Please help find a great street harassment analogy October 29, 2014 2:04 PM Subscribe
I read a great comment on somewhere on Metafilter or AskMetafilter that likened street harassment to having random people continually going up to you and asking you for a dollar. You never knew who was going to ask you for a dollar and even though most people are never going to ask it left you on edge that anyone, at any point, would be begging you for a dollar. It was much better written though. Does anyone remember this?
Now I remember reading that answer, but I forgot the question. I will now try to forget the question again.
posted by filthy light thief at 2:41 PM on October 29, 2014 [10 favorites]
posted by filthy light thief at 2:41 PM on October 29, 2014 [10 favorites]
YES that's it! I even have it favorited! I used "asked" instead of "owed" in the search string and it kept coming up with nothing. Thank you!
posted by Anonymous at 3:14 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by Anonymous at 3:14 PM on October 29, 2014
Wow that's an amazing comment. Like seriously top shelf.
posted by Sternmeyer at 4:22 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by Sternmeyer at 4:22 PM on October 29, 2014
There was also this thread likening being a woman to being a cyclist. Not about street harassment specifically, but that's clearly involved.
posted by adamrice at 5:04 PM on October 29, 2014
posted by adamrice at 5:04 PM on October 29, 2014
decathecting's comment is amazing, the bike one not so much. i can't read it without cringing and thinking of some coy guy going "ah, now i've experienced the oppression, i get it!"
posted by emptythought at 5:33 PM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
posted by emptythought at 5:33 PM on October 29, 2014 [2 favorites]
Wow. That comment is really good.
If someone thinks they can learn everything about oppression from one article, they probably aren't on MetaFilter. I've learned most about the scale of racism, sexism, and other -isms by just listening to people's stories both here and irl, but I found the cycling analogy pretty apt. Might as well talk about the differences instead of just saying "this article is bad," which I got from several comments on that thread. I don't mind many opinions, as long as there's good sources/arguments; that's the best way to learn. I also don't see how someone could use the cyclist article to be, um, smug?, while not also getting the same reaction from decathecting's comment.
The differences are that cyclists tend to have a smaller voice not because they've historically been ignored, but because it's quite obvious when you're cycling, and there are vastly more drivers (or people who have driven) than cyclists. Also, it's a voluntary danger, but it also makes it more relatable because many cyclists have driven before.
Cyclists can be seen as noisy and whining because roads often aren't built for cyclists, but non-cyclists don't realize the problem. Sometimes other cyclists may comment that you're not cycling correctly, or not even realize that the roads are against you. As a cyclist I've seen driver behaviors which I may have once done, but which just seem trite and dangerous. Drivers may just be moving forward for a better look, but I can't discount that they don't even consider me, and they often don't. I was recently in an accident at an intersection where a driver in the cross street with a red managed to hit me in the second lane from the curb, which would have probably maimed me if I was on a bicycle, or crippled my finances if I hadn't won the insurance claim. Immediately after the accident I was extremely worried and half-convinced it may have been my fault, even though there was no reason to think so if I had been rational. Everything in this paragraph can help relate to some -ism.
posted by halifix at 11:22 PM on October 29, 2014
If someone thinks they can learn everything about oppression from one article, they probably aren't on MetaFilter. I've learned most about the scale of racism, sexism, and other -isms by just listening to people's stories both here and irl, but I found the cycling analogy pretty apt. Might as well talk about the differences instead of just saying "this article is bad," which I got from several comments on that thread. I don't mind many opinions, as long as there's good sources/arguments; that's the best way to learn. I also don't see how someone could use the cyclist article to be, um, smug?, while not also getting the same reaction from decathecting's comment.
The differences are that cyclists tend to have a smaller voice not because they've historically been ignored, but because it's quite obvious when you're cycling, and there are vastly more drivers (or people who have driven) than cyclists. Also, it's a voluntary danger, but it also makes it more relatable because many cyclists have driven before.
Cyclists can be seen as noisy and whining because roads often aren't built for cyclists, but non-cyclists don't realize the problem. Sometimes other cyclists may comment that you're not cycling correctly, or not even realize that the roads are against you. As a cyclist I've seen driver behaviors which I may have once done, but which just seem trite and dangerous. Drivers may just be moving forward for a better look, but I can't discount that they don't even consider me, and they often don't. I was recently in an accident at an intersection where a driver in the cross street with a red managed to hit me in the second lane from the curb, which would have probably maimed me if I was on a bicycle, or crippled my finances if I hadn't won the insurance claim. Immediately after the accident I was extremely worried and half-convinced it may have been my fault, even though there was no reason to think so if I had been rational. Everything in this paragraph can help relate to some -ism.
posted by halifix at 11:22 PM on October 29, 2014
Yeah, that's a beaut. Fully deserves the favorites bump this MeTa thread is undoubtedly about to give it.
posted by flabdablet at 5:25 AM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
posted by flabdablet at 5:25 AM on October 30, 2014 [1 favorite]
I also liked the comment, which I think was fairly recent, comparing catcalling to if there was 'Friendcalling', and it had a bit with something like "Hey, you in the cool jacket, we should game sometime, hey, hey? You ignoring me? You stuck up or something? Walking round, looking like you'd make a good friend, well *^$%*^& you!"
Can anyone place it? Wanted to link to that thread.
posted by Elysum at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2014
Can anyone place it? Wanted to link to that thread.
posted by Elysum at 8:13 PM on October 31, 2014
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posted by divined by radio at 2:27 PM on October 29, 2014 [8 favorites]