Been groped recently?

The brilliant Claire Light has just begun a Groping Meme on her blog. Reading it triggered a dozen essays in my head, and at least a hundred memories about every time I've been groped, grabbed, harassed, had my private physical and mental space invaded without my consent.

Excerpts from Claire's posting:

Much of the world and I are in a contest, though not an equal one. The contest makes my body a battleground, somehow, but not their [men's] bodies.

If I notice them, they win. If I get angry, they win. If I laugh, they win. If I ignore them and let them say/do what they want, they win.

It doesn't matter what happens to them, how shitty their lives are, they can still take it to the streets and take it out on me by attacking my body.

And I can't turn it back around on them. The power just won't flow that way. Men can be private in public, as long as they're minding their own business, or staying in their part of town, just obeying the rules. Men can have their private thoughts and not be constantly bracing for the next, inevitable onslaught. But no woman can.

I prefer to hit back, to make it a battle, to teach at least one snivelling little puke that it's not worth his while, so I do feel some empowerment. But I don't have the power to just. make it. stop.

Read the rest of the posting, with my comments on it, and post your own thoughts and experiences.