Freezing the harassers off

For those of you who are not local, let us share with you: It's FREEZING here in Boston. Which leads us to ask a few questions:

Where did all the holla'ers go? Were the naysayers right? Does the cold weather really curtail harassment?

The reason we're asking is because visitors to HollaBackBoston, or any of the HollaBack sites, can detect a noticeable decrease in posts in recent months. While there could be a number of reasons for the drop, we're tempted to wonder whether there's another trend at play: are harassers in hibernation?

Asking this question goes against our understanding of the pervasiveness of street harassment. We know and have heard testimony from countless others that the "eve teasing" happens in a big, puffy down coat in the snow just as much as in a skimpy tank top in the hell hot of summer. It keeps happening to us, as well as our friends and allies. But it does seem odd that most harassment reported our way happens indoors or in much warmer climates.

Last winter, RightRides in New York City shut down during the winter due to lack of volunteers but also didn't resume service until July [source]. Boston's Hyde Square Task Force goes on a street harassment combat break for the winter months.

Which leads us to ask: Are we just too busy surviving the city's cold to bother each other?

We think not, but hit us up in the comments and let us know how it is for you. Or better yet, send us your holla back story to post!