day: 6:18 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? Again, I was on my way out to go for a run. There was a guy, between 27–30. He was with two or three children that seemed to be his. He stopped and stared at my legs as I ran by.
4.
Time of day: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? A guy, around 25–33, was driving his car and slowed down to stare at me out his window as I jogged by.
5.
Time of day: 6:40 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? This was almost exactly the same as the last guy: it was just one man around 25–33 in his car. He was driving his car and slowed down to stare at me out his window as I jogged by.
6.
Time of day: 6:55 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? This guy, over 30, wearing an A/X t-shirt and dressed all in black, came walking from the AA place. He stopped a few meters away from me and was just staring directly at me in a very aggressive way. I called the cop and then he left.
7.
Time of day: 7:10 p.m.
Location: Viaducto Piedad
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? These were the two cops I’d called, one female and one male. They were talking to me about my complaint, but kept staring at my hip tattoos. I pulled up my pants but they still kept trying to see them.
Monday, September 22:
Number of times: 2
1.
Time of day: 9:20 a.m.
Location: Subway between Eugenia and Centro Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? No
What happened? Three men, between the ages of 23–30, all looked like young professionals, all stared at me as I entered the subway.
2.
Time of day: 6:35 p.m.
Location: Centro Medico.
Were you alone? Yes
Was he alone? Yes
What happened? He was around 32; dressed like an office worker or banker. He whistled at me as I changed subway lines.
