Public Transport and Harassment

This day, I was travelling in a bus. It was late in the evening, around 7 PM and it was raining heavily. The bus was crowded as usual. In the middle of the way, one of the women in her 20s shouted saying she was uncomfortable with the way another passenger was sitting. She politely asked him to adjust at first but the man insisted on starting a conversation with her. Fortunately, she firmly rejected him and moved on.

Things like these are not rare. In fact, they have become a very common on public transport. The drivers and conductors rarely seem to care as they are too focused on getting more passengers. The men who engage in this behavior assume that they can do whatever they want.

Sometimes women choose to speak up, sometimes they don't but either way such behavior scares and creates constant fear. In small microbuses especially, men often sit spreading their legs wide, taking up extra space and making others uncomfortable and also sometimes deliberately trying to touch them. And if anyone tries to point it our, they often defend by saying the other person is overthinking or argue that if someone feels uncomfortable, they should take private transport. But it is not about the compromise, it is about the intentions. Women mostly know when the other person have wrong intentions. 

This is why many women prefer to sit in the 'महिला' seat. But the real issue is making everyone feel comfortable and not encouraging these behaviors. In case of me, my stop is almost at the end, so I always pray that there are other women in the bus with me. 

One of the positive example can be taken of 'Sajha Bus'. The drivers and conductors on Sajha seem to care about their passengers. They at least try to discourage inappropriate behavior. Also, the bus seats are very comfortable and standing space also does not feel suffocating. 

Well, the public transport is for the public so they should be able to ensure the safety of the general public.