Frotteurism - - Alive and well on the trains

100gSoma

Oh dear, Oh deary me. I don't wish to come across as a 'touch-freak' but I do get irritated when strange people rub off you on the train or lean into you. When the rush hour trains are packed, its understandable that you will have some contact, but once the doors close, people tend to naturally assume a state of entrophy where they all have 'personal space'. I am aware of the personal boundaries doctrine, 6 inches is intimate, 18 inches is close/personal etc etc. i think there is always room regardless of how packed to avoid leaning into someone. I have also come across mutual frotteurism on the trains, ie: sitting next to a member of the opposite sex and having your arm touching hers while both in t-shirts for example. This kind of thing is not uncommon. But non-mutual is a problem and would be considered as harrassment in most jurisdictions. The condition itself is defined as "In the context of human sexual behavior, frottage or frotteurism (from the French frotter, to rub) is the act of achieving sexual gratification by rubbing one's (clothed or naked) body against another person. Frotteurism carries a connotation of "anonymous and discreet rubbing" in a public place—e.g. on a crowded train. The contact may be mutual or a one-way perpetration. A person who practices frotteurism is known as a frotteur. As with most other sexual practices, frottage with a non-consenting person is regarded as a form of sexual assault in most jurisdictions"
Anyone experience this before or witness it? I bring it up because of a recent incident on a crowded train. A man was leaning into me quite irritatingly on the tram. I moved slightly and he would move. In my opinion he was more than aware of his behaviour. I moved through the crowded area to move away from him. It was very obvious I was moving away from him as nobody tends to move on a busy train between stations. a few stops later (I was standing near the door) I got an elbow in the back as someone was getting off the train. It was him, the guy I had moved to avoid. The train was not crowded at this stage and Im pretty positive the dig was intentional as I was not obstructing the door area. The joys of modern travel eh?

solicitous

This can be stopped no more than trying to stop a dog from humping our legs. Its quite an animalistic trait, which most of us have quite happily buried.
Frotteurism is something I believe most people experience at some point or another.

It is when the feelings of sexual gratification come over us in a natural and unstaged event that sets us apart from those who set out with the act in mind.

I think you simply came across an individual who actually has done this before on several occasions.

Most people experience it as I said, but hide our 'inner weirdo' from the world rather than risk being cast out as sexually perverted.