Being female in public is a crime

[Wol]

Observe: http://eviewmagazine.com/img/cabwise5.jpg

I saw this along with the thread title on facebook with the following text:

"What is wrong with this poster?

‘you’re putting yourself in danger’ –this blames women for rape.

It sends a message that women are not entitled to be in public spaces without the threat of violence.

It sends a message to rapists that women in public are fair game.

It triggers bad memories for sexual assault survivors, while rapey guys are probably getting off on it. The view of the woman’s face is shot from the rapist’s perspective.

Women would dearly love to stop ‘putting ourselves’ in danger from sexual assault. Trust us London Police, if we knew how to stop it we would. Anyways, isn’t it kind of...your job to stop crime?

The poster is not well-researched or evidence-based, and its sponsors have a history of incompetence in dealing with sexual violence.

There’s nothing wrong with making a service like Cabwise available, and informing people about it. But using sexual violence as a threat is condescending and cruel. And a little bit rapey. "


So my first opinion is that the above text is a load of crap. Well done, you have a vagina, and are proud of it, and you are now using it to be all feministy. But just because you may have the common sense not to use unlicenced minicabs, some other people dont have the sense, when drunk, to not take them. I dont personally feel that just because you're sensible enough to not do something should mean that you should stop others from being warned about the risks.

I know not to stand in the middle of a level crossing when a trains coming, but for those who don't realise this, I think it's fair game to show a nice splattered body on the front of a train, or something along those lines to bash it into peoples' heads that they have to stop doing it.

"It sends a message to rapists that women in public are fair game." - Does it? Does it really? I don't get that impression at all from the poster.

"‘you’re putting yourself in danger’ –this blames women for rape." - Does it? To me, it sounds more like its blaming the woman for putting herself in a situation which makes it easy for a rapist, which is the problem theyre trying to solve.

"Condescending and cruel"..... So the poster is cruel..... but not knowing about the risks of unlicenced minicabs and getting raped..... isn't cruel?

" if we knew how to stop it we would. " - Exactly. The poster is telling you how to stop it.... so..... c'mon then, why are you still doing what you've been told to stop?

I'd say "man up", but well.... ya know.

So discuss. What are your thoughts on this?

 

[Peepee]

I have an awesome reply to this but I need to be at home and not at work to do so

 

[Wol]

I have an awesome reply to this but I need to be at home and not at work to do so

uh oh.

 

[Silk]

It's telling women to be responsible for their own actions. Which, at a glance, is a fair point.

But delving a bit deeper.. where do you draw the line? First it's posters like this saying don't put yourself in that situation in the first place. But equally shouldn't we say "don't wear short skirts as it tempts sexual predators and it's YOUR FAULT if you get raped"? "Don't go out to the petrol station at night because you might get raped and it's YOUR OWN FAULT"? "Don't catch the bus to work in a morning because then you might get raped and it's YOUR OWN FAULT"?

Using similar logic to that presented by this poster, in ten years time maybe we'll have women wearing three layers of clothing, locked indoors, not venturing out because to do so would involve some small risk of being raped. It's also worth noting that licenced cab drivers can be rapists, this happened in Bradford a couple of years ago. So the whole "unlicenced cab" thing is poppycock.

What's really going on here, is rather than take any responsiblity for the rapists in our communities and going through the effort of vigilantly tracking them down and safeguarding us against them, they are passing the responsibility on to us. So then they can always say it's our fault if we do get raped. Nice. Real nice.

 

[SwampFae]

Sooo many things I want to say regarding this topic.
For now, I will just shorten it down to: What? Lawl? No. Just...no. I mean. What the h*ll

 

[Silk]

Meh am I the only opinionated female here?

 

[Peepee]

Observe: http://eviewmagazine.com/img/cabwise5.jpg

"What is wrong with this poster?

‘you’re putting yourself in danger’ –this blames women for rape.

It sends a message that women are not entitled to be in public spaces without the threat of violence.

It sends a message to rapists that women in public are fair game.

It triggers bad memories for sexual assault survivors, while rapey guys are probably getting off on it. The view of the woman’s face is shot from the rapist’s perspective.

Women would dearly love to stop ‘putting ourselves’ in danger from sexual assault. Trust us London Police, if we knew how to stop it we would. Anyways, isn’t it kind of...your job to stop crime?

The poster is not well-researched or evidence-based, and its sponsors have a history of incompetence in dealing with sexual violence.

There’s nothing wrong with making a service like Cabwise available, and informing people about it. But using sexual violence as a threat is condescending and cruel. And a little bit rapey. "


So my first opinion is that the above text is a load of crap. Well done, you have a vagina, and are proud of it, and you are now using it to be all feministy.

