I’m sorry you experienced this and can imagine the helplessness and fear you and your friend felt. I wonder what, if anything, the bystander who tried to intervene could have said to make you both feel comfortable. I don’t know if I would’ve acted the “right” way as I think my instinct is to tell the lech to leave two young kids alone. That’s assuming I’m the middle aged mom I am now, not a fellow teen, of course. My kids don’t take public transit in our rural area but I’m trying to figure out how to advise them if they face this situation. What do you wish your parents could have told your younger self to do?