Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

Man in Disguise Gropes Woman on Mexico Subway

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In Mexico City there are women-only subway cars (and buses) due to men harassing women — listen to this story twist!

Image Credit: Light Rail Now
Image Credit: Light Rail Now

A woman was riding in a women-only subway car when she felt someone touch her “backside,” but she said she did not react when she saw what she thought was a woman standing behind her. But when the person grabbed her and groped her, she pulled the metro car’s alarm.

The attacker was arrested by police and soon after it was discovered that the person was actually a man in his mid-40s who was wearing a wig, dress, and a padded bra so he could gain access on the women-only cars. Which may have been fine (what, after all defines one as a woman?) except for the slight problem of groping.

The author of the Latin American Herald Tribune notes at the end of the article:

“For several years, the capital metro has had cars specifically for women, who frequently complain about attacks of this kind in the cars that can be used by both sexes.”

As I’ve mentioned several times online & certainly will address in my book, women-only forms of public transportation are somewhat problematic because they don’t address the main issue — men need to stop harassing and groping women!! This story illustrates the lack of a real solution women-only cars provide because apparently men are still groping women on the mixed-sex cars and men, like the one arrested, can dress up like women and get on women-only cars and still grope women (though I’d be surprised if this happens very much).

I acknowledge that women-only cars could be a relief in the short-term for women who need a break from the harassment, but what if instead there were anti-groping training programs and harsher penalties for gropers?

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Is he masturbating against you?

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Sadie at Jezebel wrote a post yesterday about the  many times she’s been unsure whether or not a man standing by her on a crowded subway is masturbating against her.

She said, “After the fact, somehow, you’re always pretty sure. But at the time, there’s just enough doubt to make one’s course of action debatable. It’s not like being flashed, or getting stuck alone in a car with some guy jerking off which, while horrible, is pretty straightforward…”

My mother had this happen to her in New York City about two years ago. She also wasn’t sure if the man rubbing against her on the crowded subway was purposely doing so or if it was the result of a crowded car, until the car became less crowded and he was still doing it. And even then, she gave him the benefit of the doubt to the extent that she didn’t say anything to him.

It’s a tricky situation: no one wants to falsely accuse someone, but no one wants to just let that happen to them (or anyone else) either.

I’m reminded of various commenters on the recent Boston Globe article about the subway anti-groping campaign in Boston who were SO concerned that women were falsely accusing men left and right of being gropers when they probably were just getting bumped on a crowded train. From anecdotal evidence, I think most women will give questionable gropers and masturbators the benefit of the doubt so I think the fear of those men is largely unfounded. (And funny how that was their concern, instead of being concerned that enough women are getting groped on the subway that Boston had to create an anti-groping campaign…) The fear of being wrong probably keeps many women from doing anything about the questionable gropers and masturbators unless it becomes quite clear what is going on (like if he’s still doing it after the train clears).

Given this dilemma, what have you done if you’ve had a possible groper or masturbator make physical contact with you?

Sadie said she has been known to dig her high heel into a questionable harasser’s foot – and often he steps away from her. My mom reporter the man rubbing against her to the New York City Transit.

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Leg grabber in Los Angeles

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I was on a crowded bus in LA (express line, commuter hour) when a man sat next to me on my right side. He had a coat draped over his left arm. I assumed he was injured or disabled (he was an older gentleman) so I dismissed it and went back to my book. A few moments later I felt something on my leg. I looked up from my book and noticed that he was using the coat to disguise the fact that his hand was on my thigh – a few inches higher and it would have been in my crotch. Luckily when I’m grossed out I tend to reflexively scream and flail rather than freeze, so I screamed and flailed. He got up and quickly left the bus before I could get anyone’s attention (we were at a stop). I stood or sat alone for the rest of the ride and felt sick to my stomach.

-anonymous

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Boston T Anti-Harassment Campaign Update

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boston-anti-grope-campaign-sign-2It’s been a year since the MBTA launched a public awareness campaign about sexual harassment on the Boston transit (the T). Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan recently said, “This campaign has been highly effective in addressing this persistent issue. Not only have more victims reported this crime, but because of their reports, we have been able to arrest more and more of the offenders.”

The Boston Globe reports that since the campaign launched, the number of groping complaints increased 74 percent. Over the same period, police arrested 24 people for indecent assault and battery, which was an increase of 85 percent from the year before.

I had been wondering what the results of their campaign would be and I’m glad to hear it seems to be positive as far as raising awareness among riders that groping is illegal and encouraging people to report it when it happens.

When I read the article, there were 25 comments from readers. Most of the opening comments were from men concerned that women were overreacting to being on crowded trains and were probably reporting innocent men. Fortunately, many other commenters then jumped in either sharing their experience being obviously groped on the T or defending women who know the difference between groping and just being sardined on a crowded train. Good for them. Educate the ignorant!

Do you take the T? Do you think the anti-harassment campaign has had an impact during the past year?

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Harassment on New Delhi Metro

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Is public transportation in any country safe for women who don’t want to be harassed (99%)? I don’t know, but given how many stories I’ve read where it’s not safe, I’m wondering… From Thaindian in New Delhi, India…

“Molestation is rampant on the Metro, insists Anuradha Jha, a mass communications student and resident of Vikaspuri. ‘It is for this reason that I avoid taking the Metro during peak hours.’

Delhi Metro Rail Corp (DMRC) that runs the service says it is faced with acute shortage of security personnel. ‘We do not have that much manpower to deploy guards all the time and so we do that during peak office hours only,’ DMRC spokesman Anuj Dayal told IANS.

On an average, more than 850,000 people travel daily in the Delhi Metro, the bulk of them commuting between 8.30 and 11.30 in the morning and from 5.30 to 8 in the evening.

Dayal said DMRC was looking at the possibility of engaging security personnel in plain clothes to check sexual harassment. ‘People should know there are CCTV (closed circuit) cameras both inside the trains and on platforms.'”

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