‘Handsome’ Beijing man harassed by woman at bus stop who chased and tried to hug him
- Man forced to take sanctuary in eatery toilet, escapes in taxi
- Victim says sexual harassment not related to appearance or gender
A man in China who called the police after he was chased and hugged in the street by a woman he did not know has captivated mainland social media.
The man, who uses the name Yizai on Douyin, where he has more than 90,000 followers, said he was waiting for a bus in Beijing, a woman suddenly hugged him from behind, according to a report by Qilu Evening News.
A self-filmed video clip shows Yizai freeing himself from the stranger and ran away, but she chases him shouting: “You are so handsome.”
“Stay away from me. Do not harass me. I will call the police,” says Yizai, adding: “Do you not feel ashamed doing this in public?”
“Do not call the police to report me,” the woman says, while continuing to follow him.
When a bus arrives, Yizai boards it and the woman gets on too.
Inside, she tries to edge closer to the man but is stopped by a concerned female passenger.
“Elder sister, we do not know each other. Do not come near me,” Yizai says.
After he gets off the bus, the woman continued to stalk him, forcing him to run and hide in a restaurant.
Yizai hid in the men’s toilet where he heard the woman was looking for him in the kitchen.
He managed to leave the restaurant and sought shelter in another nearby eatery.
After hearing about his experience, an employee took him to a main road on his electric bike where Yizai hailed a taxi home.
Yizai wrote on Douyin that he later reported the woman to the police. It emerged that she has mental health issues and has harassed other men.
The authorities had received similar reports in the past and had urged her family to take better care of her.
Yizai is concerned but says he just wants to forget the incident and does not want further public attention.
“I’d like to say that sexual harassment is not related to the victim’s outer appearance or gender. It is a consequence of the perpetrator’s personality or mental status,” Yizai said.
His experience sparked much discussion on mainland social media.
“Boys should also learn to protect themselves when going outside the home,” one online observer said.
“I’ve encountered the same situation. A woman kept chasing me. I was so scared and my mind went totally blank. As an introvert, I resist being approached by strangers in this way,” said another person.
