ThisIsWhere

The first time Ali felt someone touch her she thought it was an accident, the bus was quite full. But when it happened again she knew it was deliberate. Ali turned around to face the man who had touched her. Staring her dead in the eye he hissed, “Feel like a ‘real girl’ now?” Sick and afraid, Ali moved to another part of the bus, tears streaming silently down her cheeks. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Em and Lisa were coming home from a party. It was late and the subway was mostly empty. The couple were sitting together, holding hands and chatting quietly when a man started to scream at them and said, “I bet I could turn you straight.” The women did what they had done so many times before: they got up and moved, never for a moment losing their grasp on each other. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Galen and his guide dog Piper were riding the subway when a woman sat down next to them. Despite Piper wearing a jacket asking people not to pet her, Galen could tell that his seatmate was trying to do just that. When he asked her to stop, she became enraged and began to threaten him saying, “No one cares about you people. I could kill you and no one would care.” Wearily, Galen and Piper moved seats, hoping that the woman wouldn’t follow. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

For Jamal, it started out like any other day. The tenth grader entered the station and waited for the bus he takes to school. Out of nowhere a masked teen came up behind him and he told him to stay quiet. The teen demanded the contents of Jamal's pockets and fled after he handed them over. When Jamal recounted the event to his mother, he said, "he held me up for a handful of change..." No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Julia was exhausted after a hard day’s work and fell asleep on the blue night bus. She heard the announcement for her stop and awoke to find a stranger touching her. Julia felt sick. She felt violated. She wanted to scream. But she did what so many do instinctively – she gathered her things and she got off the bus. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Marta was riding the subway with her young son. She noticed a man sitting opposite them but she paid him no attention. Momentarily distracted, she returned her gaze to the man to find that he had exposed himself to her child. Marta and her son got off at the next stop. Horrified and frightened, she wondered how she would ever explain this to her son. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Sarah was waiting for the streetcar after a long day. A man standing at the same stop, hovered closely and said, "Hello." Instinctively she said, “Hello” back. He started hitting on her. She told him she wasn't interested but he wouldn’t stop. As the crowd dwindled she began to worry how she was going to lose him. Though it was winter and freezing, she got off three stops early, waiting until the last possible second to exit the streetcar so he couldn’t follow her. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Savi was on her way home from work, in a crowded rush hour train, when a man got on. He started shouting, “There’s too much colour in this city”. Many of the riders, all of different ethnicities, were noticeably uncomfortable. Savi approached the man and told him that his behaviour was unacceptable. The man threatened Savi with violence. When she realized that no one else was going to stand up, Savi felt she had no choice but to sit back down. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

Suki was waiting for a bus when she was approached by a man asking for directions. He then started to question her about her background, where she lived, and where she was going. Suki declined to answer his questions and he became agitated, following her onto the bus. Enraged at being ignored, the man spat on her. Stunned, confused and fearful, Suki wiped the spit from her cheek, and the tears from her eyes. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.

ThisIsWhere

It started harmlessly enough. Talia boarded the streetcar, as she did every day, and a man said hello to her. The next day he was there again. He wanted to give her something. A couple of days later, there he was. Waiting. He tried to prevent her from boarding the streetcar, saying he needed to talk. Talia managed to get on. So did he. He sat next to her. He stroked her hair. She had never been more frightened. No one should have to experience this.

Crime and harassment on the TTC will not be tolerated.