Sofia Bush’s Open Letter To The Man Who Harassed Her On A Flight

via Flickr user (cc) Two Memories.

Research shows that an alarming amount of American women feel unsafe while taking public transportation. A recent study released by the Washington Metro found that women are sexually harassed on public transportation three times more than men. This feeling of being unsafe in public places is something that many women must contend with every day of their lives. So women everywhere will understand an open letter that actress Sophia Bush (Chicago P.D., Law and Order SVU) wrote to a creepy guy that wouldn’t leave her alone on a recent plane flight.

Last Friday, Bush was traveling on an airplane when a male fan wouldn’t stop bothering her. She tried to give him nonverbal cues to show her disinterest by putting on her hat and opening a book, but he wouldn’t take the hint. Finally, she asked him to stop bothering her and eventually had to move seats to avoid his harassment. So after her uncomfortable flight, she wrote an open letter on Twitter to the man who harassed her.

Dear random dude on a plane,

When you make a woman so visibly uncomfortable, that after you've ignored all visual cues to please leave her alone (one word answers, she pulls out a book, puts on a hat, she actually asks you to not speak to her with the tone and words you're choosing to use) that she finally GETS UP and MOVES SEATS, leave her alone.

Do not continue to trying to make conversation. Stop turning around and looking at her. Stop leaning out of your seat and towards her body when she has to grab something out of the overhead bin above her original seat, and sadly also above you, mid-flight.

And in my case, stop believing that you are entitled to make me uncomfortable because you ‘watch my TV show' so I owe you some magical debt," she added. "I make it, you watch it. After that, the ‘exchange' is done. You do not get to harass me, or any woman, because you think you pay our bills. You don't bro, I DO.

Signed,

Every Woman On The Planet Who Is Sick of Your Creepy Shit