New Yorkers are familiar with the âÂÂIf you see something, say somethingâ slogan in subway stations. However, State Assemblywoman Deborah Glick believes that it shouldnâÂÂt only pertain to mysterious packages and unattended bags.
That was the reason she pushed to add onto subway announcements that victims of sexual harassment should approach the police or an MTA employee for help. Now, the announcement also advises witnesses of sexual harassment to report it.
Sexual harassment has always been a problem in the New York City subway system, and lately Metro, the free daily newspaper, has been writing more about it. It even dubbed one predator as the “Puny Perv.” As many as 63 percent of 1,790 people surveyed have been sexually harassed in the subway system, according to a report released in July 2007 by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.
“Women have a right to travel without being harassed,” Glick said in a phone interview.
Websites such as ihollaback.org and stopstreetharassment.org allow victims to share their experiences with others.
The ihollaback site has numerous New York City subway stories. One writer, who went by the name Susanna wrote, âÂÂMy friend and I were riding the 6 train downtown together. As weâÂÂre chatting, I feel something brush on my backside… It was really low on my backside and it was warm. I look and the guy behind me has a f——g ERECTION. It was right up against me.” This is only one of many stories posted on both websites that tells people’s experiences, such as being verbally harassed to being physically attacked. Attempts were made to contact Susanna but were unsuccessful.
Alanna Vasquez is a teenager who was sexually harassed on her way to school. During morning rush hour, she was on a crowded 4 train when she felt a man press his erection against her back. She didn’t report the incident. When asked why she didn’t report it to the police, she said, “They wouldn’t care about that.”
Alanna is part of the large group of victims who don’t report incidents like these. Ninety-six percent of the people surveyed have reported they didn’t file a report with the NYPD and/or sought help from an MTA employee after being harassed.
Glick said that it is not only the obligation of a victim of sexual harassment to report it. According to her, harassers attack until they’re caught and that is why it is important to report incidents. If a person keeps track of a harasser, they can build a case against them and have a pattern for the police to follow, if they witness an assault.
Holly Kearl, the founder of stopstreetharassment.org, advises bystanders to do something. They donâÂÂt necessarily have to beat up the harasser, but just saying something like âÂÂCut it out!â or âÂÂDonâÂÂt harass women!â should be enough.
Another approach is to talk directly to the victim. Kearl suggests to make up a fake name and approach someone who is being harassed and say, âÂÂOh, hey Rachel, itâÂÂs been a long time, how are you doing?â because a harasser is most likely to leave the victim alone now that she’s no longer by herself.
But now that the MTA eliminated 121 token-booth clerk positions, it may be harder for women and girls to feel safe because there are less people they can report incidents to.
Other people, like Lia Joo, take the matter into their own hands.
After being flashed by a man on the 7 train a few years ago, Joo who had taken a clear picture of the man on her cell phone, filed a police report.
She said that effort was “pointless and a waste of time.” She got the attention of Newsday, which wrote a story about the ordeal.
That was the reason she pushed to add onto subway announcements that victims of sexual harassment should approach the police or an MTA employee for help. Now, the announcement also advises witnesses of sexual harassment to report it.
Sexual harassment has always been a problem in the New York City subway system, and lately Metro, the free daily newspaper, has been writing more about it. It even dubbed one predator as the “Puny Perv.” As many as 63 percent of 1,790 people surveyed have been sexually harassed in the subway system, according to a report released in July 2007 by Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer.
“Women have a right to travel without being harassed,” Glick said in a phone interview.
Websites such as ihollaback.org and stopstreetharassment.org allow victims to share their experiences with others.
The ihollaback site has numerous New York City subway stories. One writer, who went by the name Susanna wrote, âÂÂMy friend and I were riding the 6 train downtown together. As weâÂÂre chatting, I feel something brush on my backside… It was really low on my backside and it was warm. I look and the guy behind me has a f——g ERECTION. It was right up against me.” This is only one of many stories posted on both websites that tells people’s experiences, such as being verbally harassed to being physically attacked. Attempts were made to contact Susanna but were unsuccessful.
Alanna Vasquez is a teenager who was sexually harassed on her way to school. During morning rush hour, she was on a crowded 4 train when she felt a man press his erection against her back. She didn’t report the incident. When asked why she didn’t report it to the police, she said, “They wouldn’t care about that.”
Alanna is part of the large group of victims who don’t report incidents like these. Ninety-six percent of the people surveyed have reported they didn’t file a report with the NYPD and/or sought help from an MTA employee after being harassed.
Glick said that it is not only the obligation of a victim of sexual harassment to report it. According to her, harassers attack until they’re caught and that is why it is important to report incidents. If a person keeps track of a harasser, they can build a case against them and have a pattern for the police to follow, if they witness an assault.
Holly Kearl, the founder of stopstreetharassment.org, advises bystanders to do something. They donâÂÂt necessarily have to beat up the harasser, but just saying something like âÂÂCut it out!â or âÂÂDonâÂÂt harass women!â should be enough.
Another approach is to talk directly to the victim. Kearl suggests to make up a fake name and approach someone who is being harassed and say, âÂÂOh, hey Rachel, itâÂÂs been a long time, how are you doing?â because a harasser is most likely to leave the victim alone now that she’s no longer by herself.
But now that the MTA eliminated 121 token-booth clerk positions, it may be harder for women and girls to feel safe because there are less people they can report incidents to.
Other people, like Lia Joo, take the matter into their own hands.
After being flashed by a man on the 7 train a few years ago, Joo who had taken a clear picture of the man on her cell phone, filed a police report.
She said that effort was “pointless and a waste of time.” She got the attention of Newsday, which wrote a story about the ordeal.
“Cops won’t do much, unless it’s a big news story,” she said.