The Hollaback blog was originally NYC based, but they've started a London one too now. The idea of it is if someone harasses you in the street/tube you take their picture with your mobile phone and upload it.
A Different Type Of Cyclist Harassment
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The Hollaback blog was originally NYC based, but they've started a London one too now. The idea of it is if someone harasses you in the street/tube you take their picture with your mobile phone and upload it.
But Harriet Walker was presumably refering to her experiences in London (or possibly some other British city?). I was surprised that she gets this much attention both walking and cycling.
I suppose it would be in very bad taste to speculate that she must be something of a dish.
I suppose it would be in very bad taste to speculate that she must be something of a dish.
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
It would, as such happens to females of all ages, sizes, looks.... just being female makes you a target of a particularly neanderthal-type of male.
slugonabike
New Member
- Location
- Bournemouth
I'm sure that's not true, Arch, I see you as a veritable cycling babe. However, at 52 yo and with a BMI of 30+ it prolly explains why I don't get such attention (thank dog)!
edited typo
She referred in her article to the Hollaback blogs, and Joolsy commented on that, that's why NYC came into it. Joolsy was just comparing the amount of harassment that happens in each city.
Apart from it being in very bad taste it would also be incorrect. Half the time when you get these comments it's from someone who has only seen the back of you, so the only prerequisite is that you're not fat and not disabled in some way that would be visible from behind.
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
That would also be incorrect. The only prerequisite is to look vaguely female.
You reckon? I'd agree that all women are targets for harassment, but when I'm walking around with overweight friends they seem to get a different kind (outright insults rather than the usual phwoar-want-a-shag rubbish that was the subject of the article).
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
In other words, if you're female, you're a target for utterly nasty, inappropriate comments by a certain variety of neanderthal.
Yep.
The weirdest thing I find is that other men are unaware that it happens. Does that mean that the perpetrators are checking that the entire area is clear of other men before shouting? I doubt it, they seem to be just bursting with this comment that has to come out. So what's going on?
The weirdest thing I find is that other men are unaware that it happens. Does that mean that the perpetrators are checking that the entire area is clear of other men before shouting? I doubt it, they seem to be just bursting with this comment that has to come out. So what's going on?
I am not aware that this happens because I have not seen or heard it happen, and hardly ever hear about it happening, either.
I can't deny that certain thoughts originate in the most primitive parts of my brain sometimes but I don't cause offence by blurting them out.
Spinney
Bimbleur extraordinaire
- Location
- Back up north
I've never experienced this on a bike, but then I don't cycle in a city (and you can't see the developing wrinkles until you are up close!)
wafflycat
New Member
- Location
- middle of Norfolk
No, it happens. I've been on the receiving end *occasionally* and even occasionally is too often. Unfortunately it's one of those things that some blokes still seem to view females as 'fair game' for all sorts of behaviour and comments that should have disappeared long ago.
She's describing her own experiences. Do you think she's lying?
A friend of mine was slapped on the backside by some moron as she rode home. When the police, (PC and WPC) arrived to interview her, he first question PC Braindeath asked her was, "Were you cycling provocatively?" When she expressed bafflement as to what he meant, he replied, "Were you standing up on the pedals with your posterior swaying?" . If a police officer takes such a ludicrously stupid viewpoint, is it surprising that mouthbreathing, knuckledraggers behave offensively.
My wife was cycling home one evening, when some halfwitted thug leaned out of the rear passenger window and hit her across the back and head with a four arm wheelbrace, fortunately with only slight bruising. They were laughing their heads off as they drove away. She got the number before they turned off down a side street and saw a police car a couple of hundred yards further on. they investigated, found the wheelbrace on the rear passenger seat and arested the owner of the car.
He claimed that he wasn't driving and his friends were allowed to pick up the car keys from his hall and borrow it whenever they liked. Since it was at night, my wife could not identify her assailant, let alone the driver. All the police could do was hold the driver overnight, make it generally unpleasant for him and place the info on computer against further possible offences.
Might you not consider that, unless you ride behind these "awful lot of ladies" for some considerable distance, every day, it is highly unlikely that you would see such behaviour, or, since some of it simply offensive comments, rather than assault, you wouldn't hear them anyway.
Nothing like that has ever happened to me in London (I would have thought it would be less common to experience sexual abuse in London as girls on bikes is a pretty common sight?)
But when I was cycling in France last year some blokes on mopeds overtook me and one of them whacked my ass really hard. I was sooooo angry - apart from anything else it was extremely dangerous. Unfortunately the only comeback I had was a death stare when me and my husband stopped to pump my tires up in a layby and they came back the other way. Grrrr still makes me angry.
But when I was cycling in France last year some blokes on mopeds overtook me and one of them whacked my ass really hard. I was sooooo angry - apart from anything else it was extremely dangerous. Unfortunately the only comeback I had was a death stare when me and my husband stopped to pump my tires up in a layby and they came back the other way. Grrrr still makes me angry.
