New York Women Reveal The Baggy "Subway Shirt" They Wear During Summer To Prevent Being Sexually Assaulted

In recent years, New York City has attempted to reduce overall crime rates. A particular concern is the safety of the city's sprawling subway system, where crime rates have shown a disturbing uptick, especially regarding sexual assaults against women. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) system, carrying millions of passengers daily, is a vital artery of the city. Unfortunately, it has also become a space where crime is prevalent. In the last year, data from the New York Police Department (NYPD) has shown an alarming increase in incidents on subway lines.

Sexual assault, in particular, has seen a noticeable rise. Women have reported a range of incidents, from harassment and stalking to physical assaults. In 2023, reported cases of sexual assault on the subway have risen by 18% compared to the same period in the previous year. This rise is especially concerning considering the under-reporting of such crimes. The Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) estimates that only 230 out of every 1,000 sexual assaults are reported to the police. Therefore, the actual number of incidents on subways could be much higher.

The NYPD and MTA have undertaken several initiatives to tackle this issue. Increased law enforcement presence, improved surveillance systems, and public awareness campaigns are all part of the strategy to make subways safer. The MTA has also launched a smartphone app for passengers to report incidents discreetly and promptly. Moreover, various organizations, such as "New Yorkers for Safe Transit," are advocating for safer public transportation, specifically focusing on sexual assault prevention. They offer resources like safety workshops and bystander intervention training, aiming to educate and empower passengers to stand up against harassment and assault.

Despite these efforts, the challenge persists and many women have simply gotten used to feeling unsafe. On TikTok, various female New Yorkers share a common trick that is supposed to help them remain unscathed by strange men on the subway.

New York Women Reveal the Baggy "Subway Shirt" They Wear During Summer To Prevent Being Sexually Assaulted

Twitter user @Slatzism, co-founder and editor of Reduxx, shared some screenshots from TikTok that reveal a trend that is somewhat common among New York women: They wear baggy, ill-fitting clothes on the subway when the weather turns warm in order to hide their body so men don't approach them, or worse, sexually harass or assault them. It sounds like a ridiculous thing to do, but it seems quite normal for these women.

One TikToker shared a photo of herself wearing a baggy black button-up shirt and wrote, "It's 85 degrees in NYC, so ladies don't forget to bring your subway shirt! Otherwise known as an outfit dampener, it's an oversized shirt we wear over our cute outfits so strange men don't bother you on the train."

Another woman showed a picture of herself wearing a large black t-shirt that clearly is too big for her body. "It's officially t-shirt over the fit so I don't get assaulted in the subway szn," she wrote.

Yet another woman can be seen wearing an ill-fitting white t-shirt with her hair pulled back; she is smiling and giving both thumbs up to the camera. "When it's subway shirt szn," she wrote.

The fact that there's a name for it—subway shirt—tells us everything we need to know. Clearly, this is a common occurrence, and many women are used to covering up in this way to avoid unwanted gazes or advances. "The girls are buying Shein burqas so libs don't have to tell Persons of Houselessness to avert their gaze," @Slatzism tweets. "It's like New York City sharia."

While the term "persons of houselessness" is meant to be funny, referring to the ridiculous renaming of homeless people in an attempt to be more inclusive, the fact that so many women in New York have been desensitized to this kind of behavior every summer is concerning at best. And yet these are probably the same progressive women who keep voting in the type of politicians and officials who will continue to go soft on crime and refuse to properly punish criminals who are violent, disruptive, and harmful towards citizens on subways. All in the name of equity and diversity.