A driver made his friend walk home after he cat-called women passing by

Editor's Note: This article was originally published on July 9, 2021. It has since been updated.

As a woman, merely walking down the street can be a dangerous task. This is, of course, because some cis men and their toxic masculinity make our neighborhoods intimidating spaces. The only way to ensure our communities can remain safe is by holding these individuals accountable. Reddit user Throwaway727v did just that by making his friend walk home after he cat-called a group of women passing down the street from his car. Afterward, he took to the Reddit group "Am I the A*shole?" to ask if he had done the right thing. In his post, he shared what his friend had done and why he chose to take action. Many Reddit users believed he did the right thing.

"Earlier today, I was driving my friends back home after we worked out," Throwaway727v wrote. "We passed these two girls walking and one of my friends rolls down his window and says, 'I like how those t****** jiggle, how about you give the boys a flash.'" The Reddit user explained that he "instantly got angry" when his friend said that. He continued, "I pulled around the corner and told him to get out. He thought I was joking but I wasn't and he started arguing."

Apparently, the friend claimed it was "just a joke," that he was just "messing around," and that it "wasn't a big deal." "At first he said he wasn't getting out but then I said I was [going to] snatch him out if he didn't," the Reddit user continued. "He finally did with no type of physical encouragement. He lived the furthest but I made him walk the rest of the way." His other friends, who were also in the car, thought he had made the wrong decision and were still mad at him. After dropping them off, Throwaway727v went home and called his friend to make sure he got home safe. He concluded, "[I] told him to never say any shit like that around me ever again. He apologized but was still mad because he thought me making him walk was too far." Finally, he asked if he was in the wrong.

Overwhelmingly, fellow Reddit users believed that he was "not the a*shole." One user commented, "The only way to change entitled men who think they can comment on women they pass is by showing them it's wrong. You've done this. Way to go!" Another added, "It is all men when someone doesn’t speak up. You spoke up." "Only thing better would have been to tell the friends that they’re welcome to get out too," another Reddit user mentioned. Throwaway727v's experience is an example for all cis, heterosexual men. All men can hold each other accountable for the culture they perpetuate through seemingly meaningless jokes and quips. They may look harmless, but they pose a great threat to women and gender nonconforming folks.