Metro

Wednesday January 16, 2008

The trauma of sexual harassment on commuter trains

By VIVIENNE PAL

SOME of us have had the misfortune of experiencing it, and those of us who have not, would usually know someone who has.

Sexual harassment aboard public transportation has become such a common occurrence that we often take it for granted, but the trauma of the experience is very real and lingers for a long time.

Recently, thanks to the proliferation of blogs on the Internet, there have been postings alerting the public of sexual perverts spotted aboard the Putra LRT.

The blogger, a young woman going by name of Shawn Sharif, wrote that the perverts have been spotted preying on timid-looking women on the LRT trains travelling between the Wangsa Maju and KLCC stations.

Packed: It is a tight squeeze in the train during early morning rush hour and there is no such thing as personal space.
Although never a victim, the stories related to her by a fellow blogger (Cactuskid) and a fellow colleague convinced her that such matters need urgent attention.

Her colleague was on the way to work on the Terminal Putra-Kelana Jaya line during the morning rush hour when the incident happened.

“My colleague had to stand in close proximity with her fellow passengers, but the one behind her was exceptionally annoying. As the ride proceeded, she felt something pressing hard on her back. Then she felt a sudden wetness on her back and part of her dress for no reason,” she wrote.

Shawn had written to RapidKL on the matter urging the company to take proactive measures, as well as getting a detailed description of the perverts who had been sighted on the trains.

Emotional wound: The trauma of being sexually harassed is very real and lingers for a long time.
The correspondences, including the RapidKL response, and descriptions, as well as her thoughts are posted on her own blog underestimatedoverestimating.blogspot.com/ titled Dry Hump?.

“RapidKL could announce warnings about perverts on their trains just as they do with pickpockets, or stick posters or small stickers with ‘Beware of sex perverts’ messages just like they are sticking the no eating/drinking/smoking signs on the trains,” Shawn said in her e-mail to StarMetro.

Shawn had tried to arrange an interview with her colleague and the Cactuskid, but both had declined, and like her, preferred to remain anonymous.

I decided to conduct my own investigation by boarding the LRT train from Terminal Putra to the KLCC and chatting with commuters at the various stations, which revealed mixed responses.

Cornered: The crowd waiting to board the LRT trains during rush hour is massive, and those getting on the train are packed like sardines aboard the carriages, making it easier for sexual predators to prey on unsuspecting victims.
While many said they had not heard of or experienced such disturbing encounters, just as many had true-story accounts to tell.

However, their description on the different perverts they encountered did not match the man described by Shawn.

“I was travelling on the LRT from KLCC to Bangsar then, and it wasn’t even rush hour,” said K. Deepa, 29, a two-time victim.

”I felt something jabbing into my back and initially thought it was because of the train’s motion. But, each time I inched forward, the jab inched forward with me, and when I finally turned around, I saw this guy behind me with an erection,” Deepa said.

Often, the victims feel helpless and do nothing but look away.

“When I moved away, he turned to a girl next to me, who was as helpless as I was and who also turned away. It’s an incident you will never forget,” she said.

“My friend who was taking the train from Bangsar to KLCC experienced a man rubbing against her back during rush hour,” said a 32-year-old woman known only as K. “She retaliated by stepping on his foot!”

Another woman, who did not wish to be identified, told of a friend who was groped from the groin to the chest as she was exiting the LRT.

“The man was well-dressed. Even perverts dress properly,” she said.

Suffocating: Even sardines in a can get better breathing space
N. Neeta, 26, said she spotted a decently dressed man trying to touch a woman next to her on the train ride to the KLCC.

“He was pretending to put his hand in his pocket,” she said.

When contacted, RapidKL general manager (CEO office) Shahril Mokhtar said there had been no complaints lodged by passengers on the matter so far.

“But we have our own security and operations personnel roaming the trains at various intervals to monitor the situation in the trains,” he said.

“However, if you have been a victim, or have seen the perverts in action, please alert us. Give us a description so that we can take action,” he said.

- To alert RapidKL, call 03-7625 6999.

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