Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Sometimes the stories we get at HollabackNYC are just too horrific to put titles on. This is one of them.

Ok. I was on the #5 out of the city of course during rush hour today. The train was late... late and really crowded. It was such a beautiful day and I had a really nice new skirt on because I met a potential bf for lunch. Oh wait I'm 16 and doing an internship by grand central ... so I'm used to business guys bumping me and perving on me. No biggie. This was way over the edge.

So I'm getting on the train and I see this guy like REALLY staring at me in a scary kind of way. No biggie. I get on. I am almost one of the last to get on and this guy literally pushes in right behind me. There was NO where to go. NO big deal. Well he's behind me and I feel him pushing his crotch against me. I try to move but I can't. I'm like 5'2" and this guy was big. Now I can actually feel his dick getting hard on the back of my skirt so I elbow him!! No reaction. HE was like an animal. So I try to move away again and there is no way. NO one noticed either.

This is the worst part. He gets up like with his grill right in my ear and is like, "MMM BAbby u smell so good." AND he smelled SOOO bad. I was sooo scared I think I would have fell down if he wasn't jammed up on my back. They called the stop and then he really started jamming his thing on me. I am small so I felt it all the way from my ass to like half way up my back. Right before we got to the stop he was all in my ear like, "You like it you little bitch." Then we stopped and he like basically ran off the train with a ton of other people. I was so scared and the great new skirt I had had fucking cum all over the back of it and there was gross smelly spit in my hair. I was soo pissed and trembling I felt like I got raped.

I just want share because I know this probably wasn't his first time on this train and I think he is going to like rape somebody. I he was like 6 feet and pretty big guy maybe like 30. I was too scared to take his picture. Sorry this was so long but I was horrified and I am never taking that train alone again. I will kill that scumbag if I ever see him again.

Submitted by Anonymous

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Masturbator Gets HOLLAnervous!

On Monday, I was on the F train going to 23rd Street today when I saw this weirdo. This middle age man in his 40's wearing glasses, white shirt and cap with a belly was on my train looking at me and jerking off. I had been sitting on the corner of the car and reading my book when I look up and saw him staring and masturbating furiously under a plastic shopping bag on his lap. He had his penis out of his pants. There were not many people on the train. . I stared at him and nodded my head in disgust and said, "Hey jerk off!" Thats all I could think of but he just smiled when I got out. If I noticed earlier, I could have told the cops but it was just a minute before I got out.

On Tuesday, I was on the same train and he was standing by the doors with his hand in his pocket. He smiled at me. I gave him a stare and said out loud so other people could hear, "You are the jerk off from yesterday! Remember me?!" He stopped smiling. "You are a fat old man who likes to jerk off at girls young enough to be your daughter," I said. He looked away. The train came to my stop and as I left he looked like he was nervous and no hand in his pants this time.

Submitted by Sabrina

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

An Eye for an Eye becomes a "Poke in the Butt" for a "Poke in the Butt" Thanks to Modern Day Pervs

There was a guy who kept pressing his crotch really firmed into my butt on the 1 train, last week at 5:30pm. I couldn't tell if the train was really THAT crowded and every time I looked behind me to see if there was anyone behind him, his grill was all up in my face so I couldn't see. I was so mad I didn't speak up and shout, "Stop pressing your dick into my butt, you f'ing perv!" I'm on the lookout for him so I can stick a sharp metal pole up his butt when I see him next.

Submitted by Kathy

Friday, August 15, 2008

Olympic-Style Street Harassment

I was walking back to the Credit Suisse building from lunch through Madison Sq Park, and one walkway out was filled with construction workers on both sides. As women walked by, this group of 15+ men would hold up placards with numbers written on them (1-10)— and that's not the most ridiculous part. I asked a "ranger" in a pimped out smart cart to intervene, and he replied, "Well, what did you get? You know you're a 10 in my book". I told the security officer in my building the same thing, who answered in the EXACT same way, with an extra "baby" thrown in at the end (for good measure).

Submitted by Laura and also covered by our friends at Gothamist.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Perv Strikes with No Police in Sight

This morning on the F train I inadvertently sat kitty-corner to a toucher. I boarded a Manhattan bound train at 7th Avenue around 10:15 AM. In the backwards-facing seat next to me was a nondescript guy in a white t-shirt. Thick dark hair, glasses, jeans, looked like early 20's. My peripheral vision is pretty sharp, having had 2 previous encounters with gross subway pervs, so I stared him down when I noticed him rubbing his crotch. All in a matter of about 30 seconds. EWWWWW. That's what I yelled, "Ewwww! Pervert!" There were other passengers close by, who looked up when I yelled, but no one seemed too concerned. I moved to the other end of the car until the next stop, and then hopped from car to car looking for a conductor or MTA police. Didn't find anybody and had to switch trains at Jay Street, went to work feeling defeated and totally grossed out.
Next time I'm going to make a lot more noise and remember to get a photo.

Submitted by Joanna

Monday, August 11, 2008

A Tug of the Panties, a Street Chase, and an Insensitive NYPD

Today, at about 9 AM, I was coming out of the subway: the 6 train headed downtown, coming up the stairs out of the City Hall/BK Bridge stop.

Going up the stairs, pervert was filming up my skirt. I wouldn't have noticed had he not reached up for a tug at my panties.

He was wearing typical business attire (so he blends right in with the suits around her in the financial district.) He had two white ear pieces, a black cloth material briefcase hanging off his left shoulder, and a camera (tiny and professional looking) in his left hand.

