Dialogue with a Harasser

Pauline: Salaam alaykum. Do you know where the Conrad Hotel is?

Taxi Driver: Conrad Hotel? Yes I know

Pauline: Great! You know you are the first taxi driver I have found who knows where it is! It must be because you are clever (always try to suck up to the driver so they will not try to rip you off)

Taxi Driver: (Beaming and checking me out in the rear-view mirror) Where are you from?

Pauline: From America, but I live here (i.e. I may be white but I'm not a tourist)

Taxi Driver: Are you married (What an original question! Its not like I get asked that by every driver)

Pauline: Yes I am.

Taxi Driver: To an American?

Pauline: No. I am married to an Egyptian. (first of many lies)

Taxi Driver: ohhhhh you are so beautiful. (i find it hilarious that he even bothered to ask me if I was married, as if that would deter any leering.

Pauline: Yes that's what my husband thinks.

Taxi Driver: Ohhhh soooo beautiful, so sweet. You should divorce your husband and marry me.

Now I ignore him for a bit, look at the window. But he continues with the harassment. Finally, when he reattempts the marriage offer, I shout at him, "Shame on you!! You know that I am married, and you know that this is inappropriate and disrespectful, shame on you!!"

Taxi Driver: Why? (AS IF!!!)

Pauline: Let me ask you, do you have sisters?

Taxi Driver: Yes.

Pauline: (now that I am riled up and have this guy in a confined space where he can't get away, I ask the question that we have always wanted to ask hooting and harassing men on the street. "How would you feel if a taxi driver was telling your married sister that she is SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL..... ohhhhhh YOU ARE SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL" and I use my best caveman voice to really convey my opinion of his type.

Pauline: "You know every day I have to deal with you men harassing me and telling me I am beautiful and I am so tired of it. I am sick of it! (It felt good to actually be able to tell one of these guys off. I think he was beginning to regret picking me up)

Taxi Driver: (seems to get my point, and avoids answering the sister question) "No but, you are beautiful, and what do you want me to say? Do you want me to tell you that you are ugly? Fine, you are the ugliest girl I have ever seen. SO UGLY!!"

Pauline: (can't help but smile) "That's better. But you know, why do you have to even comment on a girl's appearance. You know men shouldn't just see woman as either beautiful or ugly. They are more than just their looks. Women have minds you know, and...

Taxi Driver: (cutting me off) "And women have spirits"

Pauline: "Very good! Yes, women have minds, spirits, and are more than just a pretty/ugly face. (cue "The More you Know" music)

We arrive to my destination, and I think we both feel better about how the ride started out. He even apologized, and said that I was very nice and had the personality of one of his sisters. Hopefully he will start to see other women as his sisters also, and remember to treat them as such. Poor guy probably wasn't prepared for the ear-full he got, but hey, he started it.