I've seen this very guy doing this on more than one occasion. Fucker needs a smackdown.

Why is Seattle so passive about these things? I have lived here my whole life and I can imagine the exact scenario. Everyone is looking in horror but nobody will say anything. Say something people!

Ok so maybe you don't know what to say. Just say "hey give that girl some space." Just do it, nothing will come of it other than saving that poor girls bus ride.

@2 Or somebody print out this blog, hand it to the guy, and ask for an autograph.

Looks like a typical UW sports fan

@3 that reminds me of The Human Scab years back and how Schmader had a competition (with a prize of a giant box of altoids) asking readers to get a photo of him. I was working in the Broadway Market (RIP) and The Scab came in, and at least three people tried to take his photo when he yelled, "WHY DO PEOPLE KEEP TAKING PHOTOS OF ME??"

Schmader: did anyone "win" that giant box of Altoids? God that guy was gross.

What's with the guy in the orange prison jumpsuit?

Or, you know, if you're the girl, you could just get up and move somewhere else. No need to say anything if that's too confrontational, but, at least give a dirty look. I can't imagine just sitting there and letting that happen.

Two words: bear mace.

Yeah guy in orange deserves to be a supplementary point of interest for sure.

I would be saying something to this guy if he pulled this on me. Hell, the presence of all those other passengers would make me MORE confident.

This man needs to invest in some bigger shirts.

Time to invest in an umbrella with a very long metal tip at the top.

@ 11 is right. Get it sharpened first.

That bus is full. She's on her own, with nowhere for her to go.

And didn't your mothers teach you guys that it's a bad idea to mess with crazies and freaks who are at least double your weight? Especially when people around here generally mind their own business... meaning, you can't count on witnesses for backup. Sucks a LOT; I've been there too. But there's not a damn thing she can do without provoking a response with a much more negative result.

Society needs a dress code.

I disagree, lily. I think that a) people like that usually back off when confronted, not become more aggressive and b) while the Seattle default may be passive, once something escalates plenty of people are willing to get involved. Witness the guy who's posted on Slog before who came to the defense of the blind woman who was being beaten.

@13

Double your weight is less scary when it's mostly gut.

Anyway, this is why there are transit cops.

@13 There's almost always a place to go on a bus, even if it's really crowded (that bus definitely looks like it's crowded, but there's room to stand). In fact, making a point to get our of your seat, and move/stand somewhere else on a crowded bus will just send a strong message to this guy that she is on to him (since it will be obvious she's giving up her seat to get away from him).

Of course, I've definitely been in a frame of mind where I was so exhausted I didn't care who or what I was sitting next to, as long as I had a seat. So, maybe she was like, this sucks, but I want a seat more than I want to not have this idiot's gut in my face.

@6: I remember when U District busses were filled with Rajneeshis in their orange outfits going about their business. Are they still out there?

Look, women are taught by osmosis that in situations like this we freeze, ignore it and it will go away. Esp when it is something like this.

Nat. and all other men. it is men like this that give your gender a really, really bad name. much like good, positive Christians should stand up and call out bad ones, men need to stand up and call out guys like this.

Try this: get next to him and speak in a voice that is both calm but expresses firm resolve- "Excuse me, buddy, but to you think it is respectful to do what you are doing? We both know what is going on. Step away and do not do this again."

no fight, no embarrasing the woman, not even particularly embarrasing the ass. Do the right thing guys.

Yeah... I understand where you all are coming from, but I also used to ride that bus (and others) where all kinds of this shit happened and *nobody* ever helped me out. I do not miss you, route 70.

I think it's great that people defended a blind woman from getting beaten by a crazy person, but people here are reticent to get involved when the stakes are perceived as fairly low (getting spooge on your face) vs. getting physical bruises. But then stuff like the bus driver getting beaten to a pulp this weekend happens, and I once again lose all faith in bus-riding humanity.

Looks like will in Seattle going to work.....

