‘The aggression just got worse and worse’: Things instantaneously escalate when a woman has the gall to inform her harasser that she’s married

The alarming regularity with which some men mistake public spaces for their personal dating playgrounds is not just infuriating—it’s downright invasive.

A woman, who goes by @kyleekenval on TikTok, bravely shared a video of her creepy interaction with her harasser, giving us all a front-row seat to the casual harassment that women face daily. She was waiting for the train when a man approached her. He then demands her Snapchat, her time, and her attention, all while blatantly ignoring her clear rejection.

In the video, we see her calmly and repeatedly state her disinterest while the man becomes increasingly agitated, entitled, and downright scary. The creepiest part of this whole interaction? The man actually recognized that the woman mentioning her marriage was a defense mechanism, and called her out on it! Let that sink in for a moment. He knew full well that she was uncomfortable and trying to assert a boundary, but instead of respecting that, he tried to manipulate her.

He then proceeds to lecture her about how she “doesn’t have to say that first” and that she shouldn’t “use her husband” as a defense. The fact that he sees her marriage as an obstacle to his flirting, rather than a clear sign to back off, is incredibly disturbing. He even goes so far as to disclose his name, as if that’s going to change her mind. 

The comment section on the video is a mix of disbelief and resignation. Women chimed in with their own experiences of harassment, men expressing shock (really, guys? Is this news?), and everyone collectively sighing at the sheer audacity of this man’s behavior. One commenter advises the woman not to even make eye contact with men like this, let alone engage with them. Another commenter points out how the man assumes he is entitled to the woman’s time. The exasperated “Why are they like this?” comment encapsulates the collective frustration and exhaustion that women feel in the face of this relentless harassment. It’s a question that shouldn’t need to be asked, and yet it’s one that women find themselves grappling with on a daily basis.

The fact is, men are like this because society allows and even encourages them to be. Because we teach boys that aggression and entitlement are markers of masculinity and that women’s boundaries are challenges to be overcome rather than respected. If we want to put an end to the type of harassment showcased in this video, we need to challenge the entitlement and toxic masculinity that fuel this behavior and hold men accountable when they transgress.