Women are sharing the extra precautions they take to stay safe on public transport, with some revealing that they wear oversized shirts known as 'subway shirts' to avoid 'creepy' men.
Rae Hersey, from New York, shared how she keeps herself safe in the city under the username @rae.hersey on TikTok.
In a viral video, which has racked up more than 600k views and 75k likes, the closed caption reads, “When you arrive at your destination and can take off your subway shirt.”
Rae can be seen removing the large white button-down shirt she is wearing to reveal a black top with cut-out details underneath.
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The video is captioned, “Just know if you see me in a white button down, the real fit is underneath.”
Rae's content really resonated with viewers, with many users commenting that they also use 'subway shirts' to avoid unwelcome attention whilst travelling.
One person called it their 'fashion safety layer', whilst another wrote, "Lol!! I have an Uber shirt I wear."
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Another said: "I call it my 'summer jacket' any thin fabric large garment to cover my figure until I'm safely inside."
Many also expressed their despair that women have to take such precautions with one commenter calling the trend 'sad but necessary.'
“This is so sad but I totally understand,” one person wrote.
Another said: "I've seen another video about a subway shirt so the fact that this is common is so sad."
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Rae isn't the only TikTok creator to share the 'subway shirt' trend, with many women taking to the platform to talk about the precautions they take each day to stay safe.
Fiona, a content creator from New York, posted on her page @fionaylin about the oversized blazer she wears over her dress.
She captioned her video: "Now that it's finally getting warmer in New York, this is your reminder to always wear a subway shirt/jacket over your cute outfit to protect yourself."
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Once again, users rushed to the comments to leave their thoughts, many feeling frustrated that women have cover up in order to feel safe — particularly in the summer heat.
One person wrote: "Yup! Lot of crazies on the trains, Fiona. Smart, bae."
"To protect against the pervs," commented another.
But, it was a woman named Mya, who goes by the username @hanselkai, that said it best in her own video on the topic — "Stay hot, stay sexy, stay safe from creeps!”
Bec Oakes