Womyn: I guess it's good to have anyone stand up for someone who for whatever reason doesn't stand up for herself, but I hardly think it's men's responsibility to speak up because the offender is a man. In fact, that protective let-the-man-save-the-little-lady approach is a step backward, in my opinion.

Is it really that difficult to ask someone to give you a little space? It certainly doesn't require a white suit of armor.

@21 - probably half the time I walk, so I doubt it.

Besides, I live in Fremont and work in the U Dist.

@19 Srsly. Women are verbally harassed throughout their lives. They learn to just ignore it early on. Sometimes we forget and say "please leave me alone" or "back up!" and then are quickly reminded where we stand with slut, whore, bitch, cunt, etc.

If you point out to a driver that another rider is doing something even vaguely sexually inappropriate, or if you point out that another rider's pants are wet with bodily fluids, they WILL throw said rider straight the hell to the curb. Somebody just needs to call this skeezebucket out.

So why the hell doesn't someone say something to him?!? Help these poor girls out ferchrissake.
Public embarrassment might just make him stop.
Seattleites are too damn polite.

@19, I'm guessing you also feel that all black people should feel responsible when a black person commits a crime.

@27, yes a man with his belly hanging out and spooge on his pants would no doubt be horrified by public embarrassment. Good thinking.

did the author of this report this person to the bus driver?

@31, Agreed. That's why I said the stakes were "perceived as fairly low," rather than calling it low-risk. I just hope these girls don't get any in the eye or mouth--keeping her hand by her face is probably a good idea. And Purell at the ready. Blehhhh.

OK, I ride the 70-series buses every day for work, and sometimes on weekends too. If I see a slovenly man with cum-stained pants getting all up close and personal with a female rider, I promise that I will say something. Ladies, you do not deserve to be treated like that.

Sometimes you're just too stunned to really get what's going on. I once was the victim of some public frottage; some guy behind me was poking his erection at me, and I was so amazed I thought, "No way. It's just something else. A roll of quarters, the handle of an umbrella he's carrying in front of him, something." It's just one of those processes your brain clicks into when something really gross might be happening so you don't panic. I didn't want to call this guy out either and be labelled as a bitchy freak, when all I really wanted to do was get to my destination.

Anyway, I took off when my stop came up, and I HAD to look at him, to make sure. Yep, raging boner in his sweatpants. I'm still shuddering today.

Still, I have to say, if it's something that obvious, something *lingering in your face*, if you don't want confrontation, ignore the skeeviness and say something generic like, "Excuse me, I just need a little space here." It's difficult, I know -- some people react really badly and LOUDLY to being spoken to like that.

I wouldn't have any trouble laying into that pervert, especially on a crowded bus with disgusted passengers who know what is going on. I kind of hope I run into him now.

In any case, ladies you really need to know when to stick up for yourselves and not let these things slide. This behavior only continues because we allow it to. Yes, you need to be careful but just sitting there and 'being good' isn't going to stop some wussy pervert like this from molesting you.

Don't fight the aggressive drunk caveman who rubs up against you at the bar if you're going to be walking home alone. Tell a bouncer about it because he'll no doubt let his boorish attitude shine during that altercation.
Do fight the fat, sweat pants clad pervert on the full bus ..at least you know you can outrun him.

when i see something like this happening, i do something instead of taking a photo with a phone camera

randy bobandy

http://ciggz.weblogs.us/wp-content/uploa…

http://ciggz.weblogs.us/wp-content/uploa…

My comments are based on the assumption that he is getting sexual gratification from these type of encounters. The witnesses do seem to indicate this is the case.

It's not fair to be critical of the girl for not saying anything or moving to another location. He was the abuser in this situation. As Gloria @24 mentioned, sometimes it's such a shock that you can't even believe someone could be so bold. Her lack of reaction does not diminish the severity of his actions. To say otherwise sounds too much like the old arguments they used in rape trials.

