“I Was Upskirted on the DC Metro”
Location: Smithsonian Metro Stop
Time: Morning Rush Hour (5am-9:30am)
I was in one of the last cars on the metro and was one of the last people to leave the station this morning. The other person was a man — mid-40s, dark hair, wearing a suit. He wasn’t close enough for me to get a better description and was staring at his smartphone as I passed through the gates. On the escalator, I thought a breeze was lifting the back of my skirt, but it was that guy behind me lifting it as he walked past.
I wish my reaction was something more than a resigned, “oh well, it happens.” I’m very aware of my surroundings (especially after past incidences), and it felt like not being hyper-vigilant for 10 seconds is how this happened.
Submitted 10/14/14 by “A.”
CASS is launching RightRides, a service to provide free rides home for women and LGBT people, from 12am-3am on Friday, October 31st. Rides, which are made possible by a partnership with Zipcar, will be operated by driver/navigator teams consisting of trained, screened volunteers. Save the number in your phone now: 202-556-4232!
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).
