Woman's trip from London to Iran. Foolish?

[Tin Pot]

If Emily had set out not expecting the trouble she got, that might be considered naive or foolish I suppose...but she didn't.

A less captivating title might be, "Is it dangerous for a woman..." to which Emily's story bears out what I think most people would expect.

 

[hopless500]

Fabulous thing to go and do.
Great article and blog.

 

[Dogtrousers]

If you're into reading about adventurous cycle journeys of this nature (but a bit colder), A Siberian Winter's Tale - Cycling to the Edge of Insanity and the End of the World by Helen Lloyd is a good read.

 

[srw]

You commit two fallacies.

1) You created a non-sequitur by saying that because he quoted a racist and sexist headline, he is guilty thereof too.
2) You assume a negative reaction (whatever you mean by that) proves guilt.

Further, I see no racism or sexism in the said headline. How do you propose the topic of a solo female cyclist in an area perceived to be unsafe be discussed? Was the woman in question herself being racist and sexist when she said she will not allow her daughter to do the same?

I also answered no to his question but made no judgement of the OP. It was just a question.

1) Errr.... No I didn't.
2) Errr.... No I don't.

You're trying to mind-read, and getting it badly wrong. But you know that's what you're doing, so I can't be bothered to take this further.

A better BBC headline would have been something like "Challenging stereotypes - one woman's trip on a bike to Tehran." Because that's what the article is about, and that's what the first paragraph of the article says.

[edit]
Comment submitted to the BBC at:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms/?e...NQGU9VIC0I9N4LKDJBS&mid=contact&uid=858771261

 

[steveindenmark]

Not foolish at all. The more adventure forums you read, the more you see single women travelling alone. Not just on bikes but motorbikes and even walking around the world.

 

[jefmcg]

I agree with her summary, she wouldn't let her daughter do it.

Such specificity. I want to know if she'd let her son do it.

It's something I've noticed since I was very small. The twin admonishments of "it's too dangerous" and "behave like a young lady" the sought to limit the things that girls could do. And more often spoken by women than men.

This was clearly the most dangerous part

I ran out of water in the Sahara and collapsed, vomiting and delirious

and did not involve sex or sexism or race or racism**

**Well, except it makes me think "made dogs and English men..."

 

[Tin Pot]

Such specificity. I want to know if she'd let her son do it.

It's something I've noticed since I was very small. The twin admonishments of "it's too dangerous" and "behave like a young lady" the sought to limit the things that girls could do. And more often spoken by women than men.

This was clearly the most dangerous part and did not involve sex or sexism or race or racism**

**Well, except it makes me think "made dogs and English men..."

I dunno, having to pull a knife to dissuade a sexual assault sounds serious. Dehydration is easily recoverable.

People have different measures, for myself I would worry about robbery and murder taking on that trip, but wouldn't have to be concerned with misogyny and not (so much) sexual assault. For some, the experiences she went through would be much more shocking.

Man or woman, if you're prepared for the risks you're going to be exposed to then you make your decision and what happens happens. You can't say it's foolhardy.

Theres a lot of airtime given to women travellers being abducted, where you hardly hear of the trouble guys get into - is it rare, is it frequent - hard to say if it's objectively riskier for one sex or another.

 

[bladesman73]

1) Errr.... No I didn't.
2) Errr.... No I don't.

You're trying to mind-read, and getting it badly wrong. But you know that's what you're doing, so I can't be bothered to take this further.

A better BBC headline would have been something like "Challenging stereotypes - one woman's trip on a bike to Tehran." Because that's what the article is about, and that's what the first paragraph of the article says.

[edit]
Comment submitted to the BBC at:
https://ssl.bbc.co.uk/faqs/forms/?e...NQGU9VIC0I9N4LKDJBS&mid=contact&uid=858771261

change ur name to sjw

 

[Blue Hills]

He quoted the BBC headline, and the BBC headline is racist and sexist. He also got a negative reaction.

Is there something else you suppose I suggest he did?

I suggest you are being, er, uncharitable, to put it mildly. These are the sort of bullying self aggrandising games played in a certain other cycling place. Wouldn't you be happier there?

 

[Blue Hills]

? Was the woman in question herself being racist and sexist when she said she will not allow her daughter to do the same?

.

Killer point yellow saddle take a bow. You deserve it.

 

[robing]

Not racist or sexist at all. The article is simply to talking about risk. Some of those countries in the Middle East and north Africa are politically unstable and dangerous, have a look at the FCO advice - or is that racist? However, in many middle eastern countries the local people can be incredibly welcoming and generous, which the article goes on to say. But also in many of these countries women are treated badly and have a low status, so there is no doubt that a solo female traveller is more vulnerable than a male. Not sexist, just a statement of fact.

 

[srw]

But also in many of these countries women are treated badly and have a low status, so there is no doubt that a solo female traveller is more vulnerable than a male. Not sexist, just a statement of fact.

Really? I agree that the status of women is poor in many countries, but I don't think it follows that vulnerability is higher, unless you've got evidence to support your claim?

In fact many of these same cultures also have a culture of welcoming strangers and helping those in danger. Which was rather the point of the article linked by the OP.

 

[ianrauk]

From the BBC
In Pictures, here journey, HERE

 

[Cycleops]

From the BBC
In Pictures, here journey, HERE

You beat me to it. Lovely pictures.
Just hope srw doesn't find anything racist or sexist about them.

 

[Ridgeways]

As Emily Chappell has noted, men suffer much the same risks in such countries, and in fact [having read other solo women travellers on travels in those regions on modes other than bicycles], arguably encounter more of it. A young Frenchman I travelled with in Egypt suffered the sort of harassment described in the Chappell article, while an English fellow cyclist met in Bangkok showed me the scar on his neck from an Afghan encounter when he rebuffed advances.

I have obviously been far too unattractive to experience such incidents, but on the other hand I have been arrested too many times because I was a male foreigner on my own in places off the tourist track, and men are more likely to be seen as agents for unfriendly powers.

Having acknowledged that, everything said about the general hospitality in those countries is true. I spent a month travelling around Iran on my Bickerton shortly after the New York twin-towers incident, and can confidently agree that the people in Iran were the most hospitable of any other country I have travelled in – surpassing even those in Syria – and that extended across all social “classes” including officialdom as well as the general public. I did still get arrested once while in Iran, in Kermanshah, but that was by a slightly nutty freelance operative, who was told by the local police officer in charge of the district to take me back to where he found me!

Alertness, respect, and genuineness is the best defence against hassles, though everyone will inevitably meet up with those from time to time.