Also, even though there may be no direct contact, it is still a grossly inappropriate act, clearly outside the boundaries of society. She may still be considered a victim. (That's her decision.)

I bet you there's a name for this fetish and a community of people online who write about it.

What would you call it?

Frot

Look at that. This picture would serve well to illustrate the definition.

I bet it hurts like a son of a bitch for such a person to be kicked in the groin when they have a boner. In addition to telling the asshole to back the fuck up and give the seated riders some space, juxtaposing something like a big hand cranked egg beater or a sharp object next to his jimmy may get him to back up.

He's getting off on getting away with something. He is aroused because the girl won't say anything. He knows what he's doing, he believes the girl knows what he's doing, and he knows she's too afraid of him and his mighty penis to say anything or try to stop him.

This is a public form of rape. This guy believes all of the other people on the bus are helping him rape the girl.

Is she eating an apple?

What time does this guy ride the bus? I'm gonna be in Seattle next week with some time on my hands. I'd have no problem having a word with this piece of shit. I love to get confrontational with strangers.

Umm, when this kind of shit happened in Boston, when I lived there, phone pics were taken and were all over the news in no time. Guy was caught and was put away.

@19: Very well put.

Time for a HollaBackSEA?

Carry an umbrella. It's Seattle, it's not like you don't have a reason. If anything untoward comes around you or somebody else, jab it sharply with the pointy end and in a loud, clear voice say, "GET AWAY FROM ME YOU FUCKING FREAK!!!".

I'm sorry but this is fantastic. I wouldn't say a thing to the dude because I would be crying from laughter.

@16 wrote: "Anyway, this is why there are transit cops."

There are transit cops?

King County Metro doesn't even have a cleaning crew!

sadly, @46 is probably correct.

involving the police is a very very good idea.

I'm saddened reading these posts that women are afraid of calling abusers and assholes out because they don't want to draw attention to the embarrassing situation, to themselves, or to be labeled a bitch. These are the expectations we were raised with, and it's partially why bad men take advantage of us: Because we allow it.

I'm not blaming these women or any of the women posting here—I've been there and I have also been so mortified and traumatized that I kept my mouth shut. We all need to find the strength to make this bullshit stop!

SHE'S EATING ON THE BUS. a bus driver recently made me throw out a perfectly good apple before she would let me on the bus. i had taken one bite of the thing. it was a beautiful apple.

So if bus drivers can't even enforce the "no food on the bus" rule (I bet I was only 1 out of 1000 people that boarded a bus with food that week), do you really expect them to do anything when some slimeball gets a boner in the back?

I don't see what the fuss is about this fat slob.I've seen him on the 70# busses many times.He is smelly and dirty and needs bigger clothes.The most awful thing is when he sits down and you can see the entire mass of his buttcrack showing.You should have gotten a frontal picture of his tummy cause if there was a contest for the world's biggest fattest bellybutton,he would win.I really believe it's not on purpose and he needs to be on what not to wear.Also,he is handicapped with a missing leg(Iv'e seen him in shorts)and is more laughable than wicked.

Hilarious. I wish more people would stand up for themselves too, but people are always split on that.

I'm a non-passive female Seattleite, and the times I've confronted a dick, douche, or otherwise rude human on the bus (more times than I can recall), all the other passengers looked so nervous or uncomfortable at my reaction they made ME feel like the asshole.

Once a man was diddling himself while staring at the chick next to me and bouncing his backpack on his lap. And smiling creepily. For a LONG TIME. Until said chick whispered to me she was scared because she could see IT forming. I told him to knock it off (as loudly as I could) because I could see what he was doing, & was going to get the driver if he didnt. I also told him he was a sick perv and I would remember him if I ever saw him again. This was followed by uncomfortable silence on the bus and people staring at the floor for the rest of the ride. I saw him again later on....He didn't sit by me.

