a day in the life

[valkyriekaren]

This is mostly for the attention of those men on my friends list who refuse to believe how frequently public harassment of women takes place.

I am going out to spend the evening at a friend's birthday party. I leave my flat at around 5.30pm. As I go to stop at the cashpoint on my road, a man is walking towards me. He makes to grab my arm and I turn

Comments

[wildeabandon]

I'm sorry that happened to you :( I wish I were surprised...

[plumsbitch]

Very much THIS.

[greylock]

The first guy? I think he's now well and truly a candidate for a visit to Taster Town (or Pepper-Spray Village).

I see a young man approach a girl who is talking with her friend, and grind his crotch against her.

At 5.30? That's curiously early for such beer-monsterism. Was alcohol involved?

As I do so he shouts at me again, and hurls his can of lager at me, showering my face, hair and dress in beer.

Man. I really do hate people. That's awful.

[valkyriekaren]

Tasers and pepper spray are illegal here - I'd get done for assault!

[greylock]

I figured tasers were, wasn't sure about pepper spray.

[snesgirl]

What if you spray him in teh face with *really* strong perfume? Carrying a small atomiser seems eas enough to me. Note I am in no wa sayingyou HAVE to defend yourself in this way, but I am just windering if that woukd also count as assault? also now that i think about it, might tha just esculate potential confrontstion scenarios .? Hmmm.

[pogodragon]

Bastards. I hope you're OK. For that last one - where the hell were the station staff? Or is that a stupid question.

I hope your local takes a hint and moves on.

[valkyriekaren]

I'm fine, just pissed off. There didn't seem to be any station staff about, and none of the passers-by stopped to help or check if I was OK, either. I assume they just thought it was regular Saturday-night drama.

[greylock]

I assume they just thought it was regular Saturday-night drama.

Sadly, it is.

I've just realised how complacent I am about it (and it has nothing to do with gender).
Go out? Come home late at night? In some areas you just have to expect the risk of getting hassled is extremely high.

Which is entirely the wrong world view.

We should start killing people. Then they might stop being dicks.

[valkyriekaren]

The thing is, you say, "in some areas". These incidents all happened in different places - one near my flat in Tulse Hill, one in Camden Town and one in Tottenham Court Road tube station in the centre of town. It doesn't seem to happen more often in so-called 'rough' areas.

[girfan]

So sorry these assholes ruined your night out.

I really wish those men could be made to understand just how awful these actions are, but I think they would need a lot more than a cluebat!

[dwagon]

Jesus wept - what an awful night :(

[valkyriekaren]

Apart from those incidents, I had a really nice night out.