Illustration: Luo Xuan/GT

Late on Saturday night, a man quietly followed me off the subway onto an empty, narrow road lit only by the faint penumbra of streetlights.

I fixed my eyes on our shadows, as it was the only way for me to gauge the distance between us without turning around and betraying the fact that I had noticed him. Still pacing straight ahead, I started to picture all the possible horrible scenarios in my mind.

Suddenly, I noticed that our shadows were getting closer, which meant that he must have quickened his pace. Before I had time to do anything else, he was already at my side.

"Can I ask you something?" he muttered.

Without a word, I took off, dashing inside a convenience store several meters away. From its relative safety, I called my husband and asked him to pick me up. 

After I told him the story, my husband said I was being paranoid. He told me that the man probably just wanted to ask for directions, or to make conversation.

I knew that it might have been unfair to treat him like a deviant, but there was no way I could know what his intentions were, and I didn't want to find out at the risk of my own safety.

The rule I live by when it comes to suspicious-looking men is to always be on high alert and to be prepared for the worst. If the man only wanted to ask for directions, well, I'm sure he was able to find someone else to ask. 

It might sound a little controversial, but with more women wearing short skirts in China in the heat of summer, there is a higher incidence of sexual harassment. Several girls I know have been victims of harassment, from groping to attempted rape.

One of my friends from Chengdu, Sichuan Province, told me that she was groped by a man who covered her mouth to keep her from screaming out.

Apart from empty streets, crowded subway trains in China are also common places for sexual assaults to take place. There are numerous photos and videos on the Internet taken by bystanders of women being harassed in various ways, including men trying to take photos up women's skirts.  

Some reports state that up to seven in every 10 women have experienced some form of sexual harassment. Public transportation authorities in some cities have launched campaigns to crack down on sexual harassment on the subway, but they are not always effective.

There have even been reports of beggars on the subway in Beijing and Wuhan sexually assaulting female passengers who refuse to give them money.

After I was groped by a shirtless young man in Beijing in 2011, I started to observe my surroundings whenever I was alone on the street. Some of the girls in my office have also purchased sprays, electronic alarms and flashlights to try to deter the sexual harassers.

While these devices may help in fighting off sexual predators after they've already made their move, they cannot prevent the harassment in the first place. 

I've read articles saying that dressing like a tomboy can reduce the chances of being harassed. While this might seem like a drastic measure, I am going to give it a try.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.