No matter how many time I read things like this (or hear about it from personal friends), I'm always stunned the next time. And one thing in particular bothers me, besides the obvious: I'm not aware of any of the guys /I/ know acting this way. But statistically, I know they must. (I'm not limiting the sample to people I'm close friends with, so it's not the magical aura of civilizing power that I exude that makes those around me acting like decent human beings.) That leaves only the possibility that when it happens, I simply don't notice. Yikes.
Yes, these experiences are not uncommon for women. It's worth noting that men can also be the victims of similar situations, but they happen disproportionally to women.
"A coworker invites me to his home under the premise of getting a few people together. When I arrive, there is no one else there. We watch TV and I go to retrieve my things to leave which are in his bedroom. His 6'4" frame blocks the door. I tell him I don't think it's a good idea for us to date. He sits on his bed, pulls me onto his lap, and sloppily puts his tongue in my mouth. He follows me home every day for four months “to hang out”. He makes me responsible for his crippling insecurity. He tells me I need to tell others we are in a relationship. He tells our boss. I resign myself and tell my friends. We live together for four years."
After all this, you lived with the guy for four years?
And then I'm shocked even more by the fact that I am generally unaware of all this, and by the fact that they don't usually tell me these things because they're 'used' to it and they don't want people to think they're whining.
Then I checked out her website's "About" page and she was born in Austin, grew up in Seattle, and currently a freelance web developer based out of Brooklyn, New York.
So, yeah.