101 wankers

It's not condescending, I certainly didn't mean it to be.

Here's an example:

Bin men outside my house, clucking and whistling and doing that"cocky walk" thing to two young women walking past, the women ignore them and carry on their way. Once they have gone I go outside and explain to the bin men that I find their behaviour unacceptable.
What is the problem with that?

Nothing to do with "stepping in" or anything like that.

I did say I know what you're getting at I just think it was your wording... 'the female' just sounded wrong to me...semantics

you example there is fine as it doesn't directly involve the fem... the 3rd party it's when they're still there and you wade in that can cause problems

I've been riding in London for about 16 years and had a the usual amount of verbal which I usually respond to with the finger or a very loud fuck off (I know it's childish but I just can't help it). A few years ago a car passed me in Camberwell and some guy leaned out of the back window and smacked my arse. Then to add insult to injury then then shouted 'wahay' in a I'm so fucking cool way. But this being Camberwell I cycled after them and caught up with them at the traffic lights in Denmark hill and scratched the side of the car with my cleats. Again - knee jerk reaction as I was so furious. Astonishingly enough they then apologised.

i think you might be my new hero.

The truth always hurts.

But this being Camberwell I cycled after them and caught up with them at the traffic lights in Denmark hill and scratched the side of the car with my cleats.

Full of win, this

Was cycling London to Hastings event and at some point three boys in a white ford fiesta shouted at me "cycle faster you fat c". So I carried on, and little did they know, I have remembered the first letter and three numbers and I saw them on the petrol station few miles down the road (imagine my luck), so I stopped, came to the blond t who called me fat :), and asked did you want to tell me something? Let me tell you, I'm a 6'2" Serb. He just looked down, and said nothing. The other two, just kept quiet. As Borat would say "great success".

Was cycling London to Hastings event and at some point three boys in a white ford fiesta shouted at me "cycle faster you fat c***".

You had Dancing James' