Progressivechina

Man detained for unhooking bra of woman in subway.[Photo/weibo.com]

The Shanghai subway system is increasingly becoming a ride for mild transgressions.

Local police reported yesterday that they detained a man who allegedly unfastened the brassiere of a woman on a crowded subway train following a dispute last week.

The man, surnamed Yang, told police that he acted “out of retaliation in the over crowded carriage.” The 29-year-old faces detention for five to 10 days, police said.

The incident once again raised concerns about female riders on the city’s Metro network after previous acts of sexual assaults whipped up a storm of protest among the netizens.

In the latest incident, which happened on July 22, Yang had a quarrel with a woman on Metro Line 6 about 8:20am.

The woman, surnamed Xu, accused Yang in public of trying to unbutton her bra, which he denied. The two were taken away by police at the Pudian Road Station.

Yang told police he was pushed toward Xu by the crowd. After the duo argued, Yang “retaliated” by doing what he was being accused of.

Police have promised to crack down on molestations on the subway, especially during the summer season.

“Any moment in the crowded subway can lead to trouble and cause misunderstandings,” said an officer, surnamed Zhou, of the Metro police.

“We hope people remain calm and do not escalate the disputes.”

The case was not treated as a molestation incident on the Metro but female riders are being warned to be careful during the rides.

Women tend to remain silent or use the anonymity of the Internet to deal with incidents of molestation on the Shanghai Metro.

Two days before the July 22 incident a person was caught for taking candid pictures of a woman’s underwear on an escalator on Metro Line 1.

On July 3, a 25-year-old man was arrested for touching a woman’s butt on Metro Line 2.

In all, police said they have handled 19 molestation cases so far this year and detained an equal number of men.