is it so hard to just get some confirmation of interest before you initiate w/the holla?

is it so hard to get that confirmation w/o being obtrusive?

you are not a villain. you're not a demon. you pick up on social cues. if you have ever caused a woman to fear for her safety b/c you approached her to say 'hello' or whatever you are hereby absolved.

you are concerned about creating that fear in women. you want to minimize the risk of creating that fear b/c even one woman feeling it by your action is too many.

you can minimize that risk by being less aggressive w/the initial contact. you haven't done wrong but you can do better by just backing off a bit on the street. just smile. don't even wave. if she smiles back or invites you somehow then go in w/the holla. if she doesn't then just leave her alone. you do this already and will keep doing it b/c you're a good guy. you were raised right. unfortunately, good guys like you have to bear the cost of bad guys in the world. it sucks, it ain't fair. it's life though. it's how we operate b/c we have empathy for others and can see beyond our own experience.

we empathize w/women here b/c we have power over them and we don't want to abuse it. we understand the playing field isn't level so what we feel when women clutch their purse ain't the same as what they feel when we approach them as strangers.

we can address our feelings about purse-clutching in some other forum. it's an issue collateral to this one. we can address that while also curbing street harassment and holla. the two are exclusive.