News

This reaction to a girl not sharing her number is toxic masculinity personified

This reaction to a girl not sharing her number is toxic masculinity personified

Some people just can't take no for an answer. Especially entitled men who want your phone number.

Bailey Cantrell was sitting in her car outside a Nashville gas station when a complete stranger asked for her number.

She said no. Twice. When the man approached her again, she said to WTVF-TV that she told the man she was gay and wasn't interested:

I'm gay. I'm just not interested.

That's when it triggered him and that's when he started getting very aggressive.

Security footage shows the man jumping onto her car and kicking the windshield. She told the publication:

[He was] yelling very provocative words.

When she reversed, the man followed. Panicked, she got out of her car.

The only thing I was thinking while that was going on is that he might have a weapon, he might have a knife, he might have a gun.

I don't know, so pretty much just flailing every limb that I had to get out of his grip. 

Cantrell shared the video on Twitter, where it quickly went viral.

She shared a picture of her badly smashed windscreen too.

People were horrified.

Cantrell has come under criticism for how she reacted, despite her not being able to see out of her windshield to drive away.

Others called this out as victim blaming.

Cantrell explained to WTVF-TV that a mix of adrenaline, a smashed windshield and glass in her eye made it difficult to just drive off:

I only reversed to try to knock him over, make him fall.

But that didn't work.

So, when I got out, I was just getting out to grab my phone and call 911.

And also, there was glass in my eye from where all that glass had hit us, so that was uncomfortable and I felt like I just needed to get out the car. 

She pleaded with police to find the man and arrest him:

Since he did this and got away with it, he had no repercussions.

He’s going to think, ‘If a girl rejects me, I can do this to her. I didn’t get caught last time.'

Nashville Metro Police are reportedly investigating the incident.

More: This is why the concept of 'toxic masculinity' can be problematic

The Conversation (0)