Sharking

Sharking is when a man -- usually in a hooded shirt and sunglasses -- sneaks up behind an unsuspecting woman on the street, and yanks her top down. He then runs off. Frequently, he will have a confederate video-recording the stalking, the attack, and the aftermath.

The targets usually are women in tube tops (it’s a lot easier to yank down a garment that doesn’t go over her shoulders). Almost certainly, if she is wearing a tube top, she’s NOT wearing a bra. Ergo, her bare breasts are exposed in public.

A variant is to yank UP the hem of the woman’s dress or skirt. If she’s not wearing underwear, so much the better. If she is, her panties frequently will be tugged down as well.

A final variant is to relieve the woman of some or all of her clothing. Sometimes, the guy will hang around and taunt her with her clothes, enticing her to chase him. Other times, he’ll just run off. She might be left in her underwear, or she might be totally naked.

Sharking is very popular in Japan there, but happens elsewhere too. Google for videos of sharking to see the practice in action.

COMMENTS AND OBSERVATIONS

1. Why is (was?) sharking popular in Japan? I think it might be because of cultural influence on Japanese women. Japanese women usually will vocalize (squeak, shriek, scream -- not very loudly and not continuously), but they DON’T to fight the guy off. They spend all their energy trying to get (or stay) covered up. Western women will take a swing at the guy if they get the chance.
2. Corollary: If you don’t want to be a target of sharking, don’t dress in a manner that invites it!
3. You gotta be really ballsy to do that to a strange women in a public place.