Another time an older man pushed past a blind lady to get off the bus first, but I stood up and blocked him so he couldn't get by me. He absently said "excuse me I have to get off the bus now" and I replied (as loudly as I could) "Where do you think SHE is going? Everyone else standing up, where are THEY going?? Were you born in a barn?! I figured someone YOUR age would have more class." I let the blind lady move past me and when I followed her out the door the bus driver gave me a nervous look of disdain.

I started therapy for anger issues I felt so bad. I don't feel bad anymore.. I just try to be cautious and only stand up to measly pervs and geezers.

It's better to love our fellow humans as a rule, but this creepy, wet pants, big-bellied mofo deserves to get served.

@64 I think the uncomfortable silence/looks of disdain might have been enhanced by your name-calling, but I for one am glad you did what you did. I hate that pushing, shoving and frottage are so common place on public transport. I especially dislike it when perfectly healthy individuals take seats from unsteady elderly people. I'm glad to say I witnessed two middle-school aged boys offer a pregnant women their seats on the metro recently, so politeness hasn't died. I just think you could probably keep it to a look and a "Stop that and act right" remark, unless they get physical.

@64: You rock. Don't ever change.

@64 You're lovely.

50 was right about Boston -- on the public transportation here in Boston, riders are encouraged to take camera-phone pictures and then report it to the transit police. You can't just sit back and let things happen as a bystander, but if I were the girl in the picture, I would have been terrified and trying to ignore the entire situation. A friend of mine was studying at the public library here and looked up to see a guy a few tables down jerking off and looking right at her. She screamed and ran and the dude was arrested. It doesn't make a difference whether you're on the subway or in the library, it's wrong and someone has to intervene.

Guy (fat guy draped in jewelry) on my bus was very touchy, I called him out and moved, and was deemed a freaky bitch very loudly and, I thought at the time, credibly to all the other riders in the bus. Then he moved to an open seat next to a 16-year-old girl and started slowly leaning on her.

Since then I've learned that nearby there's some kind of very good home situation for... Not sure what to call them, but they're extraordinarily high-functioning. I've never seen people with... who chat so much and so well, or seem to have so much understanding for social situations. Another guy, clearly from that group, riding the bus with me this year was messing with himself and totally understood the Seattle peripheral vision thing. He knew that even jiggling his foot across the aisle toward me like he was jerking off meant that I saw and I knew. Later, same guy was riding with two other patients and, clearly, a wonderful social worker. Not a jot, not a tittle!

I had a guy start saying things like "hey baby, what's your name?" when I was on the phone with my mom while waiting for the bus, and when I didn't respond he went ballistic and started yelling about how I was a bitch and so fat that no one else was gonna talk to me (Good logic, buddy! You hit on ME.). My mom really appreciated hearing all of it, too.

I got off the phone and walked to another bus stop and didn't see the guy on the bus when it showed up, so I didn't think any more of it and took the bus to the grocery store. As I was waiting for the bus to return home the same guy shows up and just stares at me. It was freaky, but the bus showed up shortly thereafter, so I boarded and put my grocery bag down on the aisle seat and sat near the window in the forward facing seats closest to the driver. There were a few totally empty seats behind me, but the guy comes on, shoves my grocery bag over, and sits down and continues to leer at me. I told him to sit somewhere else, eventually started yelling that I was going to call the cops if he didn't move, and yelled to the driver that this guy was bothering me and wouldn't let me out of my seat. The driver DID NOTHING. It totally shocked me. The other passengers all acted like nothing was happening. So I called 911 and loudly explained what was happening, shoved past the guy (the guy absolutely refused to move), got off the bus, and waited for the cops...and after 20 minutes without them showing up, I just walked home. Luckily the guy stayed on the bus.

This is just one example of how little people get involved when a girl is in trouble. I was terrified and it was broad daylight and I was surrounded by people. I have more than one story like this, and so do most of my friends, so it gets harder and harder for me to stand up for myself in this city. (And I do think it's Seattle, because I've had people step in and tell guys bothering me to knock it off in Chicago and Detroit, which I have never thought of as particularly friendly cities.)