tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post2497551880568940166..comments2014-06-19T11:35:30.580-05:00Comments on A Feminist Wedding: Life as a Woman: My brush with street harassmentASoblerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12896862228962380781noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-47490485769434681982013-09-16T22:20:15.123-05:002013-09-16T22:20:15.123-05:00Aren't you going to post an entry about the af...Aren't you going to post an entry about the aftermath of your radio interview & what happened next?<br /><br />Seems to me that would only be fair.msredbootsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-47392244548034819762013-08-22T23:49:23.722-05:002013-08-22T23:49:23.722-05:00Based on your description I would say our experien...Based on your description I would say our experience was after yours. They seemed to be on their way out of the Fringe site. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-58652191169960892272013-08-22T14:06:50.241-05:002013-08-22T14:06:50.241-05:00Ah--now I have the info I missed during your CBC R...Ah--now I have the info I missed during your CBC Radio IV this am. The men in question were drunk. All is explained. <br />Let's be clear that I don't think being drunk is an excuse for either idiocy or assault. Let's also be clear that I think women have the right to be out in public w/o being harrassed in any way by men.<br />But-- we're all pretty much known forever that consuming alcohol causes impaired judgement. Thus, drunk people do things they would never consider doing while sober. Arguably, some people drink for precisely this reason-- so that they can wriggle out of their cultural restraints and behave like boors with impunity.<br />Further, men in groups behave differently than they do as individuals. It's called mob mentality.<br />For the above two reasons, groups of drunken men are scary, and rightly so-- both b/c they have the strength of numbers, and because they collectively lack executive brain function. <br />What can be done about this? Well-- consistently enforcing laws against public drunkenness might be a good start. <br />Could you have done something differently? Sure. You could have kicked him hard in the groin as John Krouskoff suggested, and risked being charged with assault yourself. You could have ignored him, and felt even more powerless and insignificant. Or you could have whipped out your phone, taken his picture, and dialled 911 to report an incident of harrassment as soon as the group refused to move on when they were asked to do so. Would that have changed the outcome? Who knows?<br />I'm pretty sure about this: your read on the situation is absolutely correct. First, you felt powerless b/c you were powerless. When someone who's bigger and stronger than you are decides to manhandle you, there really isn't much you can do about it unless someone bigger and stronger than he is decides to intervene. Second, these guys really, truly didn't care how you felt. The question is, why?<br />Who raised these louts? Why have they attained chronological (but obviously not cognitive) maturity thinking it's acceptable to 'celebrate' a buddy's upcoming marriage by getting drunk in public and wandering around assaulting random women? What kinds of values did their parents teach them? Did their parents even bother trying to teach them any values, or did they abdicate all responsbility and leave it to the entertainment/pornography industry as soon as their curly-headed boys hit those difficult teenage years? msredbootsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-48787162641045391322013-08-20T11:29:49.672-05:002013-08-20T11:29:49.672-05:00I am curious to know what time that happened. My i...I am curious to know what time that happened. My incident was around 10:30. Was yours before or after? I would like to think that my freaking out on them would have put a damper on their will to bother ladies...ASoblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12896862228962380781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-72174121209738226362013-08-20T00:13:14.148-05:002013-08-20T00:13:14.148-05:00Remain detached. Make the call. Raise the bar. Men...Remain detached. Make the call. Raise the bar. Men before boys. Zero tolerance. Ian Timshelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16744712983290575017noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-40832667768800622172013-08-19T22:51:08.158-05:002013-08-19T22:51:08.158-05:00I had an encounter with these same men, same night...I had an encounter with these same men, same night. I was locking up my bike outside Cinematheque and two of their party slapped my ass as they walked by. Then they got into a shouting match with me and my husband. They also used the "sorry, it's my friend's bachelor party" excuse on us, which did nothing to mitigate their assholelry. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-13802742173939306382013-08-02T17:47:38.572-05:002013-08-02T17:47:38.572-05:00Totally bizarre. This is why I keep asking Lauren...Totally bizarre. This is why I keep asking Lauren to take basic self-defense. In a less densely populated scenario, it could have gotten really ugly. Two suggestions (and you know I am not in favor of violence). 1. Pepper spray at short range. 2. A very determined kick in the privates, a pivot kick to the shin, or a stomp on the instep of their foot (right near the ankle). Feeling powerless sucks, and those who exploit such situations should be held accountable. I'm surprised that no guys nearby stepped up. <br />You may live in Canada, but your post sounded like a New Yorker! :)John Krouskoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06466689386063550667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-92212131436516209442013-08-02T16:56:24.956-05:002013-08-02T16:56:24.956-05:00Wow. That story is unbelievable. Thanks so much fo...Wow. That story is unbelievable. Thanks so much for sharing it here.ASoblerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12896862228962380781noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1522033629964795178.post-58090661598178813262013-08-02T15:53:04.185-05:002013-08-02T15:53:04.185-05:00This article reminded me entirely of your situatio...This article reminded me entirely of your situation. And a warning these idiots might become the guy in this story: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/katie-vyktoriah/what-happened-when-my-son-wore-a-pink-headband-to-walmart_b_3696113.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000009&ir=Gay+VoicesOlamimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17717905530639663066noreply@blogger.com