I think it's a verbiage issue. Well that and "There's still a major asshat out there" issue.
For the last two days the news has been running an article that starts with this exact line: Police are telling women not to walk alone at night in one neighborhood on the west side.
There have been, apparently, a series of some eight or ten assaults on women walking alone in about a four square block area. So, you know, the advice that women not be alone out there by themselves at night isn't uncalled for.
But the verbiage bugs the fuck out of me. Police are TELLING women not to... It makes it sound like an order. Or an implicit warning. I just have this image of some asshole male cop telling some assaulted woman, "We TOLD you not to go out there by yourself," with the strong implication that if you do you get what you deserve.
So it's not that I mind being warned that there's a specific section of town that's having more issues than usual, but I am so far beyond fucking sick of the fact that I have to make plans based around 'will it be dark when I'm done and how far will I have to walk from the El/bus/parking spot by myself?" I don't know one guy who factors that into making plans. We all think about, "Can I afford it?" "Will I be home in time for...?" or "Do I *really* want to do this thing?" But only women have to factor in "Am I going to be stuck walking somewhere I'd be perfectly fine walking in the daylight, at night, because, you know, being a woman and being alone and it being night are just *invitations* to being assaulted."
I just... GR. How about, "Police are informing women that they haven't yet caught the jackass who has assaulted ten women on the west side, and until they get better at their jobs, women should avoid walking alone if they can." I like that language better.
There have been, apparently, a series of some eight or ten assaults on women walking alone in about a four square block area. So, you know, the advice that women not be alone out there by themselves at night isn't uncalled for.
But the verbiage bugs the fuck out of me. Police are TELLING women not to... It makes it sound like an order. Or an implicit warning. I just have this image of some asshole male cop telling some assaulted woman, "We TOLD you not to go out there by yourself," with the strong implication that if you do you get what you deserve.
So it's not that I mind being warned that there's a specific section of town that's having more issues than usual, but I am so far beyond fucking sick of the fact that I have to make plans based around 'will it be dark when I'm done and how far will I have to walk from the El/bus/parking spot by myself?" I don't know one guy who factors that into making plans. We all think about, "Can I afford it?" "Will I be home in time for...?" or "Do I *really* want to do this thing?" But only women have to factor in "Am I going to be stuck walking somewhere I'd be perfectly fine walking in the daylight, at night, because, you know, being a woman and being alone and it being night are just *invitations* to being assaulted."
I just... GR. How about, "Police are informing women that they haven't yet caught the jackass who has assaulted ten women on the west side, and until they get better at their jobs, women should avoid walking alone if they can." I like that language better.