Groping, fighting, humiliation… sometimes being female on Indian public transport can be a terrifying experience. Mridu Khullar Relph, herself a Delhi resident, hears the travel nightmares of the women riding on the city’s Metro
When girls in Delhi reach an age where we have to leave homes unaccompanied to go to school, college, or work, we’re offered the following directives, passed down from grandmother to mother to daughter: don’t get on buses or trains that are too crowded or someone will grind against you. Don’t get on buses or trains that are empty or someone will take advantage of your seclusion. Always ensure that there is already another woman – preferably an older woman – travelling on a bus before you get on. If you do have to board a bus or taxi after dark, doing so in a group is far better than doing so alone.