In January, Mexico City joined a few other cities around the world by fulfilling a long-awaited dream for many women: their own city buses, free of groping, lascivious glances, and sexual propositions. According to the New York Times, the reaction thus far is positive, even among plenty of men, who women say are notorious for not just lewd behavior, but for pushing, cutting in line, and not relinquishing their seats to anyone.

In 2000, Bangkok, Thailand introduced a number of women-only buses, and in 2002 New Delhi did the same. Both cities seem to continue offering the service, though never having traveled to either city, I can't comment on their success -- or their reception among the men.

In New York, women have to either brave public transit or take a cab, an option chosen so frequently by some of my female friends that they budget several hundred dollars into their monthly spending for taxis. Granted, part of that might be simple laziness, but I know that at least some of it comes from fear.

Could a women-only bus or subway car system work in New York, or would it merely incite rage and some "enlightened" claims of reverse sexism?