by Brenda Jin
Last Friday, I was in New York City on a platform waiting for the 1 train when I heard an announcement over the intercom:
“Ladies and gentlemen, a crowded subway car is no excuse for sexual misconduct. If you feel you have been the victim of a crime, please notify a police officer or an MTA employee. Remain alert and have a safe day.”
In light of rising rates of harassment and cat-calling on NYC subways, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the first sentence of this message, which targeted perpetrators rather than blaming victims. Instead of simply telling victims to remain alert, it acknowledges the rights of MTA passengers while simultaneously alerting perpetrators to the fact that their behavior will not be tolerated. This message stands in stark contrast to other victim-blaming messages that are generously provided by society. Points for the MTA!
1 Comment
February 2, 2010 at 12:24 pm
My friends at hollabacknyc and right rides (who recently formed New Yorkers for Safe Transit) were the ones who got MTA to do the print and audio PSAs. Find out how you can help w/their on-going efforts to make subways safer: http://nyfst.org/