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Today, NYPD Chief James P. Hall, who heads the department's Transit Bureau, told the City Council that sexual harassment was the "No. 1 quality of life offense on the subway," according to City Room. Hall added, "This should not be a part of commuting in New York. t's an under-reported crime." (Nothing, unfortunately, new there.)
Some stats: There have been 587 reports of sexual offenses on the subways (374 of those reports were in Manhattan), with 412 arrests. City Room says that of the arrests, "71 had committed prior sexual offenses and 14 were registered sex offenders. Five of the 14 were the most serious level of sex offender, Level 3. The average perpetrator is a 39-year-old male, while the vast majority of victims are females over 17 years old." Also, many of the perps really like to stalk the 4, 5, 6, lines between 14th Street and 42nd Street-Grand Central.
While the MTA has introduced anti-groping posters, Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said, "I'd like to see a wall of shame. Posting pictures of people convicted, especially with 20 percent recidivism ... would be a useful deterrent." Hall said that women shouldn't be discouraged if they don't have a cellphone picture, "At a minimum, a report alone allows us to deploy more effectively."
A reader happened to tell us about a groping incident that occurred her on a Q train this morning (read it after the jump) but didn't tell the cops, "I stayed on the train (I was late and the chances of a cop being on the platform and actually caring were slim to none) and I was too freaked out to snap a picture." (One time, when a woman told a police officer about a subway flasher, the cop allegedly said it wasn't a police matter.) The NYPD's press office tells us that people should not hesitate to contact the police—or an MTA worker or use the speakers in the station—because if a crime is reported, they will try to solve it.
This morning I got on a Manhattan bound Q train at the Prospect Park stop around 8:15 for my morning commute to work. The train was packed but it didn't stop an asian guy in his mid-twenties that also got on Prospect park from pushing through people to stand next to me. He was clearly "off," very disheveled looking, black coat, black canvas laptop bag, holding a plastic water bottle and trying to grab a pole with the same hand, pushing people, etc. Long story short he groped my butt until I yelled at him to stop touching me. I guess thats why he needed the free hand. Of course everyone on the train looked at us (and me, I'm sure they thought I was nuts) but it must have scared him because he ran off at Atlantic ave. I stayed on the train (I was late and the chances of a cop being on the platform and actually caring were slim to none) and I was too freaked out to snap a picture. I know its not much to go on, I just wanted to let other women on the Q train to be on the lookout.
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If ogling on the subway was a crime I'd be doing life in Attica right now. Checking out attractive women is the only thing I miss about not commuting on the train. I am not a groper, though.
Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. said, "I'd like to see a wall of shame. Posting pictures of people convicted, especially with 20 percent recidivism ... would be a useful deterrent."
and yet, a useless statement.
I've been groped on the crowded subway lots of times. Most of the times, it's when the train is so crowded there are like, 4 different guys within arm's reach of me. By the time I whip my head around, ready to jam my knee into the groper's balls, he's stopped touching me and I can't tell which of the multiple guys behind me is the culprit. So what good would telling the cops do, if I don't even know who did it?
Exactly. I've been groped way too many times on the subway -- usually on the 4/5 during rush hour in the early mornings -- but only once caught sight of who did it.
The worst was a few months back, on an epically crowded uptown 4 from 14th St. Someone insinuated his hand underneath my skirt (it was a knee-length business suit pencil skirt, for you tards who are already thinking "you were asking for it by wearing a skirt on the subway!") and grabbed my crotch. I freaked out, lashed out, yelled "get the fuck off me!" and accidentally elbowed a few innocent people in my fear and anger and desperate need to get the guy's hand off me. I never saw who did it -- I bolted off the train at Grand Central.
wow. That's insane
i've never been groped. i guess i should start working out.
I have been groped AND flashed (luckily not at the same time). Eh, what can you do?
I'll never know whether this is real a problem - but personally I've never seen it. crowded subway cars mean people have to brush up against each other - it doesnt necessarily mean someone is trying to groupe you.
I understand there might be some unintentional brushing up against people on a crowded subway—but some perv actually grind into their victims.
http://gothamist.com/2008/04/14/recividivist_tr.php
Also, if a guy takes his business out on a train (I've seen it and it's incredibly disturbing to experience), that's a real problem.
Hey, I've seen flashing, masturbating, a guy in sweatpants with a hard-on rubbing his pecker on a sleeping girls arm, you name it. And it's always in a crowded train during rush hour when you can barely move away, much less get out. There's never a cop around. Short of getting off the train before your stop and telling someone there's a perv still on the train, there's usually nothing much you can do. It's extremely frustrating. Sometimes just yelling "Hey!!" the way you'd yell at a dog can make them go away.
