this is strictly my opinion, but talking to a stranger on in public is a lot different from catcalling and harassing someone who is clearly uninterested in you. While I'm known for screaming at dudes who catcall me on the street, my entire inner circle close friend group is entirely straight guys (not on purpose or anything, I just have always had male best friends my whole life) and so when a random dude starts talking to me I don't necessarily assume it's because he wants to fuck me because I'm around so many straight dudes who aren't saying/doing dumb shit and want to bone me all the time and have been told by guys that I'm easier to talk to than other girls and in the event they find out all my friends are guys they're like "that totally makes sense" (which is super a super sexist thing to say but you're asking about their mentality. I don't believe that me "basically being one of the dudes" is a thing, but since I've been told it a lot I'll mention it as context to explain various interactions). Like yesterday I was walking in step with this guy who asked what bars had good happy hour specials and had a brief conversation with him about it before I turned to walk into the grocery store. Normal convo, didn't ask me to go with him, blah. Just a dude asking a question who I talked to for a couple blocks...like that's way different from someone SHOUTING a "compliment" at me, trying to get my attention especially repeatedly when I ignore them, etc. especially when I'm walking/shopping/in the middle of doing daily life activities and not sitting somewhere where social interaction would be super normal. Like they're two totally different things and different motives. I've also had street conversations with guys that eventually lead to them asking for my number, and I turn them down, I don't call that catcalling or street harassment either...we were talking beforehand, I just wasn't interested. It's the particular brazen behavior of men who clearly think they're entitled to say something either at you, or to get information from you or think they're entitled to speak to you.

as far as being harassed/catcalled, my worst stories and many other girls I've talked to's worst stories happened when they either were or appeared to be vulnerable in some way. Not paying attention to their surroundings/in my case I have mental problems so if I'm making a grocery store run in sweats and look as depressed as I feel and you can tell I've been crying all day- way more people approach me in that predatory way and try to fuck with me than if I'm dressed to go out, alert, and think I look hot af. In my case the area I live in is a huge issue, I literally cannot leave the house without being catcalled due to the intersecting major streets I live by. Even in winter when you legit couldn't tell my gender with what I'm wearing and my face is covered with sunglasses. In my case my small demeanor might be something that makes me seem like I won't react in a hostile way (lol wrong).

I just think there's an ENORMOUS difference with a stranger approaching you to have a conversation regardless of gender and someone catcalling/harassing you also regardless of gender and that's why it frustrates me when people say catcalling is "at least a compliment" or "it's the price of looking good, at least people think you look good" because it's so easy for me to spot the huge difference of someone trying to have a real conversation vs being a dickhead. In the case of catcalling/harassment, no, it fucking is not a compliment. I've also done small social experiments where I actually GIVE these people my number, they don't do anything with it. The interaction is for their own ego. But again, that's just what some 25yo girl covered in dumb tattoos on the internet thinks so.