Photo by _rockinfree Via Flickr

I just got off a train a few minutes ago that some obnoxious teens were causing hell on. Luckily it was my stop so it was no inconvenience to me in that sense.

The train gets to Rosslyn, one stop away from mine and a group of about 15 teens got on, yelling, screaming, cursing, talking about wanting to fight people, you know, the whole shebang. It’s the same old crap these kids always do when unsupervised. I was sitting close to the door they were crammed near, and since I didn’t want to pass near them when it was my time to get off I chose to walk backwards through the crowded aisle to another door.

There was a point between stops when they screamed so loudly that everyone’s hearts skipped a beat. I know I jumped! I couldn’t ignore this.

“Unless there’s an emergency, or someone’s injured or hurt, there’s no reason to scream like that,” I said. They got quiet for a second, but I knew it wasn’t because they were taking in my words. I knew the lesson wouldn’t be learned, and I’ve had too much experience dealing with kids like this to know they’d show me no respect. All they did was laugh at me. I repeated myself loudly: “Unless someone’s injured or hurt there is no reason to scream like that!”

I was laughed at and told “Shut the fuck up with your nappy bush!” I just got all my dreads cut off barely a week ago, and I’m still adjusting to having short hair, so yeah, their words stung for a moment. Then I realized I love my hair and no one else’s words should matter and also that regardless of how I look, how long my hair was, what I was wearing, etc., they’d find something else to target about me. That said, why the fuck should I care what these punks think about me?!

“You act like you belong in a zoo,” I said. “You have no class and no home training. I’m natural and proud!” They got louder, made more ugly commentary about me, and luckily my stop came and I got off.

I have Metro Police’s number on my phone, so I called it as soon as I got past the fare gates, told them about the incident (I made a mental note of the car they were in, 3113, and told them that) and where the train was headed.

I have no clue if the kids were caught since the officer on the phone didn’t take down my information, but I’m glad I took some form of action. I am sick and damn tired of kids, whose parents don’t raise them right (if at all), coming on trains, acting like they don’t have any sense, and making people miserable. There’s no way they can think this behavior is normal. Can’t they think of any other way of getting attention? I urge everyone to stand up to these teens. Don’t let them make you afraid. Believe you me I was nervous when I spoke up, but I did it. These kids aren’t going to change overnight, but keep calling them out on their behavior regardless. And even if you don’t get a response from the police, keep calling them until they start to get the hint that action must be taken to stop these kids from causing terror on the trains.

Submitted by Anonymous  on 6/26/2010

Location:Orange Line to Vienna

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

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