Last year, I compiled a list of when you should embarrass a woman on the street. My thinking behind the list was basically “do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” So, if my skirt were tucked into my panties, I’d want someone to tell me. Yesterday, I tried to indulge in some good karma when I saw this woman wearing a see-through dress that exposed her thong and butt for everyone to see, but it didn’t go as I would have expected. I was walking along minding my own business when I looked down and saw a butt in my line of vision. This wasn’t some idiot with his pants hanging down, exposing his dingy underwear. No, it was a very fair woman wearing a black thong under a gray dress that wasn’t meant to be sheer. Immediately, I thought I had to save this woman from embarrassing herself any further. We were in a huge shopping district so there was an easy solution — buy a pair of nude boy shorts and keep it moving.
Catching her wasn’t going to be easy, though. She had on sensible flats, and I was wearing three-inch heels, and carrying shopping bags and a heavy purse, but I was determined to prove my commitment to the sisterhood. I quickened my pace and dodged the slow tourists and annoying “hipsters,” but didn’t get near the butt-exposing woman for four blocks.
When I did finally have the opportunity to speak to her, I started off by telling her that I was trying to catch for awhile. She seemed mildly interested in what I wanted to say. But to save her further embarrassment, I leaned over and whispered that everyone could see her black thong and behind through her dress. She turned to look as what I had said sunk in. I then said that maybe she could go buy a pair of nude undies. The woman, at that time, gave me look that is usually saved for beggars on the train, dismissed me, and walked away.
As I continued on my journey, I thought that maybe I did something wrong. Maybe I shouldn’t have told her. She didn’t seem like she knew the dress was sheer, so I didn’t think exposing her thong was a fashion choice. I seriously thought she’d want to know because there was an easy solution. Plus, I didn’t want her to go the whole night mooning everyone. Wasn’t a few moments (or half a day) of embarrassment much better than a whole day and night of it?
Obviously, I won’t know why she reacted this way. NYC is a huge place, and she and I don’t look like we run in the same circles. But the next time something like this happens, I’ll probably leave the woman to make the discovery on her own or let someone else tell her. I still hope someone would say something to me, though.
What would you do if you saw someone unknowingly embarrassing themselves? Would you want someone to tell you?
Original by Annika Harris
