Delhi’s long-standing concerns over women’s safety were reignited after a disturbing account shared by a Reddit user detailed a harrowing experience aboard the Delhi Metro. The woman, using the handle @taerin_yapper, described being relentlessly followed by a man after she offered him directions at a metro station.
(Also read: Woman argues with man in Delhi Metro after he refuses to give up his seat for her: ‘Be the bigger person’)
In her post, she explained that the man, seemingly in his 30s, appeared confused about which platform to go to. After she helped him, he thanked her and asked, “Are you also going there?” Thinking nothing of it, she confirmed and moved ahead to catch her train. However, what followed left her shaken.
“I felt so alone and unsafe”
The woman wrote, “I felt he is behind me, so I sat beside someone where there was no place left on the platform, and he comes up to me and says, ‘Can I sit here?’ I looked around, and wondered—where? Does he want to sit on my lap now? I just stood up and moved away.”
She described how the man then asked her if she had water, continued to follow her, and made her feel increasingly uneasy despite the crowd around her. “Even when there were so many people, I felt unsafe,” she recalled. Eventually, she pretended to be on a phone call, which made the man leave. Still frightened he might return, she quickly moved to the women’s coach.
{{/usCountry}}She described how the man then asked her if she had water, continued to follow her, and made her feel increasingly uneasy despite the crowd around her. “Even when there were so many people, I felt unsafe,” she recalled. Eventually, she pretended to be on a phone call, which made the man leave. Still frightened he might return, she quickly moved to the women’s coach.
{{/usCountry}}“It wasn’t even that major but I felt so alone and unsafe in that moment,” she confessed. “I normally travel alone, reply back, even give warnings—but this time my body just stopped. I’m still feeling restless because of it.”
Check out the post here:
Internet reacts
The post drew comments from several Reddit users, echoing concern and frustration over women’s safety on public transport in Delhi.
(Also read: UK man advises tourists to take Delhi Metro to avoid getting ‘scammed’ by rickshaw drivers)
One user said, “As a boy I can confirm women are not safe in the Delhi Metro. I always notice some creeps and 40+ uncles staring at girls. It’s so uncomfortable.”
Another shared a similar experience: “A guy kept asking me where I studied, if I lived in a flat or PG, and if we could be friends. Now I always prefer the women’s coach.”
A third user added, “Stay safe, sis. Even my classmates complain about this often.”
Others expressed dismay and resignation. “Sad to see this happening, but then again it’s Delhi,” one wrote. Another commented, “This won’t change unless future generations are properly educated by parents and society.”