Grope-Free Transport.(Periscope; No Boys Allowed)(women-only buses)(Brief article)

Byline: Joseph Contreras

When Ariadna Montiel was a student in the 1990s and rode Mexico City's subways during peak hours, she shunned skirts in the hope of sparing herself the groping hands of a male passenger. Now the 33-year-old architect--who took charge of the capital's bus system a year ago--has devised a novel solution to the dilemma of leering lotharios: women-only bus service. Coaches bearing pink LADIES ONLY signs on their windshields made their debut on four Mexico City bus routes last month, and Montiel plans to extend the service to 11 more routes in coming weeks. "We've had to increase the original number of vehicles exclusively for women by 20 percent because there has been so much demand," says Montiel.

There was a time not long ago when such segregation would have been deemed unacceptable, if not unlawful. But women-only public transit is ...