With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
One Woman's Terrifying Tale Of Harassment On Metro
Photo by KingoftheHill. via Flickr
Being harassed on public transportation feels like an inevitable fact of life for many women who don't have a car or decide to forgo it. So while violent crime on Metro tends to be relatively low (the notable exceptions are thankfully rare), this means many women don't necessarily feel safe riding public transportation.
(Related: Women Share Their Stories Of Sexual Harassment (And Worse) On Public Transportation)
An anonymous guest blogger for Jezebel details the day-in, day-out harassment she receives from men on the Blue and Red Metro lines:
I often ride the Metro when I commute from North Hollywood to Long Beach in order to save money. I bring a book, pointedly wear a ring on my ring finger to imply I'm married (I'm not) and keep to myself. Without fail, I am aggressively approached by men on at least half of these commutes. The most common approach is to walk up to where I am sitting with body language that practically screams LEAVE ME ALONE and sit down next to me or as close to me as possible, when the train is not crowded and there are many empty rows. Sometimes an overly friendly arm is draped over the railing behind me, or they attempt to lean in close to talk to me as if we are old friends.
Sponsor
One day on the Blue Line this kind of harassment explodes into something much scarier when she asks a man to not bother her while she reads:
The seemingly annoying but normal man a moment before is now talking to himself, becoming agitated. In my years of being bothered by total strangers, I have learned how to hold a book and seem to be reading while taking in everything around me. He is glaring at me, and says out loud in an angry baby talk voice "PLEASELEAVEMEALONEI'MREADING. PLEASE LEAVE ME ALOOOONE." Then he's up out of his seat and things go from bad to worse. He begins pacing back and forth in front of his bike, alternating between screaming something about his mother being dead and calling me a slut, a hoe, a bitch. I am frozen in place.
Eventually, she says this man starts punching the walls and doors of the train as he screams at her for two more stops using lines like: "IF I HAD A GUN I'D SHOOT YOU I WOULD FUCKING KILL YOU BITCH." Fortunately, the woman makes it off the line okay onto her next connection. But this is the kind of awful experience that doesn't necessarily make it into crime reports (the author doesn't mention reporting this incident to police, so we don't know for sure if she did in this case).UCLA's Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris authored a study in 2010 about women's sense of safety (or lack thereof) when taking public transportation around the world because of course this issue isn't limited to Los Angeles, and she spoke with Planetizen about her work. She did mention that this lower-level crime like harassment doesn't end up being reported:
Women are quite intimidated to report these kinds of crimes, it is difficult to report, and there is a perception that there is not much that the police can do. And these types of crimes really intimidate women transit riders, and lead them to avoid certain transit modes or use them only during specific times of the day or only when they are accompanied. If you only look at the hard data, you don’t see that.
Loukaitou-Sideris found that making women feel safe wasn't a priority at many major transportation agencies in the U.S. Her solution? First of all, making sure women were included in the planning process of transportation systems, since they're often not. She also suggests taking into consideration the safety of stop locations, adding a call button for emergencies and adding next train or bus signs so women know how long they have to wait at a particular stop.UPDATE: This woman's story hit a nerve—so much so that we're considering doing a follow-up post. Some of you have already shared your own similar stories with us, but if you haven't yet and you'd like to, put them in the comments or e-mail us at tips@laist.com. Put the word "harassment" in the subject line, and let us know how you would like us to identify you.
At LAist, we focus on what matters to our community: clear, fair, and transparent reporting that helps you make decisions with confidence and keeps powerful institutions accountable.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Your support for independent local news is critical. With federal funding for public media gone, LAist faces a $1.7 million yearly shortfall. Speaking frankly, how much reader support we receive now will determine the strength of this reliable source of local information now and for years to come.
This work is only possible with community support. Every investigation, service guide, and story is made possible by people like you who believe that local news is a public good and that everyone deserves access to trustworthy local information.
That’s why we’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Thank you for understanding how essential it is to have an informed community and standing up for free press.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