Btw Wol love it you have a vage and are proud of it !

But tbh my personal opinion on that thingy on facebook its a load of bollocks! Its just an excuse for some women to bitch and moan, I mean yes its a sensible poster dont get in unlicenced taxis (which most would say is common sense). But it is in no way is saying you shouldnt go outside as a woman, total crap! If a man is capable of, or intent on raping a woman then quite plainly he will. Doesnt matter what shes wearing or where she is. There is though a grey area in my opinion, and that would be where a woman is being a prick tease and maybe dressing in a more than slutty way. And all I mean by this is that not that they deserve to be raped as no one ever does, but can they really be surprised that they are? (I am cringing as im saying this as I know it will piss someone off but its just how I think about it).

But yeah basically I agree with Wol women just need to grow some and man up a bit tbh. Stop using the fact that your a woman be an excuse for things, unless that means someone will buy you pretty things Or shoes its okie to buy shoes for a woman and handbags well just like everything! I like shoes...

 

[Peepee]

Meh am I the only opinionated female here?

Oh hell no

 

[Silk]

I don't understand the viewpoint of "if she's acting / dressed like a tart she's asking for it". She might have gone out looking for a lay, yes. But she has every right to do that, just like a bloke does. Does it mean she should be sexually assaulted?

Isn't that like saying if I go out looking for a bar of chocolate it's ok for some nutcase to come along and force it down my throat (no pun intended) with physical force, or at knife point? I wanted it, hell I was even stood outside Thorntons, a place renown for having LOTS of chocolate.. I was stood there practically drooling. So it's fine, right?

I think it's a very misguided point of view when we turn around and blame a woman for getting raped if she gets a certain cab, dresses a certain way, or walks down a certain street or through a certain park. I'm not saying I agree with the facebook chick but I am saying I have my own reasons as stated for thinking that yes, the poster is morally wrong. To even apportion 1% of "being raped" as the womans own fault is generally wrong. The only situation I'd say she has any blame in, is that where she takes things way too far with a guy she just met and then at the last minute says no. But even then, no means no.

The blame should always reside with the rapist, and the police force.

 

[Gombol]

I don't understand the viewpoint of "if she's acting / dressed like a tart she's asking for it". She might have gone out looking for a lay, yes. But she has every right to do that, just like a bloke does. Does it mean she should be sexually assaulted?

Isn't that like saying if I go out looking for a bar of chocolate it's ok for some nutcase to come along and force it down my throat (no pun intended) with physical force, or at knife point? I wanted it, hell I was even stood outside Thorntons, a place renown for having LOTS of chocolate.. I was stood there practically drooling. So it's fine, right?

I think it's a very misguided point of view when we turn around and blame a woman for getting raped if she gets a certain cab, dresses a certain way, or walks down a certain street or through a certain park. I'm not saying I agree with the facebook chick but I am saying I have my own reasons as stated for thinking that yes, the poster is morally wrong. To even apportion 1% of "being raped" as the womans own fault is generally wrong. The only situation I'd say she has any blame in, is that where she takes things way too far with a guy she just met and then at the last minute says no. But even then, no means no.

The blame should always reside with the rapist, and the police force.

As much as I agree it's the rapists / whatevers fault, when a woman goes out wearing the skimpiest thing she owns, she really is asking for it. When I go out (The rare times, I do.) I see tonnes of girls wearing almost nothing, and I think "What a slut."

 

[Peepee]

The only situation I'd say she has any blame in, is that where she takes things way too far with a guy she just met and then at the last minute says no. But even then, no means no.

thats where my point was suppose to lead but im easily distracted.

 

[Silk]

As much as I agree it's the rapists / whatevers fault, when a woman goes out wearing the skimpiest thing she owns, she really is asking for it. When I go out (The rare times, I do.) I see tonnes of girls wearing almost nothing, and I think "What a slut."

So she doesn't have the right to dress like that without expecting to be sexually attacked?

Is it her fault that female sluts are by society's own standards expected to dress a certain, usually revealing manner? If she dressed in jeans and a t-shirt like your typical male sluts, would she get what she was looking for?

 

[waterproofbob]

I would agree that blaming a woman for getting raped in anyway is nuts. But that isn't what this poster is doing. It is created for a specific purpose to increase awareness about a very real risk. To my mind this is no different to the posters they have in dentist and doctors surgeries or various cancers, diseases that result from smoking/drinking over eating etc. It is a shock tactic. A simple poster stating that there are unlicensed cabs and they can be dangerous would just be another poster that you wouldn't think twice about.

