A Crowded Subway is No Excuse for an Improper Touch

So I think I shall start including links to New York subway-related news stories of interest occasionally. Apparently a new anti-sexual harassment advertising campaign has just been unveiled on the subway. I actually saw the first ad this weekend. Gaudy and yellow next to the posters for cheesy bankruptcy lawyers it screams in big bold letters “Sexual Harassment Is A Crime On The Subway-too. Below in smaller letters it reads: “A Crowded Subway is No Excuse for an Improper Touch” Funny right? First of all, the heading isn’t even grammatically correct. Oh MTA. They could hire me any day to come up with more innovative sexual harassment signs than that.


Anyways this article in the New York Daily News about it states that 63% of the people polled said they have experienced one of the following while riding on the subway: “unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, flashing, groping, fondling and public masturbation.”

ICK. So far I have not been unlucky enough to be a victim to any of this….actually I really can’t confidently say that. The 5 is so crowded in the morning that in reality I probably would have no idea if someone tried to violate me. As unfortunate and disturbing as this fact is I think I would rather just not know if I were being groped. I would prefer to just ride on with my Led Zeppelin blaring through my iPod headphones.

Of course I always have that fantasy of some guy just trying to slip something funny. In this fantasy I turn around, fearless with fire in my eyes, pull off one my black stilettos heels and beat him across the face with it. The perv would run away in fear as the crowd of onlookers cheer me on. I would be a hero for New York woman everywhere. A subway urban legend. Please give me my wonder woman cape right now please. Preferably with a giant green 6 emblem on the back.

Obviously it would never play out like this.