Monday, January 28, 2013

Is Metro Taking Sexual Harassment Seriously?

Illustration

Update From Collective Action for Safe Spaces (CASS): 
Although these experiences shed light on how WMATA and the MTPD needs to improve in their response to sexual harassment and assault on the system, we strongly encourage bystanders and victims to report these crimes to WMATA and the MTPD. The more we take these crimes seriously, the more WMATA and the MTPD cannot ignore the complaints. Please report online and on the phone. If Transit Police don't respond, please inform CASSwith a tweet @SafeSpacesDC or sending them an email at info@collectiveactiondc.org. 
 Please CC this blog as well please.

Metro's much ballyhooed efforts to curb sexual harassment got a lot of press, but it would appear there's still a lot of work to be done to live up to the hype.

From Laura who wrote the following to the Kojo Nnamdi show during Metro GM Richard Sarles' Jan. 14 appearance on the show:
I reported being groped at the Capitol Heights Metro station on Dec. 21. I contacted the Metro police, and they arrived 30 minutes later. I filed a report. About a week later, I received a phone call from an investigating officer who reviewed camera footage at the wrong time of day. The incident occurred at 8:10 p.m., but for some reason, the officer reviewed footage at 8:10 a.m. I told the officer this but have heard nothing since.

Here are my concerns:
Responding officers were only able to arrive by Metro car, which delayed response.
When officers are on the Metro train, they are sometimes completely incommunicado due to lack of radio coverage. That means an officer might be on his own on a car, without the ability to call for backup.
There appears to be a bureaucratic delay in reviewing camera footage.
Signs on Metro cars give a false sense of security that groping and inappropriate behavior will be dealt with.
On the air, Sarles reassured her that something would be done.

It took a further nine days--until Jan. 23--before anyone got back to Laura. Now, more than a month has gone by since Laura was groped.

I asked Laura if it was fair to say it took Metro over a month to take this case seriously.

She said:
Yes. I think so. However, I don't at all fault any of the officers I've dealt with.

Based on the signs in the Metro cars, it looks like Metro leadership/marketing want to give the impression that they take groping seriously. But yet, they clearly don't have the resources to deal with it. The night of this incident, I think there was some type of shooting (I overheard it on the officers' radio), and that's certainly a higher priority. I don't think they have enough resources. But if women don't feel safe on the Metro, that's one more reason to drive instead.
For what it's worth, the perv in question was wearing a FedEx jacket - looked like it could have been an employee jacket. The whole groping thing happened right by a camera. 
Other items: 
Riders stranded for two hours (ABC7)

Comments (16)

Loading... Logging you in...
  • Logged in as
Sarles comes out from under the hood looking at the video evidence:

"Upon further review, it has been determined that the incident is considered flirting and not harassment. Laura will be charged an additional rush-plus hour fare."
I experienced the same thing with Tranist Police at Ballston. The situation was not urgent but still timely ... and they were coming by rail at 9pm on a weeknight so were at least 30mins out as he was at Vienna. Also, the officer was using his personal cell phone to keep me updated on his arrival. ///////

I saw the same thing after the suicide at Ballston ... APD was on scene quite literally immediately. But MTPD came rolling up 10-15 mins later like hell out of water (driving like madmen). And when they got here they ran to the station then back to the car as they forgot their high vis vest. Then WMATA Emergency Ops some 5-10mins after that.

Do I feel safe on Metro? Not at all.
1 reply · active 622 weeks ago
“If you are in urgent need of police assistance while riding in the Metro system, then godspeed because you're pretty much fucked."
Maybe they got confused and thought it was daylight savings time again.
Better today than any other day is good to remind us Metro PR opinion on sexual harassment: "One person's harassment is another person's flirting." http://www.wusa9.com/news/article/192206/373/Is-S...
Stan Dessel's avatar

Stan Dessel · 622 weeks ago

Dear Julie,

I have pulled the tapes from Jan. 21 at 8:30pm and will look at them myself.

You're welcome!
illustrationAddict's avatar

illustrationAddict · 622 weeks ago

the illustration looks like the guy on the left is being groped by the left hand of the woman in green top
2 replies · active 622 weeks ago
And the woman in green is being harassed by pit stains.
Oops, I meant the woman in the grey top.
When seconds count, the metro police are only hours away.
Ever Notsurprised's avatar

Ever Notsurprised · 622 weeks ago

Of course they are. Metro takes the opportunity to harrass you at any time, sexually or not.
2 replies · active 622 weeks ago
Pretty much, or they'll ensure that the person who was harmed, will be treated like they're the problem, and not the perpetrator. I've seen alot of weird stuff going on on Metro now, and I just keep quiet. Why bother, when all I will get is attitude?
former employee's avatar

former employee · 622 weeks ago

have you worked in work place that sexual poster was there? Did you report this to HR, only have retaliaion? I did? I was an 689 member and employee of Metro. Your complants don't even come close that I have I been through. Sit down at your work station only to see your former coworkers sexual pictures on "their" work bench. When complain to a union supervisor, you better you ass next pick is not goinging in your favor
It's not just groping, if you read the ads, it's making unwanted comments. As a state actor, if metro criminally punishes people for that, then they are clearly violating the first amendment. You don't have a right to go through life offense free.
Exactly. Once again, feminism have taking a good concept (cracking down on illegal sexual behaviour such as exposure, groping, etc) and ran into absurdity. If you read some of the CASS's commenters, they suggest ludicrous actions such as arresting men for saying "hi, pretty lady". Not even joking.
CalmTruth's avatar

CalmTruth · 620 weeks ago

The women that I sit next to on the train are constantly rubbing up against me. I make sure that I stay on my half of the seat, but they leave no room between us. Is this groping? The ads that I see, show that it is - but only if the sexes are reversed.

Post a new comment

Comments by

 
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.
Site Meter