Stop Street Harassment

Making Public Spaces Safe and Welcoming

I flashed a mob and I liked it

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Cross-posted from Mostbol in India:

No no no… no one was flashing anyone at the First Delhi Flash Mob in solidarity with the ‘Please Mend The Gap’ initiative. It was more about standing up for what I believe in. Standing up for safe spaces in Delhi Metro for women.

And it was a lesson in how to be an activist and have loads of fun being one!  Replace the candles with bright T-shirts and just assemble at a crowded spot!

The ‘Please Mend The Gap’ initiative organized a flash mob in an attempt to make the Delhi Metro a more equal space. The desire is to create awareness – that women and men can share space, and that it is not permissible to violate another person’s sense of self. The flash mob carried this message in a non-violent manner, through affirmative messages.

We boarded the Metro from the Saket Station, and after a few stops stripped our outer layer of clothing to reveal our slogans on bright yellow Tees that we all wore underneath). After about ten stations, we got out of the trains and stood on two of the busiest stations (Rajiv chowk/Kashmiri Gate) and yes we got noticed. Onlookers chattered amongst themselves, a few questioned us and at least one clicked my photo too!

We were a yellow human chain walking towards the Promise land of the Wonderful Wizard of Delhi Metro, seeking safe public transport for all!

– Kuber Sharma

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Join focus group on NYC subway safety!

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Cross-posted from New Yorkers for Safe Transit:

Do you feel safe riding NYC’s public transit system? Give yourself and others a voice, by sharing your mass transit experiences.

In mid-January, NYFST will be hosting two focus groups for survivors of gender and discrimination-based violence and harassment on New York City’s public transportation system.

We’re seeking focus group participants for two 2 hour sessions (6-8 p.m.). We are interested in hearing first-hand accounts from women, people of color, LGBTQGNC individuals, youth, and low-income individuals.

With your help, we will be able to raise public awareness on this issue and continue progress towards eliminating harassment and violence on mass transit.

Please spread the word and contact us at info@nyfst.org to sign up and more information on dates and location.

Light refreshments will be served and $4.50 MetroCards will be provided.

Also, be sure to share & submit your NYC mass transit stories.

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Hearing on NYC Subway Harassment

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Earlier this week I called out the New York Times for trying to compare street harassment to loud cell phone talkers and said I hoped one day they would address the problem of street harassment in a serious way. Lo and behold, yesterday they covered harassment on public transportation.

The New York Times reported on a joint hearing of three City Council committees — Transportation, Women’s Issues and Public Safety — and officials from the Police Department and the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to discuss sexual harassment on subways and buses.

At the hearing everyone acknowledged that this is a big problem in New York City, especially during late morning rush hour (8 to 10 a.m.) and early afternoon rush hour (4 to 6 p.m.).  The crowded Nos. 4, 5 and 6 lines between Grand Central Terminal and Union Square, they said, is a particular source of complaints.

James P. Hall, chief of the Police Department’s Transit Bureau, said that sexual harassment was the “No. 1 quality of life offense on the subway.” As of Nov. 15, there had been 587 reports of sex offenses in the subway system this year. He said, “However, we strongly suspect this is a highly underreported crime.” I agree!

Some of my street harassment activists friends who formed New Yorkers for Safe Transit testified too.

They are working on getting better reporting methods and numbers for sexual harassment and assault on the subways. This week Councilwoman Jessica S. Lappin introduced a bill that New Yorkers for Safe Transit support, one that would require the police to collect data on sexual harassment in the subways.

“This is important because historically, harassment is overlooked by law enforcement authorities,” said Oraia Reid, a founding member of New Yorkers for Safe Transit who testified at the hearing.

Ms. Reid, who is also the executive director of RightRides for Women’s Safety, said another challenge was to get law enforcement to take the harassment more seriously.

She added, “It’s actually been very disempowering to report sexual harassment and assault.”

Yeah, like remember when a woman got a photo of a man masturbating on the subway and reported it to a police officer who then told her, incorrectly, that it wasn’t a police matter and to call 311?

Another example – one woman who took my informal anonymous survey last year and lives in NYC said one time when she reported a man that was following her in the subway station to the police, the officer said he didn’t blame the guy (implying she was pretty and so it was natural for a man to follow her…). So clearly there are police officers who need more education and training on the issues and how to help people who report harassers.

But I’m glad the NY Times covered this story and this issue. We need them to keep on doing so!

I also want to say a big GREAT JOB! to New Yorkers for Safe Transit!! They’ve only been around about a year and already they are making a huge difference in the NYC community. Check out their website and submit your NYC mass transit sexual harassment story.

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Gropers Caught in Boston!

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Earlier this week, a 52-year old man allegedly groped a young woman’s butt on a subway platform in Boston. She asked the man’s friend if he groped her and he said no. The alleged groper then chimed in saying it was him and that he bet she liked it and that he liked it and he was never going to see her again, so what did it matter.

The young woman reported him to police, who thankfully took her report seriously and arrested him. Good for her, good for the police. BOO to the stupid groper. I wonder how many other women he’s groped?! Hopefully she was the last. [Wordpress won’t let me embed it, but follow this link to see a short news clip about the story.]

Also that same night in a separate incident, police arrested another subway groper. A 37-year-old man groped a woman and then verbally harased her until she got off the train and reported him.

Last weekend MBTA launched more anti-sexual harassment ads on subways and buses, including this one:

Given how many men grope women on subways and buses in major cities around the world, other cities would do well to pay attention and perhaps start their own campaign and educate their MTA workers and police officers how to handle reports correctly, the way the officers did in these two incidents. Good job, Boston!

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More PSAs in Boston

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A year and a half ago, Boston’s MTA started an anti-sexual harassment ad campaign on the subways and buses. The campaign has led to a 40 percent increase in the number of harassers police have arrested.

Now, MBTA is preparing to launch hundreds more anti-sexual harassment posters on buses and subway cars throughout Boston in an increased effort to curb such harassment and encourage more people to report it.

I applaud MBTA for taking sexual harassment on public transportation seriously. My main concern with their ads is that while it’s useful to have info informing women of their right to report harassers, it would be nice if there was also some message about respecting women and not harassing them!

UPDATE (11/4/09): I just read an article that talks more about the increased efforts by MBTA to fight groping etc on the subways and buses and there are some new ads aimed at harassers, notably this one, so now I support their efforts even  more!

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