Unauthorized Touching!

 Dear Men, Treat Our Bodies Like You Treat Your Phones — With Respect, Consent, and No Unauthorized Touching!

I used to commute to the school where I teach using public transport — a short 5 km ride, but often a crowded and exhausting one. Every afternoon, the same conductor would be on duty during my return journey. Since the bus would be packed with students and teachers, it was difficult to move through the crowd to the front door, so I would stand beside a colleague’s seat, chatting with her until my stop arrived — usually a 10-minute ride.

Initially, the conductor would come to check tickets and linger uncomfortably close behind me. At first, I dismissed it as the result of crowding. But over time, I realized that his touches — especially on my back and buttocks — were intentional, not incidental. It became a daily pattern, and I finally decided to change where I stood in the bus. That day, I also made it clear through my body language that I was aware of his actions.

That’s when his male ego was bruised. In retaliation, he started skipping my stop, forcing me to walk from the next one. When I questioned him, he smirked and said, “Just walk. Walking makes you look even better.”

It wasn’t just infuriating — it was humiliating.

The next day, I stood closer to the driver to ensure he would stop at my proper stop. Thankfully, the driver was kind and stopped the bus. But the conductor was livid. He questioned the driver aggressively for stopping without his bell signal, then turned to me and sneered, “Can’t you just walk from the next stop? Hardly anyone gets down here.”

I replied calmly, “I don’t know about that, but this is a stop and you’re supposed to halt.” His anger boiled over. He shouted, “I’ll never stop at this stop. Do whatever you want!”

That was the last straw. I responded firmly, “Get down from the bus, and I’ll show you what I can do. Just because I refused your disgusting advances doesn’t give you the right to harass me.”

To all men,

We, women, work hard. We travel, teach, care, manage homes, cook, give birth, and earn our living just like anyone else. All we ask is one simple thing — let our bodies be safe. Please.