Bullied on public transit

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I normally do not have a problem with bullying and harassment aboard the busses or trains where I ride. In fact I like to mind my own business. A few times I have noticed it by two people who ride from one of the train stations to get to and from work.

Even though I am a loner I have a knack for being social, friendly and outgoing. At the same time being social can be really awkward for me and sometimes others end up snickering at everything that I say.

Then I talk to myself which some of us with AS do. Then we live in the modern age of technology and I have trouble with talking to myself in public. So when I am out in public I like to turn my phone all the way down and whip it out as it I am having a conversation with someone so I don't get mocked. Unfortunately someone caught on last week.

Here is what happened:

I happened to be sitting across from two people who appeared to be in their twenties last Tues afternoon. One of them lent another girl and I a mini bottle of lotion. I asked her how much she paid for it and she said she could not remember. I then added how a little bottle like that would be helpful due to it being really dry where I work.

They burst out laughing and looked at me as if I said something really hostile or something. I tried to keep talking to her but she kept mocking me. So I stopped talking to her. Then I whipped out my phone as if I was having a conversation with someone. Every time I opened my mouth she kept on laughing at me while her guy friend started whispering things in her ear. I heard them call me "Crazy"

They got off 15 minutes into the ride and I told one of the other passengers sitting near me and happened to laugh too. I asked him "Well they were not nice but the way you said it was funny."

I decided to let them know the next time I ran into them that they needed to be respectful and mind their own business but it did not work

I saw them yesterday and again they were being bullies. I tried to sit next to one of them so I could have a word with them and it was worse this time. He refused to let me sit next to him because "He had a cold." Again the other girl across from him laughed really loud. So I went to sit in the back and noticed that he let another passenger sit there.

I got up and moved and as I was doing so they again laughed and called me crazy and started making fun of me. So I kindly told them their words hurt. They kept laughing at me. I said "What you are doing is a form of bullying." They lipped off at me. Then I said "Mind your own business" and I got sassed back. Then I heard them whispering about me. I also told the bus driver and he said to calm down and refused to stop the bus to speak with them.

So I called the transit authorities and wrote a letter to the MARTA costumer service via e-mail.

I know the time they ride the bus now and I will stay away from back is because it is where they like to sit. I also know how to use a mobile app to report them if anymore discrimination is going on. Either way I am very angry and sad that this is going on.

If it were me, I would just fully ignore them. They were just being arrogant. The funny farm is missing some of its patients. If it was not you, it would have been some other unlucky person.

Stay away from these people. There's no use conversing with them. You'll get nowhere.

I doubt it if MARTA will do anything about them.

Go into another car. Most people don't give a rat's butt about other people on the train--unless they're screaming or something.

Being agoraphobic now, I do not think even moving cars would make me feel better if some lunatics were trying to show me up to embarrass me. I hope you will not see them again, unless they are always going to places at the same time. It might just be they were there the odd time.

I think the situation has escalated to an unfortunate level. Their laughter at your comment about the lotion may not have been ill-intentioned. I know that many times I have said things I consider perfectly appropriate, only to be laughed at. I find it's best just to smile and move on.

I don't think they are bullying you or behaving in a discriminatory way. They are letting you know that they don't want to interact with you. So be it.

Trust me these two kids are bullies. I get that they did not want to interract with me.

Anybody who finds it funny to mock someone, call them,names, gossip etc is not nice

They were calling me "Crazy" and refusing to let me sit with them. They also appeared to whisper things among themselves about me. Refusing to let me sit next to them on the bus? While the other one laughs excuse me?

The more you show that it bothers you, the more they'll bug you. Best to blank them. They'll move on to someone they do get a reaction from. There's always going to be mean people in the world, you can't change that.

I am not going to talk to or around them anymore. I am going to let the,bus company handle them and have my headphones in.

Correction:( I was on my cell when I posted the other stuff)
I am not going to sit in the back at the known time that they rise. I will try and sit in the front and wear headphones. If I hear them trying to continue then I will take a picture of them with the police mobility app. Then I can send it in with a few comments. Plus my phone has a gps in it.

I wouldn't call them bullies.. it sounds like they aren't starting any conversations. Bullies are typically the instigators, and I'm not sure that they are.

Either way, it doesn't justify them calling you crazy, but it sounds like if you just leave them alone, they'll return the favor. It's already gotten to a point where they have no liking of you whatsoever, I wouldn't talk to them, make eye contact with them, sit near them, anything. Should they talk about you among themselves, ignore it or pretend to be on your phone.

I wouldn't do this! Taking people's pictures in public without their permission is a big no-no. You might be the one who ends up getting scolded by the authorities.

The first bit I agree with, but not the second part. As others have stated, you need to completely ignore them so going to the front of the bus and putting your headphones on and not looking in their direction and making NO eye contact at all with them is the way to go. Bullies are generally cowards. They get their kicks out of getting a reaction from you. They succeed in their sick little heads whenever you react by complaining to them, complaining to the bus driver, complaining to the bus company, or complaining to the police. They will stop short of committing any offence against you that will get them into trouble with the authorities, so I don't think you are at any physical risk from them. So if you try to participate in what they see as playing games with you, you will be the loser here. By not reacting at all, they will soon lose interest in you and seek out another target for their perverse games.

Androbot I think your point it valid. At the same time the transit system here comes with an app that will notify the authorities at the click of a touch screen on your mobile device. You can also take a picture of a person or object that looks suspicious. That way you can notify the police that work for the transit company.

For instance I have a friend who depends on public transportation because they don't own a car next to driving a bike. They have a special spot for passengers and their bicycles. Earlier this year my friend happened to try and stand in the designated area right? Another patron without a bike decided to stand there and refuse to move. So he pushed my friend and their bike into the wall on the train. As a result they were able to use that app and take a picture of that person and notify the police.

In the case of these kids it would fall under nuisance behavior since they are not only causing a ruckus every time they see me and being disruptive towards others. The only reason why I would take the picture is so the police know who to deal with.

People can be real asses on the bus. Last year I lost my car due to financial problems and so I have been relying on public transport. Well, there seems to be a "bus culture" that I have previously been unaware of. Our buses have designated areas for physically handicapped people - wheel chair bound, elderly, mother's with babies - that sort of thing. People are pretty good about vacating the space if someone comes on the bus who needs it.
But I hate it when people try to interact with me. The other day this older smelly man sat next to me (the bus wasn't even crowded) and he kept pushing his leg into mine. Urgg and Yuck!


Well, for sure, if they are acting aggressively towards you. Two tenets to keep in mind though ... avoid and diffuse. Avoid the conflict, diffuse the conflict. If you take their picture that will be an escalation, so be careful.

Really.....just forget about those people. No good will come from any interaction with them.

As far as the picture goes it is an option so it is not required but we are allowed to do it. If I did one of the police officers told me to be discrete about taking pictures. So I was thinking of pretending to send a text message when I take their pictures with the flash and sound turned off while also taking the picture while they are not looking.