Last night I had a pretty uneventful ride home on the Red Line, until I was close to my transfer at Metro Center. At Farragut North, some kid boarded the train. He clunked down next to some woman across the aisle from me, but immediately got up and sat next to me, asking if he could sit next to me after he did. I don’t own the train and people can sit wherever they want, but I knew this boy had different intentions. I immediately got up and said “I’m getting off at the next stop,” which was true, but even if it weren’t I didn’t want this kid sitting next to me.

As I waited near the door to exit, that boy would not stop grinning at me. Even my giving him dirty looks and rolling my eyes didn’t give him the hint that I was not interested.

He then started singing loudly, not realizing how annoying he was. Then I noticed him walk to the opposite end of the train car—I knew he was going to get off at Metro Center also! I started watching him like a hawk.

At Metro Center, I noticed he was walking slowly and kept looking back towards me. I came to a standstill because I did not want to walk past this kid. He finally started walking again, and when he was far enough ahead of me I proceeded again.

The kid was still in the vicinity and he wouldn’t leave people alone. I caught him checking out one woman, he hovered around another woman, and he stood next to the escalator, seeming to be waiting for me. In retrospect I wish I would’ve spoken up when I saw what he was doing, but remembering how people reacted the last time I called harassers out I did not want to go through that again.

I think he had some kind of mental issue because I sensed a cluelessness about him in his actions, but regardless, he freaked me out.

– Tired of Being Harassed

Location: Red Line, Washington, DC

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