Top tips for being an upstander – not just a bystander

As public transport employees - and often passengers - we are in a great position to help improve the travelling experiences of others who might feel unsafe on public transport.

To celebrate International Women’s Day at Tram Hub we welcomed 2020 YT Community Partner, Merri Health to chat about the everyday actions we can take to help make others feel welcome and safe. And it’s a lot easier than you might think!
Here are Merri Health’s top three tips for what individuals can do if they see behaviour that is not ok:
Indirect action:

• You can have a quiet word to the person being experiencing negative behaviour afterwards to check in that they’re ok; letting them know that they have an ally in you.
• Distraction: Change the topic altogether by interrupting to ask for the time or directions.
• Group policy: Raise negative behaviour with someone in a position of authority.