Mexico City Metro Now Has A Penis Seat To Combat Sexual Harassment

A Penis With A Purpose

March 30th, 2017 – Mexico City metro riders are experiencing a different kind of commute after the city installed a “penis-seat” on the subway to educate men about sexual harassment. The once smooth plastic seat now holds an atomically correct replica of a man’s chest, torso and a flaccid penis. Above the seat is a sign that reads “Exclusive for men” and below is a thought for riders to chew on.

“It’s uncomfortable to sit here, but it doesn’t compare with the sexual violence that women suffer in their everyday lives,” the sign reads.

“Seat Experiment,” as its officially called, seeks to drive awareness to the rising statistics of sexual harassment on public transportation and sexual violence in varying forms across the city. The PSA was presented as a video featuring people (presumably actors) reacting to the penis seat, along with disturbing facts shared between the bouts of uncomfortable sit-downs. Many male riders give bizarre, annoyed looks and others find another seat after having to deal with something unwanted being in their space.

Research has found that nine out of 10 women in Mexico City have experienced sexual violence in some form or another and 65% of local women have reported experiencing sexual harassment on public transportation.

The local government has previously made other attempts at combating sexual harassment and violence on public transportation. They recently assembled an anonymous, all-female public transportation police unit, tasked with stopping assaults on trains and handing out rape whistles to women in the city.

The city also premiered videos of men’s butts being filmed and shown on a monitor above the platforms. The penis seat, however, has garnered the most attention and controversy as many have called it sexist, questioned its effectiveness and even warned that its “abrasive imagery” could be damaging to a victim of sexual assault.

While the end game of the campaign is to have men experience a portion of the discomfort women feel on public transportation specifically in Mexico City, the penis seat has gotten people talking all across the globe. No word on how long the experiment will run, but its rise of attention has called into question the creative means by which we combat serious issues.

Watch the PSA videos of the “penis-seat” and the “butt monitors” and let us know if you think this is an appropriate way to address a serious, sensitive subject. Is the penis seat Funny or Offensive? Vote and comment below.