I have lived here for my entire life.
In the City proper, for my _whole life_.

I have seen exactly one incident that was "borderline harassment," where a 50+ guy chatted up a 20 something woman on the bus and asked her three times to have coffee, then it was his stop, and he got off. Honestly, that isn't even harassment. I mean, if at 50 I am healthy enough to think I have a shot with 20something women, I think I'll be pleased with myself.

I mean, you would think that if this is the "epidemic" that some of the posters here like to suggest it is, I would've seen it. Like, 30+ years here, 20+ of those on public transit, out and about, and I can only recall one instance anywhere near what these people say happens "all the time."

Maybe I exude some sort of powerful Law and Order field that keeps people in line when I am within 1km?

Now "not being harassed" is the new harassment. What the hell is wrong with overly politically correct people?

So, Vancouver men suck and lack initiative because they don't approach women and flirt etc. like men in other parts of the world do.

But if they do approach, and they don't look like a contestant on "The Bachelorette," or they just don't measure up in some other way, then its harassment apparently.

Then again, considering most marriages end in divorce and even common-law relationships in B.C. can end up in legalized theft, I suppose a lot of men should be grateful that they are "not pretty enough" to be accepted by women.

Also OP, maybe I misunderstood, but wearing earbuds and staring into a smartphone is the universal code for "leave me the fuck alone and don't even think about approaching me." So I don't know why not doing that would compel men to stay away from you.

It must be so nice not being pretty, sometimes I wish I wasn't so I'm not constantly harassed. I can only look up from my smart phone phone for a total of 7.5 seconds before I have to dive back to the safety of it's warm glow. You should be grateful.

I have a few friends who have discussed this In Real Life, and it seems that their definition of harassment is the one you're using, not anything approaching reasonable. Harassment is when you _repeatedly_ approach someone who has said she (or he) doesn't want to be approached; a single "hey, how are you?" is not harassment, and even "hey, how are you?" "oh, really, nothing?" "oh, come on, would it kill you to say hello?" is not harassment. Four interjections maybe, five closer, six to ten, yeah, maybe.

But most of the women I've talked this over with seem to think that the _first instance_ is "harassment," like men are supposed to "know their place in society" and "not speak unless spoken to." Sort of like they're the servant caste in an English Feudal Lord's Manor-House. "Let me know when you're entering a room..."

This confession makes me so sad :( girl it's got nothing to do with what you look like ( I'm actually thinking you're quite lucky you don't have to deal with it ) ive got a friend who gets approached daily (she hates it ) and I've got a friend who is a model who despite her following never gets approached. It's really just got nothing to do with any of it, and it's not a thing you want in your life. Harassment is scary and traumatizing, I can let you know this first hand. I really think loving who you are and not feeling like you need this kind of validation , will surprise you in more ways than one, please understand, your beauty is not measured by the amount of men who hit on you, and beauty is not important, it doesn't make you who you are

Maybe the reason you're being harassed has nothing to do with your being pretty (according to you at least)...

Women that complain about being harassed constantly by men...are literally making it up in their own minds for narcissistic attention.

Wow. You're really nasty! Go take a nap or a pill or something, dearie... How old are you?... 14? ...

"So, Vancouver men suck and lack initiative because they don't approach women and flirt etc. like men in other parts of the world do.

But if they do approach, and they don't look like a contestant on "The Bachelorette," or they just don't measure up in some other way, then its harassment apparently."

yep, that's how it's been for the past 15 years