Little People

So I don't know whether you've noticed yet but I'm one of those people that gets approached all the time. On buses old folks talk to me and pinch my cheeks, on the street men follow me and in parks children are constantly nudging me to play with them.

My housemate is the same. She too is constantly being given free food in the shuk or being told somebody's life story while in queue at the bank.

Now, I know that we are both total babes and who wouldn't want to talk to us but I get the feeling that there's something else going here.

The two of us are about 5ft nothing. We are two of the tiniest people within the normal height rage. At bars the average guess is that we are 16 years old.

So it is my guess that people feel comfortable talking to us because we are physically not intimidating at all. We seem very harmless and if anything very inviting (despite the fact that we'd probably prefer to be left alone).

In particular I think this applies the men who approach us. Gross men who irritate young women in public, apart from maybe looking to get lucky, are more likely looking to feel powerful. They are generally blokes whose lives are not going so well. They probably don't have much education or wealth or skillz with the ladies. Accordingly chatting up or accosting some 50kg chick is going to make u feel in control and strong and masculine. Well it's nice to know that I can help.

But to the sleazy men of Israel I say "FUCK OFF!"

p.s. get ready for a new date with a new boy folks

(almost) rape

A couple of years ago, I was living in Israel learning in a seminary. One Friday a friend of mine from Australia was arriving in Israel. Naturally, I went to the airport to meet her and then put her on a bus to Jerusalem. I was going to Rehovot for Shabbat and accordingly located myself at the bus stop to go there.

While at the bus stop a young man approached me and (in hebrew) asked "Errr, would it be ok for me to borrow your phone to call my parents?" I replied "sure, no worries mate" (well, the hebrew equivalent at least).

After returning the phone he asked "so where are you going?"

"To Rehovot" I answer and then ask "yourself?"

"Oh, I'm catching the same bus as you then. I'm going to Ramle."

The bus then promptly arrives and we board it. I sit down and he asks "may I sit next to you?" (despite the bus being empty). Being polite & naive I let him sit next to me.

We then have a conversation. For this transcript 'R' stands for rapist (him) and 'M' is me. If I sound a little bit stupid it's because the conversation was in hebrew and I was a silly 18 year old girl. Oh, and because I'm a little bit stupid.

R - so what did you do today?

M - I greeted a friend from Australia at the airport. What about you?

R - I went to Akko to visit my girlfriend

M - Oh, that's nice. How'd it go?

R - Really well. I brought her family some necklaces that look like gold so they think I'm wealthier than I really am.

M - * concerned laughter*

R - Yeah but my girlfriend's fat sister wouldn't leave us alone so I couldn't get any alone time with her. If you know what I mean. Do you know what I mean? Get what I mean?

M - Yeah. I get what you mean.

We then drive past a mall in the city of Lod, the drug capital of Israel.

R - I used to live there

M - Oh that's funny, it doesn't look like an apartment building. It looks more like a mall.

R - Yeah, it is. I used to live on the roof with my girlfriend.

M - I thought your girlfriend lives in Akko.

R - I used to live there with my ex-girlfriend.

M - Oh really. Why didn't it work out ? (why do I ask these things???)

R - We didn't see very much of each other. I worked during the day and she worked at night.

M - Was she a telemarketer?

R - No. She was a prostitute.

At this point I should have realised that something wasn't quite right. But instead, I assumed that he meant metaphorically because why would anybody tell a stranger on a bus that their ex worked as a lady of the night?!?

Just after this revelation and police car drives past, sirens blaring. R drops his head down so he can't be seen.

M - What's going on?

R - Nothing much. The police just want to arrest me.

M - Oh, is there something wrong with your taxes? (honestly, am such as idiot!)

R - No, my ex-girlfriend is pressing charges against me. She says I used to rape and beat her.

Finally, I freak out.

R - So who's waiting for you in Rehovot?

(think quick, come up with something!)

M - Errrr, my Dad...and my brother...from the army...and his friends...from the army... with their guns.

R - (unperturbed) Have you ever been to Ramle?

M - Nope

R - You should come. It's a lovely place.

M - Hmmm, maybe. I'm not so interested.

R - You could stay with me. You should come to Ramle today.

M - No, thanx.

R - You should come to Ramle now.

M - But I don't want to.

R - (learning in so his face is an inch away from mine) Well, I don't care what you want.

Freaking out, I stand up to move seats away from him. He puts his arm across the seats in front of us and blocks my way. I try to push against it but he's too strong. I sit back down.

Like a child I say "Fine. But I'm not going to talk to you anymore." With that I cross my arms and legs and look steadily out the window and ignore him the rest of the ride.

Luckily, Ramle is before Rehovot so he got off the bus before me and I was saved from his clutches.

Is there a point to this story? Not really, I just thought you might find it interesting.