In the early 1970s, I had an hour and a half commute to central London every weekday (Letters, 11 April). Having finished reading the Guardian, I would roll it up ready to whack in the general direction of any gropers. On one occasion, I was exiting the tube, standing on the right of the escalator, when I felt a hand go right up my skirt. I instantly turned and utilised my weapon on the man standing on the step behind. He went completely red in the face, turned round and began running down the “up” escalator. Other commuters could not have seen what he had done but seemed shocked and very amused at the spectacle.
Lorna Chessum
Brighton
• As as teenager in the 1970s, my great aunties told me to keep a pin underneath my coat collar to deal with “wandering hand trouble”. Despite their advancing years they still carried a pin “just in case”.
Barbara Patterson
Leatherhead, Surrey
• You see all the time on crowded public transport a shopping bag, luggage or a carried newspaper touching someone on the bottom, back or elsewhere in a way that makes them turn round to see what it was. If instead we are all immediately to be stabbed by high heels or have cigarettes stubbed out on us, as readers happily recount, then this may be a collective punishment due to all men, but I fear just as many women may be injured too.
Brian Smith
Berlin
• Yes, I would agree, confront the gropers – if you can be sure who the offender is. One day in 1994, I was standing on a train on the Victoria line, making my way to work as usual and keeping myself to myself, when the woman in front suddenly turned round and stared at me. Mistakenly, I made eye contact with her. Nothing else happened until she arrived at her stop. As she passed me she grabbed my arse in an aggressive manner, leaving me confused and dumfounded. I can only conclude she had been groped. The culprit, if he was still there, must have been very amused by the situation. You can’t assume it’s the person standing right behind you. These people must be very devious.
Paul Morrison
Bridlington, East Riding of Yorkshire
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