A 22-year-old woman has recently shared a troubling experience on Reddit, alleging that an elderly man sexually assaulted her while she was traveling on the Delhi Metro. The woman, a postgraduate student, recounted the incident in a post that has since sparked significant anger and discussion online.
According to the post, the incident occurred on the Yellow Line of the Delhi Metro while the woman was en route to Vishwavidyalaya. She described offering her seat to the man as her station approached. As she stood up to move towards the metro gate, she claims the man inappropriately touched her buttocks before quickly moving to another compartment.
In her post, the woman expressed her shock and fear, stating, “Disgusted and scared. An old man just felt up my a** in the metro on the yellow line going towards Vishwavidyalaya! The biggest f*ing joke is that he looked kinda old and I was literally giving him my seat to sit on as my station was arriving. He sort of lingered for a while looking at that empty seat and I instinctively felt something seemed odd for a moment and then when I began moving towards the metro gate he GRAZED his hand over my a.”
She further explained how the incident left her feeling unsafe and traumatized, marking a significant shift from her previous experiences of dealing with unwanted attention. “I’m a 22-year-old female post-grad student, and while I have grudgingly gotten used to men ogling and staring, this really made me scared for my safety for the first time in the metro,” she added.
The post has garnered nearly 400 upvotes, with many Reddit users sharing their own similar experiences. Responses ranged from expressions of sympathy to personal accounts of harassment. One user commented, “Ever since I have been active on these social media apps, especially Reddit, one thing I have learnt is every girl of any age group is being harassed and molested openly in public places most of the time by these middle-aged and old people. I am starting to feel disgusted and ashamed of such inhuman acts.”
Another user recounted a similar traumatic experience from their high school days, adding, “I have been held up against the wall and felt up by a group of 4 boys, and it could have been much worse if one of my friends hadn’t intervened. That sh** scarred me so bad I still feel scared of strange men, even if they are green flags from all logical angles.”
The conversation highlights the pervasive issue of sexual harassment and the urgent need for safer public spaces for women. The woman’s post has not only sparked a conversation about personal safety but also underlined the broader issue of sexual misconduct in public transport systems.