GoodDaySir
Well-Known Member
Just something I wanted to get out there. I will post this and it will be all I have to say. People can believe whatever they want, but this is my story.
My primary job can be tough. I work for a small clothing company, and while most of our business is wholesale and website orders, during the summer months, we travel the Northeast music festival circuit, set up a 10x20 tent and sell our product. We go to A LOT of festivals- Mountain Jam, Falcon Ridge, Rhythm and Roots, Old Songs to name *just* a few. My first summer with this company was amazing and the network of vendor buddies I have made is incredible. I love being able to go different places every weekend, and meet new folks, while still having my group of friends around me.
Our last festival of the season was a big one. The festival grounds were closed down after the last band every night and patrons had to leave the premises. Us vendors always camp out behind out booths, so it was just vendors and we had a huge party. We danced and drank and laughed and cried and ATE (it helps to be friends with food vendors!!). Since it was only Saturday, and all of us had to be up the next morning for the last day, my coworker (another young female) and I decided to walk back to our tents and go to bed. We were tired and drunk, but feeling good.
I got into my tent and started to undress, when I heard my tent zipper being unzipped. One of guys who worked for a food booth had decided to let himself into my tent. I kinda knew him, saw him a few times over the summer. He was friendly and we danced at the party that night. But I CLEARLY did not want anything else.
Maybe no so clearly? He got into my tent and started pawing at me, trying to kiss me, telling me he needed to be with me that night. I was polite at first, telling him to please leave my tent, I was going to sleep. He was persistent, but finally left... for 5 minutes. He came back, let himself in again and started pawing at me more. I got scared. He was a big dude and wasn't taking NO for an answer. I pushed him away, he pushed back. I finally told him if he didn't leave, I would scream and he FINALLY left for good.
A scream would've saved me that night, but who wants to rely on a scream to avoid rape? At the beginning of the summer, I had talked about getting a knife and keeping it on me at festivals. I was told by numerous people (all my super liberal hippie friends) that I would never need a weapon and everyone at these festivals are chill and nothing would happen.
Well, something almost did happen and I'm mad at myself for listening to other people INSTEAD of myself. I actually witnessed a lot of lewd behavior, drunk people being assholes, guys following me around. There have been other incidents where men have made me feel super-uncomfortable and scared, like the guy who started touching me, while I was trying to watch a concert in the park. He walked over to me (I was sitting on the grass with my dog), knelt down, grabbed my barefoot and started massaging it, asking if I like it and wanted him to do it more. THIS WAS ALL UNINVITED. I didn't even know the fucker.
I want a knife for festival season, but I really want a handgun to keep in my house as well. While I currently live in a very well-off town (its tourist season 24/7 here), there are a LOT of drugs and drug addicts. The guy I'm dating is an EMS dispatcher and he frequently has calls about attacks. Just last night a guy was arrested for breaking into a woman's house and telling her no one can fuck her as good as he can. What the hell??
I recently won a free pistol safety course through a FB page that I follow. I want to take the course with my Pa, and then apply for my LTC. If/when I get that, I want to look into getting a handgun. I'm also looking it self-defense courses.
I PRAY I never have to use it. I don't want to use it. But I'm going to get one and I will feel safer with it.
So don't you dare fucking tell me I'm wrong. Don't you dare call me a "crazy gun-nut" for wanting to be proactive in protecting myself. Don't you dare look down on me for wanting to prevent rape. To own a firearm is my Second Amendment Right and I plan on exercising it.
My primary job can be tough. I work for a small clothing company, and while most of our business is wholesale and website orders, during the summer months, we travel the Northeast music festival circuit, set up a 10x20 tent and sell our product. We go to A LOT of festivals- Mountain Jam, Falcon Ridge, Rhythm and Roots, Old Songs to name *just* a few. My first summer with this company was amazing and the network of vendor buddies I have made is incredible. I love being able to go different places every weekend, and meet new folks, while still having my group of friends around me.
Our last festival of the season was a big one. The festival grounds were closed down after the last band every night and patrons had to leave the premises. Us vendors always camp out behind out booths, so it was just vendors and we had a huge party. We danced and drank and laughed and cried and ATE (it helps to be friends with food vendors!!). Since it was only Saturday, and all of us had to be up the next morning for the last day, my coworker (another young female) and I decided to walk back to our tents and go to bed. We were tired and drunk, but feeling good.
I got into my tent and started to undress, when I heard my tent zipper being unzipped. One of guys who worked for a food booth had decided to let himself into my tent. I kinda knew him, saw him a few times over the summer. He was friendly and we danced at the party that night. But I CLEARLY did not want anything else.
Maybe no so clearly? He got into my tent and started pawing at me, trying to kiss me, telling me he needed to be with me that night. I was polite at first, telling him to please leave my tent, I was going to sleep. He was persistent, but finally left... for 5 minutes. He came back, let himself in again and started pawing at me more. I got scared. He was a big dude and wasn't taking NO for an answer. I pushed him away, he pushed back. I finally told him if he didn't leave, I would scream and he FINALLY left for good.
A scream would've saved me that night, but who wants to rely on a scream to avoid rape? At the beginning of the summer, I had talked about getting a knife and keeping it on me at festivals. I was told by numerous people (all my super liberal hippie friends) that I would never need a weapon and everyone at these festivals are chill and nothing would happen.
Well, something almost did happen and I'm mad at myself for listening to other people INSTEAD of myself. I actually witnessed a lot of lewd behavior, drunk people being assholes, guys following me around. There have been other incidents where men have made me feel super-uncomfortable and scared, like the guy who started touching me, while I was trying to watch a concert in the park. He walked over to me (I was sitting on the grass with my dog), knelt down, grabbed my barefoot and started massaging it, asking if I like it and wanted him to do it more. THIS WAS ALL UNINVITED. I didn't even know the fucker.
I want a knife for festival season, but I really want a handgun to keep in my house as well. While I currently live in a very well-off town (its tourist season 24/7 here), there are a LOT of drugs and drug addicts. The guy I'm dating is an EMS dispatcher and he frequently has calls about attacks. Just last night a guy was arrested for breaking into a woman's house and telling her no one can fuck her as good as he can. What the hell??
I recently won a free pistol safety course through a FB page that I follow. I want to take the course with my Pa, and then apply for my LTC. If/when I get that, I want to look into getting a handgun. I'm also looking it self-defense courses.
I PRAY I never have to use it. I don't want to use it. But I'm going to get one and I will feel safer with it.
So don't you dare fucking tell me I'm wrong. Don't you dare call me a "crazy gun-nut" for wanting to be proactive in protecting myself. Don't you dare look down on me for wanting to prevent rape. To own a firearm is my Second Amendment Right and I plan on exercising it.