Once I realized what was going on, he slipped around me and tried to get away. I gave chase. I followed this man for BLOCKS. Around corners, inbetween cars, through traffic. I was trying to get a pic, but we were moving so fast, it was no use. MY FEET ARE BLOODY from the chase. I was determined not to let him get away.

I call 911 and tell them what cross street I'm at, tell the operator what happened, could she send help. She informs me that unless I stop and give her a specific street address, she cannot send me any help. ARE YOU SERIOUS???? I tell her if I do that, he will get away. She says, "That's up to you" with a tone indicating that she really couldn't care any less about my emergency.

After another 3 blocks, I see a police car. I flag them down, tell them quickly what happened, by this time I'm very upset and agitated. They pull over, SLOWLY get out of the car. I point out the gentleman. The male cop sees him and STROLLS DOWN THE BLOCK TOWARDS HIM, meanwhile, the perv is high tailing it around the block. The cops says to me, "Oh, is that him turning the corner there? Hmm." And THEY DO NOTHING!! THEY MAKE NO ATTEMPT TO APPREHEND HIM. They stroll to the corner, look around, look at each other and say, "Yeah, he probably ran into a building. But you're ok, right? We have a description. We will circulate it." We walk past another cop who asks what happens. The cops I'm with tell him. He stares at me, mouth agap, and says, "Are you serious? Aw, well, don't let it ruin your day." And smiles at me. He smiled at me.

That's pretty much when I lost it. My face crumpled right there and I couldn't help but cry. I walked back to my office in tears. Being attacked, violated, and then being dismissed by the police was too much. I'm furious.

I'm surprised at just how offended and violated I feel. I have no idea how long he was taping me for, if has film of my face, I don't know what's going to happen to that film. And I can't believe the police watched him walk away. I would just like my story to get out, so others can know what women go through when they do go through the trouble of reporting these attacks. Maybe something will be done so the next time a woman runs through the streets, crying, and pleading for help, the police will actually help.

Submitted by Anonymous

Friday, August 8, 2008

HollabackNYC's Crush #5

Vanessa Valenti from Feministing.com and her Friday Feminist Fuck YEAH!



To see the full post, click here.

Thursday, August 7, 2008

HollabackNYC's Crushes #1 - 4

First, Amy Zimmer. Our crush on Metro writer Amy Zimmer has been going on for almost three years now, but today's article left us swooning all over again.

Second and third: our sister agencies RightRides and Girls for Gender Equity. That's why we're joining with them and others to create the "Subway Safety Coalition." We couldn't be more excited about the recent subway ad, but quite frankly, it's not enough. We need a hot line, police sensitivity training, and regular reports on the numbers of women who have to deal with jerk-offs in the subway.

Fourth: You. We created the platform, but without your pictures and stories none of this would be possible. It's sappy, I know, but it couldn't be more true.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

The MTA is Posting the Anti-Street Harassment Ads!


Finally, Hollaback's long term dream of getting anti-harassment ads in the subway has come true. We want to thank Councilmember Vallone, Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer, City Council Candidate Yetta Kurland, RightRides, and Girls for Gender Equity for showing tremendous leadership on this.

And to the MTA: the women of NYC thank you.

A Groper and a Liar: A Winning Combination





I was groped at around 2:30pm today on 8th St and Broadway near NYU. I was coming out of the subway when this man was walking towards me on Broadway. As I move to walk around him he grabbed my ass. I screamed and grabbed my phone to take a pic and he says: "I'm glad you got a pic of me but you bumped into me 1st".... wtf? So that's his skewed justification? Watch out for this man!

Submitted by Jess

Monday, August 4, 2008

Wacko Wacker


"This guy def started massaging himself, actively and openly. Up and down, in and out, you could see a forest of pubes with each movement of his hands taking his pants lower and lower. Cursing myself for not having a camera with me, the camera phone would have to do, and snapped the photo above. The Wacko Wacker had his face covered the whole time, maybe having done this before, rightly assuming people might take a photo. Passengers on the train were looking at each other aghast. Two women got up and moved to another car. At this time, he had now whipped the whole thing out, and was rubbing himself wildly. The little Asian woman sitting on my side looked at me, fear or utter bafflement frozen in her face, looking at me as if to say she had no idea what to do, and wanted me to do something about what was happening."

For the full story, go to NYC the Blog.

Sunday, August 3, 2008

We'd Heard the new Batman Movie was Dark, but We Didn't Know that It was Horrifying.

Like half of the US population, my friends and I went to see Batman its opening day. The theater was crammed with people, almost every seat filled, so I didn't mind that much when someone I didn't know sat down next to me.

When the movie was over and the credits started rolling I stood up, when I felt something brush against my ass. I shrugged it off as an accident, but then it happened again, but with some actual grabbing action. I spun around to look at the guy, but he had already begun to walk down the aisle. My guy friends (all six of them) didn't notice.

After the movie, I felt someone tap me on the shoulder. It was the same guy I had suspected-- and now know-- touched my ass earlier. He was in his early thirties, bald, and very, very repulsive. Then he actually grabbed my hand, pushed something into it, winked, and ran off into the crowd. I was so shocked that this perv had the nerve to touch me, I froze. Scrawled on this piece of popcorn bag were the words, "You've got a tight ass. Let's fuck." Complete with phone number.

Did I mention I'm only 17 years old?

When I finally got a hold of myself, I told my friends, who promptly started looking for this asshole, but the security guard said it was probably a fake number. We dropped it after that, but I was so angry and violated I did something: I enrolled myself in self defense classes.

Next time an asshole decides to grab my ass, he'll be dealing with a broken nose and burst ear drums.

Submitted by Tori