answer:Yes. A lot. I tried for ages to explain the darker side of catcalling to my husband, who simply couldn’t understand why I didn’t think of it as a compliment. Then one day we were walking together downtown. It was a few hours before the concert we were planning to attend, so we were just wasting time. I had stopped to look at a sidewalk pottery sale, and he was a few yards ahead of me. Some dude said something to me – “Smile, baby” or something like that; you know how it is – which I ignored since I wasn’t there to talk to him or anyone else, and was trying to catch up to Mitch. Mitch turned around to see me catching up and heard “HEY, BITCH I WAS JUST TRYING TO SAY HELLO YOU WHORE! FUCK YOU, BITCH!” I very pointedly grabbed Mitch’s arm and turned him away from the guy, saying “Ignore it. Not now.” Mitch, thankfully taking my advice (he would gladly have beat the shit out of the guy) asked “What was that all about?” “I am a woman and I owed him a smile and I didn’t pay up.” And yes, you are less likely to be bullied if you appear to be “owned” by a man, particularly if that man is big and scary. It’s even funnier when they don’t realise that you’re “protected” until after they’ve started bullying. Those moments are a bittersweet fun. They shouldn’t have to happen, but it’s still nice when they do.