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The bell hooks Hotline: A Solution for Not Wanting to Give Out Your Digits

Stacey Goguen3 Comments

If you text or call the number 1-669-221-6251, you will receive a text with a quote from bell hooks.

So if someone asks you for your phone number, and you don’t want to give it, just memorize the number above and give that instead.  You not only avoid giving out your personal information, but you also spread some education, bell hooks-style.

Article on it here.

 

“If any female feels she need anything beyond herself to legitimate and validate her existence, she is already giving away her power to be self-defining, her agency.”

3 thoughts on “The bell hooks Hotline: A Solution for Not Wanting to Give Out Your Digits”

  3. It’s possible that people have had lots of different experience with this stuff, so let me put something out there.

    Sometimes people don’t take “no” for an answer and basically tell you that they won’t leave until you give them your number.
    (Has happened to me.)

    Sometimes people continue to prod you for your number, your time, or a smile. Sometimes they block your exit so you can’t leave the area without allowing them to touch you.
    (Has happened to me.)

    Sometimes they start asking you really inappropriate questions about what kind of porn you like and also keep asking you for your number and you are in complete shock and they seems to not be getting the hint that you really don’t want to have this conversation with this random person.
    (Has happened to me.)

    Sometimes people turn fucking hostile when you tell them no and call you a “stuck up bitch” or a “cunt.”
    (Has happened to me.)

    Sometimes you’re the only two people in the area and you’re starting to get nervous and you just want them to go away.
    (Has happened to me.)

    Sometimes I have been afraid that telling a dude who is not respecting my personal space “no” might escalate the situation to him touching me or threatening violence.
    (Has happened to me.)

    So that’s why maybe, sometimes, it’s not such a big fucking deal to lie to these people. Because sometimes they show zero respect for your wishes, your personal space, your bodily autonomy, or your safety.

    But ya sure, if you think simply saying “I’m not interested” or “I don’t have a phone” will work for you, power to you. But shit like that hasn’t worked for me, and I prefer to minimize my experiences of random strangers in my personal space, unwanted groping, or god forbid violence.

    What has worked for me is giving people a fake name and number. And a really big smile. They seem to like that.

    So thanks for the attempt to help I guess–I’m going to assume these comments are coming from a place of sincerely not understanding why these other options aren’t preferable. But they’re just not going to do the job in many circumstances.

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