Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Force the MTA to Release Harassment Crime Stats

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A few weeks ago, NY’s Metro ran an op-ed by Holla Back NYC co-founder Emily May about how the NYPD and MTA are failing to release crime stats on harassment and assault in the subway.

On Holla Back NYC, Emily reports that since her op-ed, she and New Yorkers for Safe Transit have successfully joined forces with Assemblymember Jim Brennan and Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer to address the issue. Brennan will submit a bill to the State Assembly in the fall to force the MTA to release crime statistics. She writes,

“Stringer’s office is currently FOILing the MTA to see if they can get the data. Together, we will put an end to harassment on the subway!”

Congrats & keep it up, Emily, New Yorkers for Safe Transit and your legislative collaborators! I can’t wait to see what happpens this fall.

Related, last week, AMNY ran a follow up article to Emily’s op-ed, including the following about the low report rate of harassment crimes on NY’s public tranasportation system:

“Few victims report the crimes, according to the Stringer survey. Often, they don’t know whom to turn to, or can’t find an officer or MTA attendant. That problem could grow worse, as the MTA is eliminating its station agents through attrition starting in September….

Last year, the MTA launched an ad campaign encouraging victims to report unwanted touching to police or a MTA employee. Transit officials said they also covers about a third of its subway stations with cameras.

Some victims have started fighting back by catching offenders in the act with their camera phones, and last September the city began accepting digital photos of perpetrators through its 911 line.”

Have you taken a picture of a perpetrator and submitted it to the police? If so, what was your experience? Did they do anything?

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Morning Vulgarity

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I get sexually harassed on a daily basis in DC, so for me to post here regularly would get laborious. But I recently had one of the worst episodes so far, and I thought it was worth sharing:

It was about 10 am, and I went to my porch to wait for the plumber. I was standing in my doorway in casual board shorts and a generic tank top, hair back. Basically my grubby pajamas.

There was a lot of traffic on my street (P & 10th NW), so cars were haulted. I noticed a man in a van was trying to get my attention by motionining with his hand that I should come toward him. With the other hand, however, he was making a “V” with his fingers, and very specifically using his tongue to graphically immitate vaginal oral sex. I was in such shock and so horrified that all I could do was stare in disgust rather than simply walking away like I usually do. Moments later, he changed the “V” hand to a fist, and started bobbing his head up and down over it, imitating a blow job, all the while using the other hand to motion me over toward him.

Because I had just filed a police report the night before about someone that sent me a text message of their erection, I was feeling particularly vulnerable and intolerant, so I screamed “Do you want me to call the cops, @sshole?”

–To which he laughed and screamed back, “No, I want your p*ssy!” before driving off.

I know people say we should just let these experiences roll off our backs, but when they happen day in and day out, and you are a female alone in the city when they happen, it really wears on you. I was so disgusted, and felt so violated that I simply broke down crying in frustration.

It is truly exhausting how often I experience this type of thing.

– anonymous

Location: Washington, DC

Share your street harassment story today and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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Resources

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I’m headed out of town on vacation w/out access to the internet for a few days so there won’t be any new posts.

In the meantime, check out some of the updated strategies for dealing with and ending street harassment listed on my website: http://stopstreetharassment.com/strategies/index.htm as well as reources (including other websites that post/share street harassment stories) on the resources page: http://stopstreetharassment.com/resources/index.htm).

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CTA bus drivers voice concern about new anti-harassment policy

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The Chicago Sun-Times has a follow up article to the one I reported on two weeks ago about how the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) is expanding its policies on how bus and rail operators deal with harassers because of the activism of the Young Women’s Action Team.

Some bus drivers say that they weren’t informed about the new policies ahead of time and they have concerns with the changes. In part, they are concerned that if they intervene it could be dangerous and/or lead to complaints against them by the harasser.  They would prefer to call 911 for intervention – and ask that police respond promptly – rather than deal with it alone themselves. What this tells me is they must see a LOT of harassment because if this was a once in a while occurrence, it probably wouldn’t be so burdensome or worrisome to them.

I’m interested to find out how the implementation of stricter anti-harassment policies will play out on Chicago’s public transportation system.

Side note, I quickly glanced at the comments below the article and found this gem near the top:

“If the women that ride the C.T.A, don’t want a person(man)talking to them stay at home, don’t dress so in a way that a man is provoke to say something to her, besides she-they may not have job anyway.”

*Sigh* so much educating about street harassment to do!

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Creepy Driver

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I was walking from my house to the Potomac Avenue Metro station in DC on a hot Saturday afternoon, unusually dressed up (for me) in shorts and a cute tank top to meet up with friends at a small party. A guy driving a silver SUV said something to me along the lines of “hey, you’re looking fine.” Inappropriate compliment by total stranger, bleh. But then, he kept driving extremely slowly and kept talking to me. At first, I think I just glanced at him and kept walking, I didn’t say anything.

When he kept creeping along beside me, I started to get nervous. I was near my trusted corner dry cleaners, and abruptly turned and went inside the cleaners. I told the lady there what was going on, and just chatted for a few minutes. I waited until I saw the creepy guy in the silver SUV finally drive away before going back out to the sidewalk. I shouldn’t have to duck inside off the sidewalk or feel afraid to get a little dressed up because of creepy guys harassing me, but this episode reminded me why I don’t even try to look cute more often. And it’s always worse in the summer when wearing a skirt or shorts or (gasp!) exposing arms or shoulders.

-anonymous

Location: Washington, DC

Share your street harassment story and help raise awareness about the problem. Include your location and it will be added to the Street Harassment Map.

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