Traumatised on the London tube

I would have prefered to blog about the happy and exciting things that happened in London. But this experience was too traumatising that I somehow needed to blog about it first.

I would have never expected that this could happen somewhere in London where people are supposed to be more 'cultured'. But men are still men. Some girls are just unlucky.

I boarded the tube on Central line heading towards central London and towards Zone 1, the tube started getting really packed and I was separated from my friend, squashed into the small narrow seat right after the doors on the left where usually people just stood and leaned their weight against those seats. It wasn't comfortable, but I rather sat there trying to occupy as little space as possible, almost plastering legs against the walls.

After each station, less people came out and more squeezed in. It came to a peak where every single space in the coach was occupied by someone right up to the doors.

A girl was just standing to my left where more people squeezed into the tube and this old man ended up standing directly in front of me and next to this girl. She was facing to the left while that old man was facing to the front like how I was facing. After a while, he changed his position to face to the left in the same direction of the girl. I didn't suspect anything at that point cause fair enough, he looked like he had more space like that.

Soon after, my panic alarms sets off. As my legs were touching his, I was wondering why was he trying to bend down, got really really close to the girl and I felt some weird jiggles too. As soon as I realised what he was trying to do, I was at lost of how should I react. The girl wasn't doing anything. She was facing a group of guys in suits and neckties and could have easily said something to them but maybe she hasn't realised. Should I have shouted at him and asked what was he doing? He could have easily punched me and being in that corner, I had no where to run...

My reflex actions took over. I turned around, and in the process, used my boots to push him away from her. He turned back to face the front and the moment the doors open at the next stop, he got down and disappeared. That really confirmed my suspicion that he was trying to dry-hump the girl. I seriously couldn't believe my eyes. He looked old enough to be someone's grandfather. Stupid bastard!! I can't believe that he did that even though I had a full view of every single thing that he was doing.

The girl got down a few stops later. All the while, I was in a dilemma whether I should tell her what happened or should I save the embarassment of both. Hmmm....I ended up not telling her. I think one person traumatised by this incident was better than 2.

I told this to my friends and H told me that she had been a victim of this a few times. Oh my god, a few times! In my impression, this would have never happened in London, of all places.

The guys of course asked for the description of the girl and yes, she was really pretty but she wasn't scantily clad or anything. Who can afford to wear so little in this freezing temperature? Of all further information that they wanted and they claimed that they would have stood up for her and protected her if they were there. (roll eyes)

Why are girls always the victim? Why do these things still happen in a developed country? Why do some men still behave like animals? I may be lucky this time, but not all the time.