I live in Winnipeg and often take public transit. One Saturday morning I got on the bus #18 to downtown Winnipeg from Osborne. It was 8am and I was on my way to work. I sat down in an empty seat at the back of the bus and out of nowhere this man sits next to me. He reeked of alcohol and because of the energy coming from him I knew this was not going to be pleasant. He kept asking me where I was going and I told him that I was not in the mood for speaking and to leave me alone. I stared out the window willing him to go away and then, to my complete dismay, he blew on my hair. I turned to him and snapped at him to not do that again. But he did and he laughed thinking it was funny. I stood up from the seat and got off the bus at the next stop which was on Graham by the Bay downtown, walked up to the front door of the bus and told the busdriver to keep an eye on the guy who was harassing me. I started walking to the next bus stop when I heard from behind me "Hey, you f'in told on me you bitch." I stopped and turned to face him, I was furious. How dare he treat me this way? Who the hell was he that he could talk to me the way he was, and to harass me the way he had? I yelled right back at him that he deserved it because he was harassing me and to get away from me. He shook his head still swearing and I noted all the people around me watching incase he tried something. But he crossed the street away from me and the bus that had dropped me off came by and stopped to let me back on. The bus driver asked if I was okay. I burst into tears, angry, hot tears and I was shaking miserably. I was furious that this man could think he was given permission to treat me the way he had. At the same time I was proud of myself because I had felt that rage course through me. That female instinct to fight and fight hard. If he had come at me I knew I would have fought with all that rage that I never knew I had.

Submitted by Anette