But this much I'll say. Beware of men in sweatpants on crowded trains. That's the choice apparel of pervs. It makes it easier to get their stuff in and out of sight, and to do that disgusting dry hump. Keep away from sweatpants.
Plaxico noooo!
I've had that thought too while a guy rubs his junk up on my leg. He keeps humping my leg as I ponder whether it's accidental or not. The answer is there is no train so crowded, so packed that a man has to rub only his crotch on you. A man knows where his junk is at all times, what it's touching, so if you have to even wonder does he know he's doing this? then he's doing it on purpose.
One day I was on the uptown 6 and it was crowded and I was near the door facing in and this guy pushed in behind me and started grinding into me. I moved in and he followed and he did it again and he said, "Excuse me, I have a horse in my pants." It was so funny I burst out laughing and quickly followed up with, "That's no horse, that's my little pony." And he was embarrassed and had to slink off the next stop. Not every groping experience is so funny, tho. Most are just incredibly annoying, like the time I told the guy to cut it out and he said, "I thought you would like it."
If some guy pinches u on the ass is that groping? It's rude and shitty, so yes it's a quality of life PROBLEM, but that is not crime. I remember a girl at work didn't come in one day cuz some guy on the train had jizzed on her during the morning commute. That is a crime.
some guy on the train had jizzed on her
I thought someone was telling me a tall tale when I heard that could happen. And then one crowded afternoon on the 4 train I actually I saw it happen. Geez.
Ugh that's stomach turning... I'd vomit on him in response.
Can't believe she gave that as a reason.
wat pisses me off the most is that if this person where to actually beat the sh*t out off this assh*le right on the train NYPD would prob allow him to press changes against them
I was groped once. first day on the job on the lex line.
turns out they wanted to pick my pocket. since it was my first day, I had all of $2 in my pocket.
I felt so humiliated because other passengers knew what was going on. (I was not hispanic)
Are you Hispanic now?
nope, but was on my way to spanish harlem.
anyway, just another thing to look out for. It may be safer now since I don't hear many pickpocketing stories. I would think it would be easy pickins on a crowded packed subway car, guess it's not as good as a panty grope.
I've been touched down there twice, the second time maybe not accidental. Once a very short chick on the train was reading a book with one hand and reaching for the pole at the same time with the other. I was standing on the other side of the pole and she missed and grabbed my pole instead of the train's. Then just this month I was standing on the bus when the girl sitting right in front of me put her arm up as if to fix her hair and planted her elbow directly on my privates. And she didn't move it for a good 5-7 seconds. I'm still not sure if she realized or not.
a bus grope? I'm trying to get a visual.
I did see another pickpocketer on the bus, she used some dry cleaning to cover what she was doing. A guy yelled out loudly, There's a pickpocketer on this bus! or something like watch your wallets.
sorry, that's all from me, though I did see a guy drop his gun on the busy GCT platform.
She was sitting facing forward, I was standing to her left facing her. Her left arm comes up, hand goes on her hair clip and elbow protrudes into my groin. She didn't move but the bus did!
I've never seen a gun or a shlong on public transit before, but I have seen nips and panties. I guess it depends on what you're looking for.
Even if there was a cop on the train, the crowd would have to embarrass him into action. NYPDs first response to a complainant is to make her/him feel like the perp. They are, as a rule, lazy and uncaring.
I was standing at the same door as this women when she yelled at this guy, only on the opposite side and I thought that it was odd. I could tell she felt like a nut but good for her. The guy jumped at the next stop. I'm so glad that she both yelled and sent comment into this site. Really it was a crowded train-awful really.
I personally wanted to be/get groped myself but I'm a mid 40s gay guy, so no luck for the wicked I guess.
I was on the 3 train, minding my own business when Heidi Klum came on board and touched me in my 'naughty spot'.
Granted, its not harassment when your willing, but I just thought I should throw it out there. Men being sexually 'harassed' by hot supermodels is an underreported 'problem' too.
I saw Gisele Bundchen on the 2 train the other day and she was wearing sweatpants...ya think?
Thank you, Gothamist, for periodically bringing this issue up. I feel that a lot of people (usually those who have never experienced it) still don't think there's anything wrong with being sexually harassed on the subway. Or they think there's nothing that can be done about it, so you should shut up and put up with it. Even if it's never happened to you, chances are it will happen to someone you care about, so it should matter to you.
I've never saw anyone getting groped, but i have seen a man with a pimp cane sniffing cocaine on the F train around 2am.
u americans complain too much, it happens all the time in japan and usually the woman gets seduced and leads to sex. wait.....was this from a porn episode recently?
