How should I handle guys yelling aggressive sexual comments at me when I walk or jog through town?

Often, when I’m on a jog or simply walking to work, guys drive by and yell things like, “Hey, baby, come on over here” or “Wanna ride.” Sometimes, often in the evenings, they yell worse things, usually about my body. Often they just make strange, high-pitched yelping sounds.

I have many feelings about this. First, I find it extremely embarrassing, as I live in a small town and there are often people sitting out on their porches who hear this stuff, too. I feel that I’m contributing to an ugly atmosphere.

Mostly, I feel angry. It seems that these quasi-sexual remarks (and sometimes completely sexual—I have had people include the “F” word in their shouted commentaries) are born out of violence and aggression. It disgusts me to be on the receiving end of them. While some of the comments are undoubtedly meant as harmless fun, others are more than that. And they all seem related to one another.

And then I start feeling a little scared, a little ashamed, that my walking around town has inspired such disturbing interactions. It makes a small part of me want to cling to my male friends; it makes another part of me want to turn around and give those guys the finger, but I don’t. I used to, when this happened to me while I was in college. But I’ve mellowed considerably, and I’ve also realized that fighting violence with violence isn’t effective.

I refuse to stop walking to work through my little town. I sometimes stick to back roads, but they take so much longer. My roommate has the same predicament; she walks to school every day and has experienced the nasty yelling, herself. In fact, I have been asking a lot of women about this. I’m surprised at the number who have had similar experiences.

I really just need to know why some guys cannot help themselves from doing this. What can I do, as a woman, when this happens to me?

Women: has it happened to you?
Men: has it happened to you?