Harassment of Women

Harassment of women happens, and I’m sorry to say that the worst place for it in Europe is Italy, followed by Greece. Female tourists, specially those who are wearing shorts or skimpy tops, are seen as air targets for verbal or physical harassment that may not be dan-&erous, but can be unrelenting, and can spoil a trip to some of themost beautiful places in the world. Obviously, I haven’t experienced this first-hand, so my thanks to all of the female travelers who shared their experiences, which are summarized here.

- Traveling (and walking) in groups is better than traveling alone -much better. Walking or traveling in the company of a man works wonders and will cut casual harassment by almost 100 percent.

- Shorts and revealing clothing, especially in smaller towns away from the tourist trail, are like red flags. I know wearing long sleeves or long pants in summer when it’s 102 degrees is very unpleasant, but that’s the way it is. A long, light peasant skirt is a good alternative to pants.