Unsuck DC Metro: Another Groper

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Another Groper

1999 "Don't be a pervert" poster from the Tokyo subway. Via Timothy

From anonymous:

I have been groped three times by the same person. The groper is a male Caucasian, about 5'10", heavier build, around 50 years old.

The last time this happened was late February. I'm sorry I cannot provide a specific date, as I guess I tried to suppress the incident. It was on a weekday at Shady Grove between 7 and 8 in the morning.

He gets on at Shady Grove, and I believe gets off or switches trains at Gallery Place. He always had a blue Jansport backpack.

On all occasions, I would sit on the inside of an empty 2-seater, and over a span of a year, maybe year and half, he has unfortunately sat next to me.

He would attempt to surreptitiously touch my leg with his hands that were beneath his backpack.

I have tried calling Metro police in the past regarding this matter, but the woman who picked up was of no help. She would not log any of the information I had fresh in my head at the time and insisted I go meet with an officer at a station.

If this can be somehow relayed to and taken seriously by Metro police or anyone who can be of help, I would feel so much more comfortable dozing off at times on the train.

Thank you.

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Comments (16)

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+12 Vote up Vote down

Radner · 728 weeks ago

Please don't ever feel comfortable dozing off on the trains. Clearly you are one of the few that see things going on and report them, and that can be very valuable. Thank you for reporting this incident to Metro PD and reporting it here, hopefully this guy will get apprehended before he can touch anyone else.

+24 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

If someone tries something like this, call him out on it in the middle of the train. Make a huge scene so that everyone knows what he's doing. With any luck, there will be several real men on the car that will teach the pervert a harsh lesson in manners.

0 Vote up Vote down

Mike · 728 weeks ago

"If this can be somehow relayed to and taken seriously by Metro police or anyone..."
Fat chance as shown by the phone call. Afterall why keep stats that count. The ones Metro makes up are so much more comforting.
I might suggest, you sit in the outside seat and when the pervert wants to sit down, just pipe up and say- "No you're a pervert who gropes me. Go and bother someone else. "
He might just be embarassed enough to not bother you anymore. And the chances of him doing anything with a full car of people is slim.
Good luck.

+8 Vote up Vote down

John · 728 weeks ago

This was posted in the previous post about the groper being arrested.

"My Name is Investigator Lang I work with the Metro Transit Police. I would like to inform all of you that the above offender was arrested today 3/30/2011 thanks to detailed post by Allie. If there are anymore victims, I would like them to come forward. My email address is rlang [at] wmata.com. I appreciate any help anyone can give in this matter. Thanks. "

Seems like this guy is adamant about catching these guys, so I would try to get in touch with him.

+7 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 728 weeks ago

I wish there was a way to catch these freaks on video and turn it over to Metro police. And then... we auto-tune it.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Corresponding Toads · 728 weeks ago

Dang. I'm going through Metro Center / Gallery Place about an hour before this clown gets there. To the anonymous poster, the best thing you can do when this happens in the future is TAKE A PICTURE of the guy with your phone. Not just one picture... keep taking pictures of him until he gets scared and hides in the corner. If he gets aggressive, yell at the top of your lungs. There's gonna be plenty of other people on the train to stick up for you. Most guys aren't man enough to stick up to weirdos like this unless the woman is literally screaming for help.

This sucka is gonna get what's coming to him. I'll be on the look out for a weirdo white dude who keeps a blue Jansport backpack in his lap.

+6 Vote up Vote down

CNR · 728 weeks ago

Reminds me of this video. You go, subway chick. [youtube iIlObKYwUyI&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIlObKYwUyI&feature=player_embedded youtube]

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

hrh king friday 13 · 728 weeks ago

Auto-Tune her!!!!!!! She's awesome!!!

+3 Vote up Vote down

Dani · 728 weeks ago

Coincidence that this was posted today after the morning I had:

I caught the orange line toward New Carrollton at Rosslyn this morning (8:40-ish). I squeezed into a car that was full to capacity, and somehow this man managed to get in right next to me before the doors closed. I were packed together, and I could feel the guy next to me (Latino, about 5'3") feeling my thigh.

I tried to move away from him (the best I could in a completely fullt train), and his hand just moved with me. Then he turned enough to push his erection into my thigh, so I pushed him away. As the train slowed down, he slid his hand up to my ass and kept it there. I hit him and moved away the second some space opened up at Foggy Bottom.

I didn't create a scene, but I almost wish I had. I'm just so pissed. Really, it's annoying enough when men graze you ("accidentally") on the Metro, but this was completely ridiculous and offensive.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+7 Vote up Vote down

OLR · 728 weeks ago

You really should say something. If you don't speak up and make a spectacle of these people, they will continue to do it, and they will continue to largely get away with it.

+8 Vote up Vote down

abc · 728 weeks ago

Contact Officer Lang rlang [at] wmata.com He is the best. He caught the other metro molester.

+4 Vote up Vote down

no creative name · 728 weeks ago

Really, you need to speak up, loud and clear, that tells these freaks that this is not okay.

A similar thing happened to me on the red line from shady grove one morning. I had a window seat, and a stocky Hispanic man sits down next to me and immediately does that whole leg-sprawl thing, and puts his hand on his leg closest to mine. He then reaches out and starts touching my leg. I deliberately clear my throat and turn my legs closer to the window. This just makes him spread his legs further apart, and he touches my leg again. This is when I say, loud and clear "Would you PLEASE STOP touching me!" Guess what? This got the attention of riders around me, and he crossed his arms across his chest, gave me an annoyed look, but he GOT OFF at the next stop.

These scum thrive on not being called on their inappropriate behavior. They know its inappropriate, which is why they try to find targets that they think will not speak up.

+4 Vote up Vote down

guest · 728 weeks ago

There is really no excuse to bump or brush againts anyone in the Metro EVER. But it happens all the time, and these weirdos take advantage of it. I saw this one old pervert follow behind a young woman onto a train and "accidently" bump into her as if he is being pushed on the train like what happens all too often during rush hour. Me being behind them both, I can see that there was no one behind him. The woman looked back at him with a "wtf" look and continued to board. I stepped in front of him and stared him dead in his face like I was going to cuss him out, but just let it go. It was the first time I've seen something like that, and looking back I should have informed someone. The only way to stop these freaks is to confront them, and then report them.

1 reply · active less than 1 minute ago

+1 Vote up Vote down

HurricaneDC 76p · 728 weeks ago

"There is really no excuse to bump or brush againts anyone in the Metro EVER. "

Try riding during rush hour with a backpack and tell me you won't have someone bump into you.

+1 Vote up Vote down

Kathryn · 728 weeks ago

Please don't get that comfortable anywhere on the system -- that's what guys like this count on. I got groped once on a bus, but it happened so fast, and the guy took off out of the bus that I didn't even have time to react. But I don't stand with my hand on the overhead poles any more. Lesson learned.

+3 Vote up Vote down

Guest · 728 weeks ago

Something similar happened to me on the T in Boston. I told transit police, they found the guy, and he eventually had to register as a sex offender. It's sad that it's so hard to do the same on Metro.