'Women are harassed on the Tube every day -and men think they can get away with it'
| Published date | 10 April 2024 |
| Publication title | MyLondon (England) |
"And then two or three times after that he kept pretending to fall asleep on my shoulder and I could see in the window that he wasn't asleep so I kept nudging away. My concern wasn't him being there, it was more whether or not he would follow me around.
"Every couple of minutes he would just stare at me, literally turn his head to the right and just fully glare at me and smirk at me. It was becoming intimidating and creepy. I was texting somebody about the event I was heading to and didn't want him to see where I was going."
Jaya explained that she doesn't know Walthamstow well so was concerned if this did happen she wouldn't know where to go. She said she planned an escape route and prepared a note on her phone to show to a couple at the other end of the carriage so she could stick with them.
She added: "As we got towards the end of the Victoria line it got quieter and I was worried as he hadn't got off yet. He got off at the stop before Walthamstow, Blackhorse Road. As the doors shut I thought 'thank God' but then we were held at the platform for about four minutes before the tube left and another girl on the train noticed him staring at me mouthing things and insinuating for me to come off and that he was waiting for me."
Jaya said that the other women on the tube reassured her she would intervene if needed. Eventually their train left the platform and as it did the man 'was following the carriage and staring' at her.
She was grateful for the woman who helped her and then stayed with her as she exited at Walthamstow but was concerned as the stations at the end of the Victoria line had no staff members on the platforms. She told MyLondon: "When things like this happen I always tend to blame myself and then remember no its not your fault, its never your fault.
"I just felt really angry as he could visibly see my discomfort." This is not the first incident of harassment Jaya has experienced on public transport.
She recalled witnessing a man stare at a teenager in her uniform on the tube a few years ago and intervened. Jaya added: "All of us as women have had experiences like this, which was the saddest part.
"I think that it's really important that people remember these things are happening every day to women all over. I'm just relieved in this case that this woman was there...
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