This is horrible, and inexcusable. These guys need to be taken out of society. That said, there is another side to this. I am a middle-aged white man, suit and tie every day. Not Brad Pitt, but not hideous. The F and A trains from my neighborhood are ridiculously crowded in the morning. I have to contort myself into yogi-like positions to keep my junk, as it were, away from some of the behinds that get banged into me. I have a daughter, and I am actively conscious of wanting to avoid inappropriate contact with women on the train, as it would sicken me if some dude rubbed himself on her, and then I had to track him down and feed him his own intestines, filthy scum.
Ladies, please try to keep your boobs and butts to yourselves. This has been a public service announcement. We now return to our regular programming.
and actually caring
Trust me, any cop given an opportunity to crack a skull cares. I've seen cops on the F train absolutely slam a groper against the doors and then aggressively haul him off at the next stop.
Funny how all this groping is happening on the most crowded train during the busiest time of the day. When people are that close together in a confined space that bounces and jerks as much as a subway train, parts are gonna touch. Just sayin.
I think most women know the difference when someone accidentally bumps into them or when a guy grinds his knob on her ass until he spurts on the back of her skirt. Give us some credit.
I assure you, the difference between someone grabbing your ass and someone bumping against you is usually pretty clear. The ass-grabbers can't seem to resist giving it a little squeeze.
Yup, sorry dude but I've been riding crowded trains for three years and there IS a difference between a crowded train where everyone is squished and some guy rubbing his hands on your thigh and butt. Trust me.
I'm a man who was groped on the train and I didn't ask for it. Yes, I am gay. No, I do not dress like a flamer. The day I was groped I was wearing shorts and a tshirt. I was on a packed E train and this guy pushed himself onto the train and then behind me. As we took off, the guy moves closer to me, puts his hand on my butt and begins to sniff my armpit. I though I was hallucinating, but alas no because the guy rubs my butt and himself against me. I stomped on the guy's foot and pushed him off. I was unnerved because this wasn't the first time that I've been accosted by random men without provocation. I was followed by a man I'd never met or seen before who attempted to grab me and watched me from across the street when I went into a restaurant. These events all happened in the past two years.
Not saying it's ok to grope or anything, but young ladies, one day no one will grope you, and a few years after that, no one will even notice you. SIGH!!!!
At least I know now who some of the female commenters are on this site.
They could be trannys.
One time a homeless man flashed his willy at me -- at the time, I joked it was the most action I'd had in months.
However, it wasn't on the train but rather near some dumpsters on 2nd avenue.
From the comments and the article, it seems like crowded trains cause this more than anything else, so the MTA should come up with a solution (more trains, faster service) or risk being sued.
New MetroCards read "Optimism." --NYT
A WORD TO THE WARY
Optimism can be found
With pie in the sky. But underground?
Riding the subway, it seems to me,
Should not be sold like the lottery.
Screeching trains may have left me dense,
Yet Safety and Comfort make more sense.
i'd like to apologize for my actions. sometimes i just can't help myself.
In my 3 years on the subway, I have encountered a ridiuclous amount of sexual harassment. Exculuding remarks/verbal threats entirely, I have still been ground into at least 5 times, had a guy sitting next to me start jerking off on a PACKED train, had numerous men expose themselves, and had men harass me while following me from car-to-car or train-to-train. There isn't really a point in tracking down a cop, because they don't give a shit anyway.
And things happen more often during rush hour not because people are naturally packed together and therefore touching, but because people are packed together and it makes it harder to pinpoint WHO is harassing you.
In my 3 years on the subway, I have encountered a ridiuclous amount of sexual harassment. Exculuding remarks/verbal threats entirely, I have still been ground into at least 5 times, had a guy sitting next to me start jerking off on a PACKED train, had numerous men expose themselves, and had men harass me while following me from car-to-car or train-to-train. There isn't really a point in tracking down a cop, because they don't give a shit anyway.
And things happen more often during rush hour not because people are naturally packed together and therefore touching, but because people are packed together and it makes it harder to pinpoint WHO is harassing you.
Sexual harassment is one of those things where the minority of halfbrainedwalkingpenis thinks is all for "grabs", and most males will only feel sympathetic if it comes close to them...It is not their problem. The order of the male society, where abuse is tolerated, because it establishes the differences between sexes: the victim and offender.
Keep the compliance people.
Exactly right.
The comments on this page read out like a horror story!
I've been lucky enough never to have anything like this happen to me, or witness such thing. *knock on wood*