When ZjaZja Williams, a Tracy resident and student, recounts her stories of her experiences commuting to Delta College via bus, her body gets tense, ready to protect herself at any moment, due to the daily harassment she faces from male passengers.
“For every positive thing on the bus, there’s a negative consequence,” said Williams.
For some, the bus is just a way to get from their homes to class and meet new people while commuting via the San Joaquin Regional Transit District (RTD) bussing system and beyond. But for female riders, a bus ride can become yet another unsafe place where one has to keep her guard up.
This is the case for Williams and her girlfriend Esta Hill, a pre-law Delta student from Stockton, as their experiences while bus riding have been unpredictable as queer women of color and daily commuters.
“I’ve had people follow me, people try to touch on me, people try to come up and hug me,” Hill said.
Staff and drivers are trained to help anyone who needs assistance, through a Safe Place system, as well as having an emergency call number with trained operators, and online resources on how to stay safe for both victims and witnesses, said Maximilian Cao, supervisor of marketing and customer engagement for RTD, in an email interview.
“Safety is our top priority,” said Cao.
RTD was recently awarded two Gold Awards from the American Public Transportation Association for its “leadership in safety, security, and marketing communications” specifically in Bus Safety and Security programs areas.
RTD works closely with local law enforcement, has security cameras and has security riding alongside passagers to make sure people are safe while riding with RTD, said Cao.
“I think [riding the bus] is a good option, if you know what you are doing and if you are safe about it but if you are not hyper vigilant, and if you don’t pay attention to what’s around you, I feel it could be a worst option for you,” Hill said.
Hill and Williams began their partnership as friends and fellow commuters via the bus system when Hill missed her original route to Delta and ended up on the same bus as Williams.
While they enjoy each other’s company and feel safer together during the commute, Williams and Hill recount methods that they employ to stay safe on public transit, including carrying pepper spray, staying on the phone with each other, wearing specific clothes so as to not draw attention to themselves, and — in William’s — case being prepared to use skills she learned while boxing.
“In the world we live in, there is no safety precaution, unless you make safety for yourself,” Williams said.
While security has helped Williams during multiple situations, Williams is anxious to report every single one of her experiences. As a black woman, “who is related to someone who has seen police brutality,” she is uncomfortable working with local police.
“You do have to be safe on the bus, because sometimes there are people that do not have the best intent… so I feel like it is nice, where you meet new people, but it is not something that needs to be disregarded on the danger aspect,” Hill said.
Despite it all, Both Hill and Williams ride the bus everyday as neither Williams nor Hill blame the RTD system. Still viewing busing as a great commuting option, as it is the most affordable form of transportation as well as getting extra time together during their busy schedules as college students.
