Yep, that's why I mentioned in my post that "not to say the latter wouldn't do the same, but generally based on what the media tells us which is all I have to go by".
I should clarify that I don't at all judge people based on appearance at all for virtually anything else I can think of. The people I love the most in my life are covered in piercings, tattoos, cry "bloody murder" and as much as it breaks my heart, many of them so have substance abuse problems(aka, people my mother would never approve of ;) ), but I love them all so much, they have hearts of pure gold and I trust them with my life. I actually get told a lot by my co-workers that the people I am friends with don't seem to match me (which is absurd) because I am very "clean cut", no piercings, no tattoos, never even dyed my hair! Goodness, I don't drink alcohol, nor coffee or smoke lol. I get labeled "good girl" a lot, even though I think the term is just too strange.
On the flip side, working in the "corporate world", I've met one too many characters who are the exact opposite, though they are "well" dressed and clean cut. So much so I have had to file complaints to HR or confront them myself.
At the end of the day, I've (fortunately) never seen or been attacked on a train before, but I read about it (hence me mentioning the media, honestly if I didn't read the newspaper, I'd have no idea people could be attacked on trains! And the newspaper always seems to claim people with a "rough" appearance were the attackers) and know it's a real possibility. When I step on a train late at night, my intuition guides me and I sit around the people who I feel are safest to be with. Unfortunately, because I don't know any one on the train personally, I have nothing but their appearance to judge them with. I am completely against people who do judge based on looks, but in a situation like this? I'm often at a loss as what is the "right" thing to do, given I am absolutely terrified of ever being attacked :(
I consider myself to be an open-minded person, but the way my mind always seems to jump to conclusions in these sorts of situations always makes me wonder how open minded am I really? :( It's confusing.
Well, I think that being biased in the social sphere is different from being biased when you're dealing with your safety. While weird frottage perverts seem to tend to be well-dressed, muggers seem to tend not to be.
I don't think it's wrong for you to get on the train car with clean-cut people if only because they're similar to you in appearance -- you aren't obvious there and maybe less likely to be targeted? Whereas when you're the one tidy-looking person in a train car full of people who dress in a more alternative or aggressive manner, you are more apparent and sort of the odd man out?
It is a tough situation to consider, but maybe "sticking with your tribe" is the best way to be safe.
I should clarify that I don't at all judge people based on appearance at all for virtually anything else I can think of. The people I love the most in my life are covered in piercings, tattoos, cry "bloody murder" and as much as it breaks my heart, many of them so have substance abuse problems(aka, people my mother would never approve of ;) ), but I love them all so much, they have hearts of pure gold and I trust them with my life. I actually get told a lot by my co-workers that the people I am friends with don't seem to match me (which is absurd) because I am very "clean cut", no piercings, no tattoos, never even dyed my hair! Goodness, I don't drink alcohol, nor coffee or smoke lol. I get labeled "good girl" a lot, even though I think the term is just too strange.
On the flip side, working in the "corporate world", I've met one too many characters who are the exact opposite, though they are "well" dressed and clean cut. So much so I have had to file complaints to HR or confront them myself.
At the end of the day, I've (fortunately) never seen or been attacked on a train before, but I read about it (hence me mentioning the media, honestly if I didn't read the newspaper, I'd have no idea people could be attacked on trains! And the newspaper always seems to claim people with a "rough" appearance were the attackers) and know it's a real possibility. When I step on a train late at night, my intuition guides me and I sit around the people who I feel are safest to be with. Unfortunately, because I don't know any one on the train personally, I have nothing but their appearance to judge them with. I am completely against people who do judge based on looks, but in a situation like this? I'm often at a loss as what is the "right" thing to do, given I am absolutely terrified of ever being attacked :(
I consider myself to be an open-minded person, but the way my mind always seems to jump to conclusions in these sorts of situations always makes me wonder how open minded am I really? :( It's confusing.
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I don't think it's wrong for you to get on the train car with clean-cut people if only because they're similar to you in appearance -- you aren't obvious there and maybe less likely to be targeted? Whereas when you're the one tidy-looking person in a train car full of people who dress in a more alternative or aggressive manner, you are more apparent and sort of the odd man out?
It is a tough situation to consider, but maybe "sticking with your tribe" is the best way to be safe.
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