It was one male "HUH"-cough in the quiet study section, which is where I am. Then he seemed to do it again.
I can't know if it's harassment, but that's what it sounds like.
I am in the library, studying. I'm not doing anything to anyone. I shouldn't have to worry about whether or not someone is trying to harass me; I ought to be able to concentrate on what I have to do.
Other coughs and sneezes from other people seem to have increased over the past few minutes.
I am very tired. I have gotten to the shelter late almost every night since I started school, because I have been doing homework almost every night since I started school. That doesn't mean that I don't have to get up at 6:00 a.m. every day of the week with all of the other homeless guests of the Pine Street Inn; I have to do that, including on the weekends.
I have already written several times about the shelter not being a place where anyone can study; it's just too loud.
I am already concerned that I won't be able to get all of my homework done and study for my tests, living the way that I do with my time scheduled around where I have to be for shelter services and when I have to be there, for everything from when I can get food to when I can do my laundry to when I can do everything that people have to do every day. To be harassed at the library will increase my chances of doing badly at school, or at least not doing as well as I otherwise would.
The conglomerate's behavior is discriminatory against women. It encourages harassment and it jeopardizes what are supposed to be equal opportunities.
Copyright L. Kochman, February 4, 2016 @ 3:09 p.m.
