Would you like me to stare?

There is this saying going on in America. It goes something like this.

“Just because you have the right to do it doesn’t mean that you should.”

I think that saying applies to the subject at hand. Time after time I see women dressing in the most reveling way, but then their actions imply they don’t want extra attention. Crossing the street in Silver Spring I saw a woman in a short flimsy dress, and as she walked she had to keep pulling her skirt down, as if it was pulling up on her, she held down the skirt trying to make sure her thighs were not exposed. My first thought was:

“Why are you wearing a skirt that short anyway?”

It reminded me of young men who wear their jeans short and then every few steps they are pulling their pants up. Sure they have a right to dress in that manner, but why when it clearly causes discomfort, and needs constant adjusting. At the same time, people will judge you on your appearance. No, they shouldn’t but they do, and sometimes with good reason. Everyday we have to made decisions, split seconds decisions and all we have to go one is our vision, our perception of people's appearance. Are you more likely to give money to a man on the side of the road wearing a business suit or a man with old and dirty looking t-shirt and jeans? Of course its just clothes, they don’t make the person, but they give an idea of where the person has been and where the person is going. So when you are seen in low shorts and skirts, trying to adjust yourself in the middle of the street, what is the perception that you are giving? How are you to be seen?

I recently I saw a young woman on the bus with holes in her jeans, so many holes in fact, it was almost as if she wasn’t wearing anything. She really only had a thin layer of fabric that hardly bothered to cover anything. It seems sometimes the ones that do the most attention grabbing things are the same ones that shy away from the leers and gazes of the only people interested in seeing their exposed legs. Just who do you expect to be attracted to seeing you half nude?

Oh, they aren’t supposed to be looking? How about this, next time you ride past a car accident try not to strain your neck to see. Sure, you don’t have to look but there are some people who just cant help but to give a curious look, that ends up into a intent stare, if you don’t like it don’t look like a wreck.