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“What Is Wrong With People?!?”

Home Green Line “What Is Wrong With People?!?”

“What Is Wrong With People?!?”

Jun 18, 2010 | Posted by User Submission |

Photo By Krossbow via Flickr

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I was standing up on a Green Line train, coming home from work, and surprisingly, it wasn’t terribly crowded. However, I’m rather short (5’2”) so I was standing near a wall since I couldn’t reach the overhead poles. This man walks up to me to reach the pole next to me – I was a little uncomfortable with his proximity but he was kind of short too, so I assumed he had the same problem with the overhead bars I did. That is until I felt his pelvis (and erection) rubbing against my hip. I stepped away from him and told him to get away from me, yet he followed me and attempted to rub up against me again. It wasn’t until I swung around and punched him in the chest that a linebacker of a fellow traveler came to my aid and detained him while – I rather unthinking – ran home at my stop. I should have told the train operator so I could press charges for frotteurism. Here’s the sick part: When I told a friend about the incident and how upset I was that I didn’t think to stick around to detain the guy and press charges (if he’s willing to do that in a train full of people, what else is he capable of?), esp because I had help, she responded telling me her male friends do it all the time in bars *as a game* with no shame at all! What is wrong with people?!? Sexual assault is not a game! But thank you to my linebacker green line buddy. I’ve never seen you since and you’ll likely never read this, but I’m glad you were there.

Submitted by Anonymous on 6/16/2010

Location: Green Line Metro near Convention Ctr

Time of  Harassment: Evening Rush Hour (3:30P-7:30P)

Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault you would like to submit? Just click here and fill out the online submission form. All submissions are posted anonymously unless you specify.

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