A Funicular Named Desire

türkçe links to original Turkish article

(HaberTürk Newspaper, 25 December 2017)


C.B. got a bit too much for the price of her carfare.

The incident occurred a month ago.  Theater performer C.B. was on
the funicular railway from Kabataş to Taksim in Istanbul and sat
next to the window on one of five seats in the back of the funicular
car.  Besides C.B., there was a young man and a 10-year-old boy in
the car, as well.

C.B. put on her earphones to listen to music and when she turned her
head to the right, she was startled to see that the young man, Yusuf A.,
was looking at her and satisfying himself (!).  In a panic, C.B. changed
her seat and when the funicular reached Taksim she found a policeman
and reported Yusuf A.

Upon C.B.'s complaint, Yusuf A., who is Jordanian, was arraigned
in court, where he stated that "I know what I did was wrong and I
regret it.  I know it's not a good thing.  I'd like to come to an agreement."
The judge, though, decided that Yusuf A. should be tried for "sexual
harassment", which carries a jail sentence of from 9 months to 4.5
years.


Yusuf A., left, asked the judge "was that wrong? Should I not
have done that?"