The poster is very simply stating that if you get into an unlicensed taxi you are putting yourself at risk. It is not saying you deserve what happens as a result. Also your chocolate analogy doesn't hold Sikth, it's not like going to Thornton's. Thornton's is a registered shop that would give you a receipt for any purchase. It's like wanting chocolate and instead of going to Thornton's you go to a guy selling chocolate looking stuff out of a brown paper bag at the side of the road. You can't guarantee the quality and you are putting yourself at risk by eating it.

 

[Silk]

I would agree that blaming a woman for getting raped in anyway is nuts. But that isn't what this poster is doing. It is created for a specific purpose to increase awareness about a very real risk. To my mind this is no different to the posters they have in dentist and doctors surgeries or various cancers, diseases that result from smoking/drinking over eating etc. It is a shock tactic. A simple poster stating that there are unlicensed cabs and they can be dangerous would just be another poster that you wouldn't think twice about.

..snip.

Yes but the only rape from a taxi I've ever seen in the news was a licenced taxi. So the debate to me isn't about a cab being licenced or not, it's about blaming a girl for jumping in a cab on her own.

Also the other things you mention are generally self inflicted, whereas rape most certainly isn't.

 

[BiG D]

when a woman goes out wearing the skimpiest thing she owns, she really is asking for it.

Firstly, gross. Have some respect.

Secondly, do you really think that rapes happen because of clothes?

 

[SwampFae]

Btw Wol love it you have a vage and are proud of it !

But tbh my personal opinion on that thingy on facebook its a load of bollocks! Its just an excuse for some women to bitch and moan, I mean yes its a sensible poster dont get in unlicenced taxis (which most would say is common sense). But it is in no way is saying you shouldnt go outside as a woman, total crap! If a man is capable of, or intent on raping a woman then quite plainly he will. Doesnt matter what shes wearing or where she is. There is though a grey area in my opinion, and that would be where a woman is being a prick tease and maybe dressing in a more than slutty way. And all I mean by this is that not that they deserve to be raped as no one ever does, but can they really be surprised that they are? (I am cringing as im saying this as I know it will piss someone off but its just how I think about it).

But yeah basically I agree with Wol women just need to grow some and man up a bit tbh. Stop using the fact that your a woman be an excuse for things, unless that means someone will buy you pretty things Or shoes its okie to buy shoes for a woman and handbags well just like everything! I like shoes...

Thank you
Never been good at discussing things like this via text. But there it is.
Zoe, I luff you for saying this<3

Firstly, gross. Have some respect.

Secondly, do you really think that rapes happen because of clothes?

Happened to a girl near where I live.
She never dressed herself in skimpy or very tight clothes. So no. Not really all that much because of clothes. If they want to, they will attempt it if they get the chance.

 

[Panda with issues...]

First of all, anyone that uses the faux word 'rapey' is a moron.

Secondly, this poster doesn't ACTUALLY target the biggest problem, which is women getting blind drunk and putting themselves at risk, which is what normally happens before they would take an unliscenced cab.

Women have every right to go out and drink and wear what they want to do so. As adults, they also need to be responsible for their own safety.

Sadly that seems to be a level of maturity too far for most when you walk around late on fridays and saturday nights around any city centre.

 

[Gombol]

So she doesn't have the right to dress like that without expecting to be sexually attacked?

Is it her fault that female sluts are by society's own standards expected to dress a certain, usually revealing manner? If she dressed in jeans and a t-shirt like your typical male sluts, would she get what she was looking for?

Never said that.

Firstly, gross. Have some respect.

Secondly, do you really think that rapes happen because of clothes?

I do have respect. And it's a large factor, yes. Think about it, would a rapist rather go for someone wearing jeans / trousers / whatever, or a miniskirt?

 

[Peepee]

Yes but the only rape from a taxi I've ever seen in the news was a licenced taxi. So the debate to me isn't about a cab being licenced or not, it's about blaming a girl for jumping in a cab on her own.

Also the other things you mention are generally self inflicted, whereas rape most certainly isn't.

Actually I live in Ipswich and there were five prostitues that were raped and murdered by a local taxi drive, that was a fun time to be in suffolk.

 

[BiG D]

I do have respect. And it's a large factor, yes. Think about it, would a rapist rather go for someone wearing jeans / trousers / whatever, or a miniskirt?

Nope, saying that women are asking for it is disrespectful to every rape victim ever.

Please explain this to me, though. Why do clothes have anything to do with it?