“I’ve never been fully comfortable on the Metro since.”
Location: Green line toward L’Enfant Plaza
Time: Morning Rush Hour (5am-9:30am)
This happened two years ago and I was working in DC at the time and taking the VRE up from Fredericksburg. I was still living at home and saving up to move into the city in the not too distant future. Iswitched (sic) to the Metro at L’Enfant Plaza and took the Green line down to the Navy Yard. It was a normal, busy Friday morning so there were few seats available. I leaned on the wall near the doors and a man walked up from the middle of the train to stand across from me, close to the doors. I assumed he moved closer to get off at the next stop. Not at all. He started staring at me, grabbing his genitals, grunting, and licking his lips. I was stunned. As the train neared the SE University stop, he started to move toward me, not the doors which were right next to him. I’ve never flown out of the Metro quicker in my life. I managed to run down to the last car and find a seat. When I got off at the Navy Yard, I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t tell the Metro Police because I didn’t think they’d take me seriously. As I was walking down to the gate, I called my boyfriend at the time and he laughed and told me I was overreacting. I started to cry. I didn’t even bother going to work and called in as I turned around and made my way back to L’Enfant to wait for a train back home. I’ve had lots of people tell me that what I went through isn’t even sexual harrassment (sic). I just misinterpreted the situation. That’s a lie. I was targeted by this sick man and I’ve never been fully comfortable on the Metro since. I still head up to DC fairly often for entertainment and friends, but that moment I was sexually harrassed on the Metro was one of the leading factors in my decision to get a job closer to home that I could drive to. And that still makes me sad because I really do love DC.
Submitted on 7/18/12 by “Anonymous”
If you experience or have experienced sexual harassment on the DC Metro system:
Please consider reporting to Metro Transit Police: www.wmata.com/harassment; 202-962-2121.
Do you have a personal experience with gender-based public sexual harassment or assault? Submit your story to help raise awareness about the pervasiveness and harmful effects of street harassment. All submissions are posted anonymously unless otherwise specified.
