Personal Attack

Many years ago, when I was working for the law firm Warren, Raymaker & Stewart, I was attacked while walking to work. It was a freezing cold day in January and I was carrying my purse in one hand and my shoe & lunch bag in the other. It was barely 8:00 in the morning and back in 1979 that was early since most people started at 8:30 downtown. They were building the new Bank of Montreal building along 7^th Avenue and 4 Street and I had just entered the covered sidewalk when someone put their arms around me and said “Surprise.” At first I thought it was someone from work but when I glanced over my shoulder I saw someone with a balaclava over his face. In that instant everything went black before my eyes, I was technically fainted on my feet. From way outside myself I heard someone yelling “let me go.” And only afterwards did I realize that it was me. Fortunately he did and ran away. I turned to look and I took a hesitant step, as though to run after him, but then my brain clicked back on and I thought “What are you doing?”

I continued on to work, went into the ladies washroom and was shaking all over. I was so shaken up and frightened and relieved all at the same time. I went to my desk and started to work but then Brenda came in and took one look at me and asked “what’s wrong.” That’s when I burst into tears. I told her the story and then I felt better. But then Brenda told someone, who told someone else and by noon one of the lawyers had heard about it and came to see me. He advised me very seriously to report it to the police. I thought about it and decided I would do so when I got home.

The look of astonishment on my parents’ faces when I walked in the house and straight to the telephone to call the police was funny. They asked me what I was doing and I said, “I’m calling the police, I was attacked.” They just sat their in shock. I’ve rarely seen my father speechless but he was that day. Then 2 policeman came to the house in a very few minutes and they sat down with me, with the famous notepad open, and proceeded to ask me questions. They were so nice and sympathetic and I have to say that they were the really wonderful. I described the man and of course there wasn’t much I could say other than that he had a balaclava on and that he wore a red checked lumber jacket.

The following weekend another girl was attacked by a man of the same description but I cannot say whether it was the same guy or not. It was outside of the downtown and eventually he was caught. But for months afterwards, and I mean at least 6 months, I was absolutely terrified to go anywhere isolated. I would not cut across the park to the bus stop because I was afraid I was being stalked. If someone got off the bus at the same time as me and walked in my direction I would cross the street and keep looking over my shoulder like some hunted person. It was horrible. But can you imagine how scared I was with only that little bit of an attack? Imagine how a woman would feel if she was actually assaulted or raped.

I had walked through that sidewalk shelter at least a 100 times before. Who would think that someone would attempt an attack at early morning rush hour on a freezing cold day in January? It was a fluke that the block I was on happened to be empty of people at that particular time, usually there were lots of other people around. Now I am always careful of my surroundings and I always walk like I mean business. I am prepared wherever I go.

So just be aware of yourself as you make your way to work. Always pay attention and look as though you mean business. And I mean that in a bad way.