“He masturbated into my hair”: Assault on the Red Line
Location: Red Line train between Twinbrook & Rockville
Time: Daytime (9:30am-3:30pm)
A man sat behind me on a Metro train car that had just been vacated by the other passengers and masturbated into my hair. I only noticed when I became aware that he stood up, when I felt my hair move slightly, and felt something wet on my shoulder. In my shock, I turned around in time to see him beginning to sit back down and I asked him what fell into my hair. He said that he had dropped lotion onto me. I demanded to see the lotion immediately, which he could not produce. It was most definitely not lotion. His body language was upsetting and I quickly exited the train, but was still in shock from the assault. I knew what happened, but a part of me kept trying to convince myself that it couldn’t be real. I reported to the station manager who called Transit Police. Transit Police officer was mostly compassionate and was not interested in collecting any type of sample. While this most definitely could have been worse, it was completely disgusting and I feel very violated and upset.
Submitted 5/30/16
Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault? Share your story to help raise awareness about the pervasiveness and harmful effects of street harassment. All submissions are posted anonymously unless otherwise specified.
If you experience or have experienced sexual harassment on the DC Metro system: Whether the event is happening at the moment or occurred months ago, we strongly encourage you to report to Metro Transit Police (MTP): www.wmata.com/
If you need assistance in coping with public sexual harassment or assault, please contact the DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC) 24/7 crisis hotline at 202-333-RAPE (202-333-7279).
