At 5:30 pm on a Brooklyn-bound F train, between the Bergen and Carroll St. stops, an African-American girl (16-18 years of age, about 5'6") nudged her way through a crowded car. She pushed against the back of a female Carroll Gardens resident (and neighbor of this blogger). The woman (5'3", Caucasian, late 30s) tried her best to make room for the youth. Unhappy with the amount of space she was given, the youth she began yelling, "I asked you to get out of my way. I will beat your ass!" The woman remained silent as the youth berated her. Then the youth swiped her fingers across the woman's face. The youth walked away but came back and hit the woman twice on the head with an open palm. She then stood at the subway doors and continued calling the woman names until the train stopped and got off at Carroll St. It happened to be the woman's stop as well, so she followed cautiously, watching the youth go into Carroll Gardens Park. The woman then proceeded to the 76th precinct on Union Street and told the desk officer of the assault. She explained that she didn't want anyone else to be assaulted in the park and requested that they send an officer there. The desk officer said they could write a report but it would take at least a half hour. The woman was upset and had to meet someone who was leaving shortly on flight, so she left.
I was assaulted three years ago, also on the F train. Also a young African-American girl. I was sitting in one of the two-seat chairs by a door- she was across from me, and kept giving me dirty looks and saying rude things, under her breath but loud enough to catch the gist. As she exited the train at Smith/9St, she threw her slurpee/fruit punch drink at me, drenching me. The cup did hit me on the side of the face, but since it was in a plastic cup I was not hurt. Not ONE single person on the train offered assistance, asked if I was ok, or commented. I was very upset and shaken up by the incident. When I asked a local police officer the next day about train patrols after school, they laughed at me. Literally.
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