You have an accent and are foreign so that helps you 100%. When I traveled to Europe or South America women threw themselves on me because I had and accent and was foreign. See the similarities here. Congrats, you deserve it.

A lot of why women are afraid of men in our culture has to do with how much violence against women there is here. Sometimes you don't feel like talking to a stranger, and you never know if the end of the conversation is going to be polite or he's going to yell at, harass, threaten, hurt, or kill you. That kind of violence happens to women all the time here.

That's a bullshit excuse. We live in one of the safest areas of this planet.

@Re: WomenofVancouver

It's not a bullshit excuse. I've been followed, propositioned, verbally abused, and sexually assaulted in this city. It might be safe FOR YOU. It's not particularly FOR ME or any other person who isn't a hetersexual cis white man.

Here are some true stories from my life about awful behaviour by men that's made me feel unsafe in this city.

1. An older man sat down beside me on the bus one day and started talking to me. I smiled and chatted back to be pleasant. He then started asking me all kinds of personal questions ("Are you married? Do you have a boyfriend?"). When I said no, he then put his hand on my upper thigh and asked me to come home with him.

In fact, I cannot have a conversation with any man over the age of 50 in my neighbourhood because every single time I've tried to have a normal pleasant conversation, I am inundated with a barrage of highly personal questions: if I'm married, do I have a boyfriend, how old am I, where do I live, etc. (This may sound benign to you but I cannot express how upsetting these questions are from a total stranger who's following you when you are just trying to walk home at night.)

I bet if you got the the third degree from every man you talked to, you'd no longer be interested in talking to men or even feigning politeness.

2. Once I was waiting for the light to change so I could cross the street. A man came up to me and started talking to me, then grabbed my ass and offered me money to have sex with him. Twice.

I ran into the closest store with a security guard and waited there for 10 minutes before I felt safe enough to leave again.

3. I was sitting on a bench one night on Granville Street having a smoke, and a random man walked up to me and said, "Hey baby, come to the club with me." When I said no, he continued to ask me, which I turned down repeatedly (politely, but firmly).

When I finally told him to leave me alone, he called me a fucking bitch.

4. This one was particularly terrifying: I was walking to get some food one evening and this guy started following me saying he needed a friend. When I told him, "good luck with that", he continued to follow me. I started walking faster as I was now scared for my safety, he hollered at me, "You know what I like? I LIKE THE WAY YOU WALK, BAAAAAAAAABY." I turned around and screamed at him to get the fuck away from me.

Are you implying that anyone who isn't a heterosexual cis gender white male should feel particularly unsafe in this city? That we should be taking action in this city to prevent crimes against anyone that isn't a hetero cis gender white male?

"Are you implying that anyone who isn't a heterosexual cis gender white male should feel particularly unsafe in this city?"

No. I'm explaining the personal experiences I've had that have caused me to feel unsafe at particular times, experience I think that many women share. If other people feel unsafe, you best believe they have reasons, too. I don't feel unsafe in general but I am definitely wary in my interactions with strangers here.

"That we should be taking action in this city to prevent crimes against anyone that isn't a hetero cis gender white male?"

I think we should be taking action to prevent crimes against anyone. I think that's the attitude any rational person would have.

And if you sell crack to children, the police will grab you and throw you in jail---violence is a part of life, I think you just wish we lived in some sort of videogame where you could program everyone else, or a television show where you are Director and Executive Producer.

So someone grabbed your ass or whatever---ever seen a bull giving it to a cow? Someone call the police, amirite?

That doesn't have anything to do with anything so thanks for the weird imagery and the assumptions about my thoughts. Be well.

You and those who think like you are one of the reasons why violence is commonplace. You are a disgrace to suggest a bull and cow to a woman who is patiently explaining why its not safe. Anyway, when you are in the position of the cow and bulls are giving it to you, I hope you'll recall your horrid statements.

You're what...30 years old?

Every day think of how many guys are in your orbit: as you walk by on the sidewalk, stand at stoplights with, walk past in the store, ride transit with. go to pubs/clubs and are in close proximity with etc and it's a few hundred a day.

That's what...a 100k men a year? and in the last 10 years maybe a million guys and because a handful are jerks Vancouver is unsafe?

I've been falsely accused of rape, and also falsely accused of abuse-both events ruined my life for years. The female accusers got no punishment.

I could go on about how the majority of guys get royally screwed over and bankrupted in common law cases, divorce courts etc but an old man talking to you in sooooo much worse.