A few weeks ago, I was at my local coffee shop doing some work when I noticed a man approach a girl sat in the corner a short distance from me.
The horrible thing about her being in the corner like that was that she was hemmed in with nowhere to go.
I couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but I could hear that she was telling him to leave but he was just talking and talking and talking, not seeming to pay any of what she said any mind.
I looked over at her and she was very clearly uncomfortable. I’ve been in that sort of situation and it's horrible when you’re being harassed, and no-one does anything. So, I tried to get her to look at me, but her eyes were focused on him for fear of what he would do.
I then waved my hand and asked "Are you okay? Do you need help?" And she said, "Yeah." So I said, "Do you need me to get a member of staff?" And she said "Yeah” again. So, I got up, approached a guy who worked at the coffee shop and I told him: "Look, that girl needs your help."
When the man saw me talking to the member of staff, he then got up, put his coat on, and made to leave as if nothing had happened. Luckily, the member of staff didn't let him get away and demanded to speak to him.
By this point the girl looked like she was going to cry as she was packing her stuff. But, before she left, she said: "Thank you. Thank you so much for your kindness." And this situation, to me, was really a reminder that you:
Need to use your voice because it is powerful
Should never think that you are too insignificant to do something or to cause positive change.