An Aussie jogger has reached her breaking point after being repeatedly targeted by total strangers over her tattoos while out on the street. Maddi Darcey, from Newcastle, says she’s “had enough” of the verbal abuse and is demanding more respect from people in public.
The former Sydneysider, 32, moved to Newcastle just over a year ago and said she never had a problem when she lived in Sydney.
A tattoo artist, Maddi said she usually has “thick skin” when it comes to unsolicited remarks, but claims the hostility intensified dramatically after she moved further north.
“It’s actually been pretty common since moving to Newcastle,” she said in an interview with Yahoo News.
“It just seems to be members of the older generation who feel they need to comment as I run past.
“I don’t know if they think I’m wearing headphones and can’t hear them or what.”
Maddi recalled a recent encounter earlier in February in which a woman looked “her up and down and said, ‘Oh, disgusting’.”
In a separate recent incident, another passerby remarked, “Look what you’ve done to yourself”.
A tattoo artist, Maddi said she usually has ‘thick skin’. Source: Supplied
“There’s nothing provocative about my tattoos. You could see them at the beach — there’s nothing offensive,” Maddi explained.
“After speaking to other people, the girls from the gym say they cop sexual comments from similar types of people — older men, usually.”
That prompted Maddi to believe it may only be women being targeted.
“But even some of the guys at the gym with tattoos have said they get it too, which surprised me,” she said. “One of the guys gets it along the same stretch of road.”
‘Final straw’ prompts tattoo artist to speak out
After being branded “disgusting” by the older woman, Maddi said it was “the final straw”.
“I turned around and confronted her and asked her to repeat herself,” she recalled.
“She denied it and said, ‘Oh no, you heard me wrong’,” Maddi added — noting the woman was wearing a Newcastle Cycleways Movement (NCM) high-visibility vest at the time.
Yahoo News Australia asked the organisation whether the woman’s remarks reflected its standards.
President Neville Jones responded quickly and clarified that they do not.
“This person does not represent NCM or its values,” Jones said.
“We give out these high-visibility vests for free at public events such as the Living Smart festival at Speers Point in Lake Macquarie and the Seniors Week festival run by the City of Newcastle.
Maddi has lived in Newcastle for a little over a year. Source: Supplied
“We speculate that this person might have received one at such an event.”
Jones said NCM has since reached out to Maddi to explain this.
“NCM now recognises that people wearing these high-visibility vests with our branding might not behave in public in a manner that is consistent with our expectations,” he said.
“Therefore, we are implementing an agreement that future vest recipients must abide by.”
Jones said people who accept its free high-visibility vests will be required to agree to a code of conduct, making clear the apparel is for safety purposes only and does not confer membership or representation.
Wearers will be expected to ride lawfully, treat others with respect, and avoid aggressive, abusive or discriminatory behaviour while displaying the group’s branding.
Maddi said that was a “good step to see”.
Calls for change on Newcastle streets
But she believes the abuse will continue unless there’s greater awareness.
In fact, Maddi recalled how, later that very day, she was also confronted at her local Aldi.
She said an older man in the checkout line made hostile remarks about her appearance, calling her a “f***ing b***h” and a “disgusting human” while looking her up and down and telling her she looked “gross”.
“It felt like a tipping point, and it’s always older people,” she said.
Now, Maddi hopes speaking out will prevent others from experiencing the same treatment.
“Generally, I take it pretty well. Being heavily tattooed, you get used to looks and comments over time,” she said.
“But last week, two comments happened within about five minutes of each other. I tried to speak to one of the women, who scoffed at me, and I just started crying.
A recent incident in which she was branded ‘disgusting’ by a total stranger prompted Maddi to speak out. Source: Supplied
“I was feeling more sensitive that day, and I wasn’t with my partner. I ended up walking home crying.
“I just kept thinking, if someone was already having a terrible day, or going through something really serious, I’d hate to imagine what that could do to them.”
After she shared her story on Instagram, another woman who Maddi used to train with — who also has tattoos — messaged her.
She said earlier that morning, a man walked past her at the beach and said, “Did you know you’d look way better if you didn’t have all those tattoos?”
The woman was with her three-year-old daughter when he said it, Maddi was told.
“It’s just awful,” she said.
“I’ve had enough, and calling it out matters. If we just ignore it, they think it’s acceptable.
“I don’t want them to think there are no repercussions for acting like that.”
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