When this happened, I was completely furious about this whole situation. But now, looking back on it, all I can think of is how blatantly dumb and ignorant some people are.

I’m a woman, and I wear a headscarf for religious reasons. At the time of this story, I was seventeen, and I had just gotten into the habit of wearing a headscarf every day. For the first few weeks, people who didn’t know me personally actually couldn’t recognize me with it on.

I’d gone over to play video games with one of my friends after school, and since she lived nearby and I didn’t have a car, I would usually just walk to her house if the weather permitted it. It was a nice spring afternoon, so I did just that.

As I entered my friend’s neighborhood, I suddenly heard the slam of someone’s front door. Coming barreling out of this house was a woman in her sixties, wearing nothing but a bathrobe and flip-flops. At first, I didn’t think it had anything to do with me, so I just glanced briefly in her direction and kept walking by until she shouted.

Woman: “Who do you think you are?!”

I stopped and turned. There was nobody else on the street or walking on the sidewalk that she could be referring to.

Me: “Sorry? Did you mean me?”

Her face turned red with rage.

Woman: “What do you think you’re doing here?!”

Again, I was still really confused as to what was going on, and I had no idea why this random person was just yelling at me for a reason I couldn’t discern.

Me: “What?”

Woman: “You don’t belong here!”

Me: “What do you mean? I’m just on my way to meet up with my friend at her house.”

Woman: “Your people don’t belong in this nation! This is America!”

This is kind of where it clicked for me.

Me: “You’re right. This is America. That means I have the right to practice whatever religion I believe in. That includes Islam.”

Woman: “Go back to whatever country you came from!”

This was the part that just made me mad. I’d dealt with Islamophobia before, but I’m not an immigrant, and I’d never been told to “go back to my country” for being Muslim before.

Me: “Lady, I was born here, my parents were born here, and their parents were born here. This is my country.”

She then started screaming, “PROVE IT!” at the top of her lungs over and over again. I had no idea what on earth to do. It wasn’t like I just had my birth certificate on me or anything, and besides, I didn’t want to have to prove anything to this lady. I just started walking away.

Then, she grabbed onto my hijab and tried to pull it off. She yelled, “PROVE IT!” again but, luckily, my hijab didn’t come off completely and just slid back. I had an undercap on anyway, so my hair was still covered. Instinctively, I pushed her away from me just enough that she let go of my hijab, and I took off running.

Several of her neighbors were emerging from their homes to get a look at what all the yelling was about, and I rounded the corner of the street my friend’s house was on. She was standing on the front porch with her mom behind her, presumably also drawn out by the woman’s noise, when I ran up the steps and promptly hid behind them. I quickly explained to them what had happened, and my friend’s mom ushered both of us inside while she called the police.

The police arrived, and the woman was arrested on charges of harassment of a minor after the entire street testified to what she had done.

My family and I feel that she was undercharged, but there’s not much that can be done about it now. The woman was apparently a very well-known and wealthy person, and since I shoved her away when she grabbed my hijab and the altercation took place near her driveway/lawn (since I was walking on the sidewalk), she claimed that I had assaulted HER and that I had been trespassing on her property.

She did end up in court for her actions, but my parents did not want me in court as a minor because they believed it would be too upsetting for me at the time, especially since she was trying to use intimidation tactics and was threatening to sue my family, and the police agreed/advised that I shouldn’t appear in court. Instead, one of her neighbors who had witnessed the whole thing was willing to testify.

The woman ended up weaseling her way out of assault changes, but she was charged with harassment of a minor and was given community service and a court order for psychological counseling. She had to pay my family heavy compensation, and she is never allowed to have contact with me, my family, or my friend and her mom ever again.

I don’t think she was ever convicted of a hate crime, but I’d have to ask my parents; I’m not 100% certain. I live in North Dakota, which is still a very conservative catholic Christian area, so I’ve dealt with rude comments about my hijab and being Muslim before. However, the following summer, the woman was arrested a second time and given jail time after one of her neighbors called the cops on her (for what, I’m not sure) and when the cops searched her home, they found crack and evidence that she was selling it.

This happened during the spring and summer of 2021, and as of the spring of 2022, she’s still in jail on possession charges. I’m not sure how long she’ll serve in jail, but I heard her family sold her house to a nice couple, and her neighborhood is glad to be rid of her.

In British Columbia, we are just getting through a heatwave with temperatures up to 40C (104F) in Vancouver. Naturally, we all want to get out and cool off at the river or ocean.

At my favourite creek spot for the dog and one of the few off-leash areas where there is a nice wide and deep swimming spot, a family of four (without a dog) comes and sets up a picnic and play area for their kids using most of the shaded space on this side of the creek. They have slightly distanced themselves from the main group of humans and dogs in the hot sun.

Since I don’t feel like roasting on the sunny side, I try to put myself over where I’m not disturbing them and the dog won’t bother the picnic. After about five minutes of the dog fetching his ball and bringing it back to me, I can see the family eying me up, and finally, the dad approaches me.

Dad: “Excuse me, but were you planning on being here a while? We came over here to get away from the dogs.”

Me: “Oh, yes, we come here most days to get away from the sun and cool off. We usually swim and throw the ball for half an hour.”

Dad: “Well, we were here first, and as I said, we were hoping to avoid being around dogs with our kids and food.”

