The catcall and the call back

The catcall has always been puzzling to me. The various calls that guys throw out to unsuspecting women in the hopes of... well, I'm not quite sure. Here are some that may ring a bell:

The infamous whistle
The "hey you sexy thing"
The "nice legs"
The "hey ma can I get me a piece of that"
The "you're a goddess"
and my personal favorite....the "psst, psst", like you're a stray or lost cat.

Most times I walk by looking at something other than the offender, ipod on, earphones in and volume at a ligimately high enough volume that I actually don't hear most details of the catcall. Living in new york, I have perfected my defenses. There are some days though, when I honestly wonder what would happen if I returned the favor... For example, if I get a "hey you sexy thing", I respond with a "no, no.... hey you sexy thing". Would he stutter? Would he think that I was honestly interested and try to get my number? But alas, as much of a smarta$$ that I can be, I lack the guts to be that big of one.
But the other day, as I was walking home, past the four construction sites on my block, and the four large groups of construction workers I got a catcall that I have never received before.... after ignoring the usual calls one of the workers in the last group called me a whore. He actually called me a whore. Not a slut or bitch…or even a ho…a full fledged whore. So, confronted with the situation I did what any self respecting whore would do.... I stopped dead in my tracks, turned and smiled my sweetest smile and flicked him off. Then, leaving them actually speechless, I turned and walked up the stairs into my home.