Oct. 09--The CTA is stepping up an anti-harassment campaign urging riders not to just sit there and take it if they or other bus and train riders are being pestered or even verbally assaulted, transit officials said Friday.
The public awareness campaign, called "If it's unwanted, it's harassment," also attempts to warn potential offenders that intimidating behavior will not be tolerated. But the main thrust behind placards placed on buses and trains is to empower CTA customers to report incidents they experience or witness, officials said.
CTA officials said they are focused on the safety impact and the public perception of the harassment threat rather than the sheer frequency of incidents.
"Though the number of incidents reported to us is small, we take every complaint seriously," CTA President Dorval Carter Jr. said in a statement.
The CTA received 36 reports of harassment last year, agency spokeswoman Tammy Chase said. Twenty-four such reports were received through May of this year, she said. In addition, there were two criminal sexual assaults on CTA property last year, according to Chicago police.
"We believe that incidents of harassment are underreported to us," Chase said. "One of the main reasons for this campaign is that we want customers to report incidents they experience or witness."
Starting Friday, CTA customers will see posters on buses and trains featuring messages including "Speak Up!" "It's Not OK" "It's Not Nothing" and "We Are All Watching."
A Web page has also been set up at www.transitchicago.com/speakup that offers information on what to do in specific situations. For example, if your safety is threatened, call 911 or seek out a CTA employee.
"If uncertain whether something is intended or accidental but it makes you feel uncomfortable, speak up! Tell the other person to stop or ask him/her to leave you alone. If this person continues to behave in an unwanted manner, immediately report it to CTA personnel and provide as much detail as possible," the Web page recommends.
jhilkevitch@tribpub.com
