Just when I thought I understood most social interactions...

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Today, it was really warm outside so I went out to play some music. Armed with an ukulele (my most portable instrument) I walked around playing mindlessly, enjoying the weather. It was nice. People smiled at me sometimes, and would ask me stuff about my "little guitar".

Then as I was walking past a convenience store, I heard a few guys catcalling me and yelling "Hey!" so I went over there to ask them what they wanted. They got scared and ran inside the convenience store when I went too close. So I started walking back, and they got back out and continued the cat calling. So I walked up to them again. Lather, rinse, repeat.

They didn't stop cat calling until I was completely out of eyesight, but wouldn't dare to actually face me.

Why? I'm not a scary person. I'm a 5'1 weak built girl. I probably couldn't even punch them. What's so intimidating?

(In hindsight, I really should have just walked into that convenience store and bought a soda. Just to see whether they'd flee.)

I was walking around with that uke to get better confidence in playing around people, but now my confidence is confused and won't function.

(Clarification: Cat calling is not a big thing in here. It's usually reserved for teasing.)

I just don't get this behavior or what it meant. Can anybody help me regulate this into something logical?

Heh! I had to laugh at the thought walking right up to those guys. Good for you! The jerks will probably think twice before doing that again.

"Cat calling" is just an age-old, male bonding ritual practiced by mindless cretins, in my opinion. I think a better term would be "street harassment." Perhaps it's just a way for insecure men to prove to each other that they have an ample amount of testosterone surging through their bodies. Any way you look at it, it's really unacceptable behavior.

Maybe they were afraid of the potential embarrasment, not necessarily of you physically.

edit-maybe you have a witty face

Doesn't really sound like a big deal to me. You certainly seem very pretty in your avatar, but these silly guys don't want to actually face you because you intimidate them simply by approaching them! They are immature, as guys so often are at that age. (I'm 51 so reckon I can comment on this, having experience).

I'm a guy, so maybe I shouldn't be posting here, but welcome to WP ad I hope you enjoy the various forums!

I'm really impressed that you walked around town playing your ukulele. I love listening to people playing music, I bet alot of people thought it was great.

When guys catcall they don't usually expect a response. Don't let it get to you. They didn't mean that they wanted to talk to you, they were just being immature and silly. Sometimes the catcallers don't realise how annoying they are, or maybe they do, but they just do it because they think it's the social norm, male bonding thing. Either way, they were in the wrong, not you.

Think about all the nice people you met today rather than dwelling on these idiots. They are not worth your time.

Thanks everyone.

I really wasn't that bothered by the cat calling for some reason, it was mostly the fact they seemed to be afraid of me.

Either way, in my mind I have reduced them to a cringe-worthy joke of human beings Next time I encounter something like this, I will just walk up to them and be like "Hey, I'm Socky. You've got a poundable butt, by the way." or something like that. Not appropriate at all, but I would love to see their reaction. (Good thing I don't live in a violent area, where this would be a terrible idea.)

Hurtloam: There were actually a few uppity people that would give me weird looks for "acting out of the norm", but eh. There were also people who smiled at me, and you're right, they should matter more to me. It's just that the ones that give the weird looks expect the world to be exactly like they're used to, and get annoyed when not all of it conforms to their idea of normalcy (I live in a bit snobby town, once a girl looked at me literally down her nose (tilted her head back just so she could look at me in such way, while narrowing her eyes) in a fast food restaurant of all places, probably because I hadn't bothered to brush my hair. It was kinda hilarious.)