Public transportation is great, honestly. It’s efficient, safer than driving, and far cheaper. But there are, of course, two sides to every coin. And with public transport it’s usually the fact that it’s public. There’s strange smells, loud people, pushing and shoving, just to name a few.
Today’s article is about a video of a woman who was seemingly being hit on by a guy, who came over to sit down next to her on an empty bus. She decided she wasn’t going to put up with it and called him out, leading to a shouting match on the bus.
More info: TikTok
Traveling on public transport is great, but not without its downsides
Image credits: Gotta Be Worth It
The man in the video berated a fellow passenger after she told him that it's weird to sit down next to someone on an empty bus
Image credits: @ceowally
A commuter stepped in to defend the woman, saying "she wants you to move away from her," but he started arguing with the defender as well
Image credits: @ceowally
The video ends with the aggressor and defender stepping out of the bus to "sort it out," potentially fighting, but there is no way to know without part 2
Watch the original video here:
The original poster teased a part 2 in the comment of a different video, but nothing so far
The video, posted on TikTok by ceowally, opens with two people fighting. The fight apparently started when the man came over and sat down next to this woman while the bus was nearly empty, with hints in the video that he attempted to hit on the female commuter. She says it’s weird of him to sit next to someone he doesn’t know on purpose.
This caused the man to start berating the woman, with other passengers stepping in attempting to defend the woman, but the man also started assaulting them too.
The video then ends with the antagonist of the video and another man stepping off the bus to “figure it out” outside, with the cameraman in tow.
Droves of commenters were eagerly requesting part 2 of the story, unable to contain their curiosity about what happened. Although the poster hasn’t made any comment on the original video, he said that he’d upload the second part soon. He also mentioned that he has been hesitating to post the follow up as fights are not allowed on TikTok.
If you’re thinking you wouldn’t know what to do in such a situation, there are lots of resources. The RAINN anti-sexual violence organization defines street harassment as any unwanted comments, gestures or acts in a public places without consent.
RAINN includes staring, persistent requests for someone’s name, number or other information, and telling them to smile as examples of street harassment.
Right To Be suggests trusting your instincts - if a situation feels off, it could be a sign that something dangerous will happen.
Image credits: shawnanggg
The Settlement website suggests several things that you should do if you're the one being harassed. You should first reclaim your space, telling your harasser to stop what they're doing and move away from you. Do not engage in conversation after that, as the harasser may be attempting to instigate a confrontation.
If you’re alone, attempt to move away, especially if you can find a group of people and explain the situation to them. Ask them if you could stay with them until you reach your destination or feel safe again. If alone with the harasser, attempt to move closer to the transit driver or other staff.
Ask people for help, describe the perpetrator to them and attempt to stay with them until it is safe or you can get help from the authorities.
Finally, a good way to protect yourself is to record the situation or ask for others to record as it may scare the perpetrator or provide evidence for the authorities to apprehend them.
If you’re the one witnessing harassment, you can also do a lot of good, depending on the situation. According to WebMD, you should make it known that you are aware of the situation, if you feel safe enough, you can even place yourself between the harasser and the victim.
You can talk to the victim, explaining to them that you’re here to help, ignoring the harasser instead, which may make them lose interest and leave.
If you feel safe doing so, you could also address the harasser directly, telling them to stop their behavior. Make sure to document the situation and report the harasser if possible.
It’s important to never be the silent bystander as that will only allow for the harassment to continue.
The video, posted a mere 3 days ago, has collected more than 7 million views with upwards of 500k likes and 15k comments. The overwhelming majority of the commenters were asking for a second part to the video, while others made fun of the guy, praising the woman for her composure. Share your own public transit horror stories below!
People made fun of the harasser, especially for the cheap bottle of energy drink he had, while supporting the woman and defender
