Toronto Blames Woman Who Was Pushed Onto Subway Tracks: 'She Was Travelling Alone'

[progree]

Last edited Sun Jun 12, 2022, 11:45 AM - Edit history (3)

The TTC is the Toronto Transit Commission. See reply #2 for their Facebook page.

During the incident, caught on video, Al-Balushi is standing behind the thick yellow line separating the platform from the tracks ...

... According to the TTC’s statement, Al-Balushi “failed to take reasonable steps and precautions for her own safety and protection.” The statement says “she chose to stand close to the edge of the platform,” “failed to pay due care and attention to her surroundings,” and “was travelling alone and unassisted on public transit when she knew or ought to have known that it was unsafe for her to do so.”

More: https://www.vice.com/en/article/k7be5a/toronto-woman-pushed-onto-ttc-subway

Since the TTC went ahead and let out their inner bigot, I'm surprised they didn't go all the way and suggest she is unwise to ever leave her house without an adult male escort, who is either a husband or blood relative. Otherwise, she is just "asking for it".

And it really is a thick yellow line - there are some pictures at the TTC's Facebook page (See #2 below). Maybe 2 feet thick.

Edited to Add Video --
Woman shoved onto Toronto subway tracks speaks out as video emerges of disturbing incident
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/disturbing-video-captures-moment-woman-is-pushed-onto-tracks-at-toronto-subway-station-1.5867608

the standing and pushing --- start at 0:48

And here are a couple of pictures the 2nd one just as she was about to be pushed.

Cross-linked to Women's Rights and Issues https://www.democraticunderground.com/113813582

[progree]

1. Should there be two thick yellow lines - a 2nd line for "unassisted" women traveling alone?

On the thick yellow line -- well then if standing behind the thick yellow line is problematically "close to the edge", then maybe they should move the line back some so it isn't "close to the edge".

Or maybe there should be two lines -- one for men and women in groups of 2 or more who are "assisted" -- and one for women who are "traveling and alone and unassisted"

[progree]

2. Toronto Transit Commission Facebook page could use some of our love

The "Mentions" section of their Facebook page --
https://www.facebook.com/TorontoTransitCommission/mentions

The top two posts (in the default SORT setting of "Most Relevant" ) are about this, but apparently comments have been turned off for these two posts. However, we can react to them with "Wow" or "Angry" or whatever.
One can also SORT these posts by "Most Recent" and there are some posts about this with commenting allowed.

===========================

This one on the main TTC Facebook page has a lot of comments about this incident -- that we can add our own commentary too, or just "like" or "love" the comments about it. (see right hand side of it for the comments)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=181612427588877&set=a.122037356879718&__tn__=%2CO*F

[applegrove]

3. F that.

[stopdiggin]

4. Well, that's going over ...

(somehow - I think there just might be a new person moving into the 'spokesman'
slot ..)
----- --- --- -------- ----

[Novara]

5. unless she somehow has a disability and needs assistance at all times ...

... her being alone has absolutely no bearing on this case.

I used to take the train to and from work for years when I worked in San Francisco. People stand near the edge of the platform all the freaking time.

Typical they'd deflect and blame the victim, just like in rape cases. She was asking for it, right?

[progree]

7. I added a link to the video - quite a ways from the edge, maybe 2 feet

Woman shoved onto Toronto subway tracks speaks out as video emerges of disturbing incident
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/disturbing-video-captures-moment-woman-is-pushed-onto-tracks-at-toronto-subway-station-1.5867608

the standing and pushing --- start at 0:48

And here are a couple of pictures the 2nd one just as she was about to be pushed.

[Wingus Dingus]

6. Stupid. But here's something I wonder--

why not just put up a barrier that everyone has to stay behind until the train is in place, instead of a wide open platform that leads right to the tracks? It might slow loading and unloading of passengers a little, but this sort of thing would stop happening. I don't know much about subways, but why let people that close to the tracks?

[LakeArenal]

8. Wasn't the woman who pushed her alone?

WTH?

[progree]

9. Yes, alone and unassisted /nt

[sinkingfeeling]

10. Does Canada allow families of victims to sue the TTC?

[progree]

11. She is alive and somewhat well (broken rib) and is suing

Woman shoved onto Toronto subway tracks speaks out as video emerges of disturbing incident (with video including interview with the victim Shamsa Al-Balushi)
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/disturbing-video-captures-moment-woman-is-pushed-onto-tracks-at-toronto-subway-station-1.5867608

TTC calls for $1M subway-pushing lawsuit to be dismissed; says pusher, victim at fault, CBC 6/9/22
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ttc-lawsuit-defence-statement-1.6483131

[treestar]

12. The one responsible is the shover

It does seem a bit much to blame the TTC. They don't need the misogynistic defense - they need to argue that they cannot prevent that kind of crime. It could have been two men, and the results would be the same, so why bring this up?