Me: “Well, I’m very sorry, but in case you weren’t aware, this is the only off-leash swimming spot locally, and if you go fifteen minutes down the river trail, there is actually a no-dogs beach with lots of shade.”

The dad repeats himself slightly more aggressively.

Me: “Sir, you and your family are taking up all over the shaded bank of the creek and have spread yourselves out in the middle of a dog park. I’m not sure what you’d like me to do as I have every right to use this area, as well.”

Dad: “And we have the right to not be bothered by you and your dog while we are trying to spend family time together. Maybe you should find another place to swim.”

I am hot, it is 35C (95F) out, and this guy is acting like he owns the beach. I snap.

Me: “I will be using this end of the beach. If you’re not comfortable around dogs, you should move to the non-dog-friendly beach down the trail.”

I turn and take a few steps away to make it clear the exchange is over, and I call the dog to me. He’s a good Labrador and very friendly, so he doesn’t understand when he’s not wanted.

But the last part makes me laugh. After being glared at for the better part of an hour while the dog swims and plays with others and I read my book, I decide to move on, and I have to go by the family to get to the trail. I throw one last ball into the creek, and after fetching it, the dog trots by the family, pausing to shake all over their chairs and phones. The mom starts spluttering. I just look at her, smile, and say:

Me: “There’s a non-dog-friendly beach just fifteen minutes down the trail!”

My friends went hiking in the woods recently. They parked at the unmanned trailhead where another car was already parked.

As they got out of their car, a woman started walking rapidly toward them, demanding:

Woman: “Where are the moose?! There are supposed to be moose! I looked it up on the Internet!”

As if my friends, as locals, were somehow responsible for stocking the woods and could tell her the moose’s public appearance schedule.

Friend: “Moose don’t often lounge around out in the open — especially not this time of year. It’s their mating season and the start of hunting season. If you just want to get a sense of the size of the beasts, you should check with the local game warden and maybe see a fresh kill.”

She finally marched back to her car, still muttering to herself that THERE WERE SUPPOSED TO BE MOOSE, and drove off.

My friends stood there in stunned silence for a moment and then burst out laughing before starting their hike.

I’m told it was a gorgeous day, and they couldn’t help but feel sorry for this strange lady who couldn’t appreciate the natural beauty around her because she couldn’t grasp the difference between a petting zoo and an area of natural habitation.

My partner and I have invited both sets of parents over for lunch. His parents are in their eighties and have limited mobility, so they have a disabled badge in their car.

Unfortunately, the weather is appalling today — really heavy rain, and no signs of it stopping. Parking along our road is also appalling and can be a potluck as to whether you get a space. My parents, who are only in their sixties, arrive first and have to park almost on the next road over. My car is right in front of the house, parked next to a disabled space in front of my elderly neighbour’s house, and usually, my partner’s parents call when they are five minutes away so we can move cars if necessary.

They forgot to do that today. The doorbell rings, and it is [Partner’s Mum], soaking wet.

Partner’s Mum: “We had to park several houses away, so [Partner’s Dad] will be here very shortly.”

[Partner’s Dad] is still a few minutes away and walking really slowly. [Partner] grabs an umbrella and goes to help his dad while my parents and I help [Partner’s Mum]. Eventually, [Partner] and his dad get safely into the house, and he is absolutely saturated. [Partner’s Mum] has realised she forgot to call ahead and feels absolutely awful about that.

My car is still outside the house, so I decide to move it. [Partner] gets the keys from his parents and goes to get their car. I get into my car and stay put until [Partner] is here; if I move too early, someone will snag the space. I look in the mirror to see where [Partner] is and spot someone getting into the car in the disabled space and driving away.

[Elderly Neighbour] doesn’t drive anymore, but she has nurses and carers who pop in to see her, so one of them must just be leaving. Excellent! The space is available for [Partner], so I get out of my car. [Partner] arrives, spots the space, and heads straight into it. He gets out of his car, and we say how lucky this was.

Cue [Neighbour], who is walking down the road and sees us.

Neighbour: “Oi! You can’t park there! You don’t look disabled!”

Partner: “Oh, this is my elderly father’s car. I’ve just moved it for him.”

Neighbour: “My wife uses that space! You don’t look disabled!”

Now, [Partner] and I are both tall men around the forty-year mark, and yes, we don’t LOOK disabled. But of course, there are lots of invisible disabilities, and I have several myself. So, [Partner] tried explaining again that the car belonged to his elderly and disabled father, the car had a blue badge for disabled parking, and it was fine for him to park the car there, but [Neighbour] wasn’t having that. He started shouting and then stomped away in a huff. As we were getting very wet, [Partner] and I just shrugged and went back inside.

We never heard anything else, but I’m sure [Neighbour] was watching the space the entire time and probably moved his car into it as soon as my partner’s parents had gone.

I live in Los Angeles, so there are lots of people here trying to “make it” in the entertainment industry, whatever that means for them. Most people start by trying to find events to network, etc. However some people… take a different approach. 

I was just standing at a crosswalk when a woman with a guitar slung over her shoulder came running up to me. 

Woman: “Hey! Do you know anyone in the music industry?!”

Me: “Uh… no?”

Woman: “Oh. Well, who do you know who does?!”

She stormed off before I could answer. I was completely taken off guard and bewildered, but I guess that’s one way to do it!