Why Don’t Women Feel Safe Riding Public Transit?

by Stephanie Rogers on February 18, 2010 in News & Culture

woman-train-station

We’ve all had that moment of realization, walking through a lonely parking lot or waiting at a dimly lit subway station at night: “I’m extremely vulnerable right now.” And while some of us are certified bad-asses, most of us rely on little more than our wits, common sense and perhaps a can of pepper spray.

We want to take advantage of all the conveniences and environmental benefits of public transit, but we often don’t feel safe doing so. What gives? To find out, Planetizen spoke to UCLA’s Anastasia Loukaitou-Sideris, author of a recent study that revealed that transit agencies are failing to involve women in the planning process.

Regardless of what the statistics may be of crimes committed on and around public transit systems, the fact is that women often feel unsafe, and Loukaitou-Sideris says it all boils down to needs that aren’t being met. Loukaitou-Sideris’ study found that women are much more scared waiting at the bus stop or transit station than within the transit vehicle itself, yet most transportation agencies only focus safety resources on the vehicles.

“Women were also not comforted knowing that there was a camera or CCT technology,” Loukaitou-Sideris told Planetizen. “They were not against it, but they felt that if anything happened to them the camera would only help after the event, not during. So they were much more in favor of more policing, human solutions rather than technological solutions. Yet the trend is towards more technology, not less.”

That might have something to do with the fact that upper-level management at transit agencies is primarily made up of men, who have likely never been sexually harassed, groped or worse at the park-and-ride. The solution, says Loukaitou-Sideris, is for transit authorities to listen to what women have to say about safety.

“Transportation planners really need to look at women’s fears in transportation settings and know that there are things that they can do to if not completely eliminate but reduce these fears. These solutions involve policy, design, policing, and outreach and education.”

Image: lawmurray

Amy DuFault
February 18th, 2010 at 12:03 PM

Riding the rails in NYC this weekend and hate it!! Glad to know I’m not alone.
Luanne Bradley
February 18th, 2010 at 12:24 PM

There is only one reason women don’t feel safe at any given time at any given place, from the rails to the suburbs to the Middle East. Men.
Carla | Green and Chic
February 18th, 2010 at 1:59 PM

That’s why I tend shy away from public transportation at night in general. Of course there were times when I didn’t have much of a choice, like when I worked market hours (on the west coast) and had to be at the office at 5:00 or 6:00Am or just being out late. Driving wasn’t an option simply due to the fact that parking in downtown San Francisco was $35/day.

I definitely don’t think the needs are being met in terms of safety for women, the elderly, disabled, etc.
Caitlin
February 18th, 2010 at 2:16 PM

@Luanne Only one reason, eh? No need to feel unsafe about encounters in the wild with crocodiles, snakes, big dogs, lions and tigers and bears… turbulence or engine failure in a plane …. a cancer diagnosis … or tsunami waves or buildings collapsing in an earthquake … the list goes on!

(None of this is intended to diminish the legitimate fears of women about violence from men).
Luanne
February 19th, 2010 at 8:32 AM

Caitlin, in the event of being in the wild and having encounters with crocodiles, snakes, big dogs, lions and tigers and bears, it is very good to have men around. I’m all for it. As you point out, they also are helpful on airplanes, during a cancer diagnosis, tsunami waves or buildings collapsing in an earthquake. Love men then as well. Especially big men with perhaps weapons or emergency supplies. During a tsunami, I like men who can run very fast and prop me up on their shoulders because I get tired outrunning large waves. None of my women friends can lift me.

Sadly, the crazy ones make it scary to be alone at night even in so-called “safe” hoods.
sam
February 20th, 2010 at 1:49 AM

I have lived in China, Korea and London and never felt unsafe on public transport. Asian countries in particular seem very secure and non-threatening, and London’s metro system is heavily policed, with CCTV etc.

Contrast this with Brussels, where I now live. The metro has no barriers to stop people without tickets getting down onto the platform. This means that all kinds of unsavoury types lurk within the metro system. Plus the stations are dimly lit, sparsely policed, and can become quite scary at times!
Stephanie Rogers
February 23rd, 2010 at 8:01 AM

I think the Barcelona metro was the scariest for me, but when I rode the buses in Rome I got groped several times – by men in SUITS! Respectable looking dudes that you totally wouldn’t expect that sort of behavior from.

Here in Asheville, it’s not so bad, however – the buses (unfortunately) don’t even run at night, so there’s not a whole lot of opportunity to feel creeped out.
bonno
March 30th, 2010 at 5:53 AM

DUDE! I’m a guy and I get scared when using public transport at night. Hobos jackin off and other weird stuff.
jjj
March 30th, 2010 at 4:18 PM

I know that if I’m going out late and taking the transit home – COVER UP! bring a big sweater or jacket and wear pants. Don’t ‘do it up’ do it ‘down.’
ED-209
June 22nd, 2010 at 12:15 AM

One reason why I feel that women feel vulnerable on public transit, at least here in Toronto, is the announcements for the Request Stop Program. While the program is useful in theory (it allows women traveling on buses alone late at night to ask the driver to let them off in-between stops), the announcements that remind riders that such a program exists are often heard on subway platforms. Why this is part of the problem than the solution goes like this:

Say you’re a person on a ttc platform late at night, minding your own business, and say there might be another person on the other end of the platform, minding his business. You feel calm, there’s nothing to be afraid of. Then this announcement comes on, informing you of this service, but what your brain hears is, “If you are a woman, please remember that you are in constant danger of being raped to death, on any bus, at any time, and maybe even by THAT GUY RIGHT OVER THERE!”

It’s living in a constant state of fear and victimhood, of this paranoia culture that strips us of our own agency. We demand that the powers that be take our security into their hands, and we’ve accepted that the constant threat is normal and expected. There doesn’t have to be an actual threat at hand in order for us to feel afraid.

Most guys aren’t out to rape you- they’re just trying to get home, just like you. But then an announcement like that comes on, and suddenly you’re a victim in his eyes. A victim who for some reason is being granted privileges that are denied to him because he is a man (what if he was wanted to be let off in-between stops? Would they let him?)

This weird inequality where women are under constant threat and there’s nothing they can do about it because it’s just the way it is is probably responsible for far more fear than any actual crime statistics. The rapist lurking in the tunnels and the bushes is just a myth- you are far more likely to be attacked by your boyfriend, your boss, your teacher, your friend, your neighbour, your husband, instances that don’t get reported because the victim herself probably doesn’t understand what happened to her. When it’s someone you trust, you probably convince yourself it’s okay, and project the real “bad guys” as the bogeymen lurking in public places at night.

Take a look around yourself and realize that you own that territory, you own the night as much as any stalker or mugger. You are not a lost lamb in a dark and scary world. They are encroaching on your territory, and there’s no reason to be afraid.