If you see something that’s not right, you must speak up!
Last Friday, I stopped a girl from being mugged on the train on the way from Sydney city to Miranda. A bunch of thug like teens, no more than 13 or 14 years old, lined her up and I saw what was going to happen, so I stepped in.
A poor young school girl, also maybe 13, was on her phone in the middle compartment of the 8th carriage. No seats, no other people. These girls who had been swearing, kicking the boys and generally being horrible, saw her and pounced.
They were so obvious! The two of them went a meter either side of her and I knew they were waiting for the next stop where they would take her phone, potentially HIT her, and run off the train.
Sadly I saw this happen when I was 15 to a fellow girl in my year. She was punched in the face and mugged by two girls her own age. I to this day am ashamed that I didn’t step in, nor did any other person in the carriage, and it just slowly unfolded in front of us. It was pathetic and cowardly.
Today, I chose to stand by that girl. I walked up to the middle platform and stood near her. One girl had gone down to say something to the boys, the other didn’t dare do it with an adult standing near. She mumbled something about “b%#*^” and went back downstairs. I leaned into the girl and whispered “you must move carriages. Now.”
I took her with me and led her through two carriages and kept an eye out behind us. I didn’t want to freak her out so explained that the two girls were looking at her phone and were going to get it if we didn’t move. She stood near the doors in a crowded carriage and I sat downstairs and kept watch over her. I was shaking with rage and fear and adrenaline.
The girl got off the train and mouthed thank you to me. I stood at the doors and watched her move safely into a crowd, keeping close eye that the teens hadn’t got off.
Once I reached my station, I asked a nearby man to walk with me as I was worried the teens may now target me (and my laptop and phone!) He was very kind and walked me to the guards office to report it. The woman who I called from the station took it very seriously and alerted stations ahead. So thank you Jane from Miranda Train Station.
This behaviour is unacceptable. Cowardly. And dangerous!! I could not stand by and watch that girl be attacked, nor let those children get away with such behaviour.
Apparently this has been happening on sydney trains of late. So do lookout and report what you see.
If you see something. Say something. And be kind to one another!!!
Lovelly Travels 