The Story

With the current climate, working from home is becoming more and more common. However, for those of us that still work in an office, the morning commute is something we dread. Why? The traffic, the fast pace, competing with others for a spot on the bus or subway. It is a nightmare! One woman found this to be especially true as she rode to work one morning on a commuter train in San Francisco.

Woman Assaulted on Commuter Train

A woman was on her way to work around 11:30 am as usual. She always takes the commuter train from her hometown to San Francisco as so many others do. She walked into an empty train car and chose her seat. As she was getting comfortable she realized she was actually not alone. She felt a man behind her begin to choke her. The woman knew she was in danger as the attacker slid his hand into her clothing. At that time she knew she had to do something to defend herself and to prevent the sexual assault from going any further. She fought back. She screamed, bit the attacker and started banging on the windows as the commuter train came to a stop at the next station. Thankfully, she was able to get free of the man and took photos to help police find and apprehend him.

Reported by Fox 2 KTVU

What Can We Learn?

The commuter train on which the assault took place is supposed to be safe. There are cameras in the train cars and on the platforms. The BART app allows you to see what is happening in real time. There are always others around. And many people travel in the middle of the day. With all of these precautionary measures taken you would like assume that you are safe. However, no matter what other precautions are put in place, you still need to be aware of your surroundings and potential dangers at all times. If you are in a train car alone, or seemingly alone, move to a car with more people. If you stay in the car alone sit with your back to the wall of the car so you can see anyone in your vicinity. Be safe out there.