‘Star Wars’ Writer Shares Story of Being Harassed on Atlanta Train

Star Wars writer Delilah Dawson went on Twitter on Sunday to speak about a harrowing experience she had on the Atlanta MARTA train.

Dawson said she was sharing the story to help herself process it, but also to remind her followers that “this is what women face every goddamn day.” She added, “If you ever wonder why I write books about angry, violent, murderous women, THIS IS WHY. I was helpless. My characters are not.”

Dawson, whose Star Wars novel Phasma will be released in September, recounts being on the train when she was approached by a man who called her “baby” and said she was “looking good.” She said she moved to another seat away from him, but he followed her. Dawson said she put her hands up and told the harasser she was married, backing toward the door, and when this happened she alleged he “got really aggressive” and said, “Bitch, you don’t tell me no. F— you. Imma get a tattoo that says f— the police and f— you.” 

When the train stopped, Dawson said he followed her off yelling that he wanted to fight her and threatening to cut her. She said a man walked up through the crowd with his teenage daughter and told the harasser to leave Dawson alone and he started to threaten the man as well. 

After the harasser went up the stairs, Dawson called the police, who walked her to her car. She said she was shaking the whole way and was afraid that she would get stabbed if she had taken her eyes off of him. “Was terrified for my life,” she said.

On Monday morning, Dawson thanked fans for their kind words, but said some of the reaction she received was “weirdly compassionate victim shaming.”

“I could list all the weapons I own + tell you how long I studied muay thai, BJJ. But I’d rather just let you know that IT SHOULDN’T HAPPEN,” wrote Dawson. “Telling me what I *should’ve* done when alone and threatened is kind of a dick move. I didn’t fight my rapist, either. But I survived.”

Here’s her account of what occurred:

So this is what I looked like today when I got harassed, threatened, and followed off a @MARTASERVICE train today. Full story: pic.twitter.com/yHH2IFbkB7

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE I was riding north from the airport to the Sandy Springs station. Guy got on my car at Dunwoody station. Sat right behind me…

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE Started with the usual harassment patter. “Hey, baby. You lookin‘ good. I like your tattoos.” So I said “Nope,” got up, sat in new seat…

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE Important: Only other people on the car were two women older than me and a sleeping guy in his 60s. No one said/did anything.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE And he got up and followed me, so I got up and backed away toward the door, hands up. “No thanks,” I said. “I’m marrried.”

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE He got really aggressive, backing me up. “Bitch, you don’t tell me no. F*ck you. Imma get a tattoo that says f*ck the police and f*ck you.”

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE The train was stopping, so I got off, hands still up. He followed, yelling, “BITCH, YOU WANT TO FIGHT? I DO. I’M GONNA F*CKING CUT YOU.”

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE The other ladies on the train gave me apologetic looks and escaped out the other door as he followed me, repeatedly threatening to cut me.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE I ducked into a crowd. He went the opposite way before turning right back around to come back after me. Thankfully, another guy stepped in.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE “Leave her alone,” new guy, a dad w his teen daughter said. Guy went after him, saying, “A real man got to fight if he says sh*t like that.”

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE Then, shouting that he was going to cut us both, the guy went up the stairs to exit. So I picked up the Marta police phone.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE So: I’m 39. Dressed in loose clothing. Minimal makeup. Wedding ring. Minding my biz. Reading a book on my phone. Was terrified for my life.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE I guess I’m telling this story to help myself process it and to remind you that this is what women face every. goddamn. day.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

.@MARTASERVICE If you ever wonder why I write books about angry, violent, murderous women, THIS IS WHY. I was helpless. My characters are not.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 16, 2017

So much kind support on yesterday’s thread. <3 Lots of weirdly compassionate victim shaming, though? The #1 rule of self defense is SURVIVE.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 17, 2017

Kind of fascinated by the people suggesting yesterday’s Marta thread wasn’t a gender thing. First thing he did was compliment my looks.

— Delilah S. Dawson (@DelilahSDawson) April 17, 2017