"Sexual harassment is a daily occurrence to most women, with public transportation serving as a hub of activity and fear."
--Tahlia Torres-Cohen
A typical Monday afternoon, I enter a nearly empty Bart train. Before even sitting down, I wrap my jacket around my waist a little more tightly, shifting my keys from backpack to pocket, just in case. I then sit on the outside seat closest to me. With constant anticipation of being approached, I have developed a fear instinct that is reflective to the behavior of women that surround me. As the “Me Too” campaign rises in numbers as a response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the sheer size of the silent majority is finally revealing itself. Sexual harassment is a daily occurrence to most women, with public transportation serving as a hub of activity and fear.
On BART and buses in the Bay Area, there is a certain dynamic to be noticed. As people squeeze into cramped train cars; men often fill the little space that is offered with their legs, arms, bags, etc. One might see a woman crossing her legs, tucking in her arms, shrinking herself as the car floods. With the entitlement to space that some men possess, it is easy to notice the power imbalance between men and women that is present in almost any group situation—especially on public transportation. When a man sits next to you, it is only a slight annoyance if their legs nudge yours out of the way. What follows, though, is not taken as lightly. In personal experience, unwanted conversations about phone numbers, looks, or destination are a trend. OSA freshman Emma Ramsey commented on the way she is treated while on the bus, “It just really bugs me when I receive unwanted to comments on public transit, especially when I have to sit with that person for the rest of the ride…. When they are next to you, and decide to go completely in your space, it is really uncomfortable. There is a line in the seats for a reason!”
With the attention that women receive on their daily commutes, many exercise safety routines or habits. After asking some questions, I concluded that women, girls and young people have very similar actions and behavior that help them stay safe and aware within the ever-changing environment of BART and bus. Bringing an extra sweater or jacket is popular, as well as toting pepper spray, or keeping keys close for some extra protection. As young as eight, I was taught how to send a punch straight to the groin, if need be. Much of my behavior in public is shaped by years of horror stories passed on by my mother and aunts. Since the day girls hit puberty, we are taught to fear and doubt the intentions of men. How are we supposed to feel comfortable in public (or on public transportation) when sexual harassment is treated as a daily annoyance, almost as usual as road work or bad traffic?
As the spotlight on sexual harassment brightens, we can only hope that education for future generations increases as well. Teenagers now are seeing men of extreme power and esteem finally facing the consequences of their actions. Our culture and society is slowly learning that holding the offenders of sexual harassment accountable is a simple action that can inflict an enormity of change. In the meantime, people will continue to draw attention to the sexual harassment and assault that is disregarded and normalized.
A typical Monday afternoon, I enter a nearly empty Bart train. Before even sitting down, I wrap my jacket around my waist a little more tightly, shifting my keys from backpack to pocket, just in case. I then sit on the outside seat closest to me. With constant anticipation of being approached, I have developed a fear instinct that is reflective to the behavior of women that surround me. As the “Me Too” campaign rises in numbers as a response to the Harvey Weinstein scandal, the sheer size of the silent majority is finally revealing itself. Sexual harassment is a daily occurrence to most women, with public transportation serving as a hub of activity and fear.
On BART and buses in the Bay Area, there is a certain dynamic to be noticed. As people squeeze into cramped train cars; men often fill the little space that is offered with their legs, arms, bags, etc. One might see a woman crossing her legs, tucking in her arms, shrinking herself as the car floods. With the entitlement to space that some men possess, it is easy to notice the power imbalance between men and women that is present in almost any group situation—especially on public transportation. When a man sits next to you, it is only a slight annoyance if their legs nudge yours out of the way. What follows, though, is not taken as lightly. In personal experience, unwanted conversations about phone numbers, looks, or destination are a trend. OSA freshman Emma Ramsey commented on the way she is treated while on the bus, “It just really bugs me when I receive unwanted to comments on public transit, especially when I have to sit with that person for the rest of the ride…. When they are next to you, and decide to go completely in your space, it is really uncomfortable. There is a line in the seats for a reason!”
With the attention that women receive on their daily commutes, many exercise safety routines or habits. After asking some questions, I concluded that women, girls and young people have very similar actions and behavior that help them stay safe and aware within the ever-changing environment of BART and bus. Bringing an extra sweater or jacket is popular, as well as toting pepper spray, or keeping keys close for some extra protection. As young as eight, I was taught how to send a punch straight to the groin, if need be. Much of my behavior in public is shaped by years of horror stories passed on by my mother and aunts. Since the day girls hit puberty, we are taught to fear and doubt the intentions of men. How are we supposed to feel comfortable in public (or on public transportation) when sexual harassment is treated as a daily annoyance, almost as usual as road work or bad traffic?
As the spotlight on sexual harassment brightens, we can only hope that education for future generations increases as well. Teenagers now are seeing men of extreme power and esteem finally facing the consequences of their actions. Our culture and society is slowly learning that holding the offenders of sexual harassment accountable is a simple action that can inflict an enormity of change. In the meantime, people will continue to draw attention to the sexual harassment and assault that is disregarded and normalized.
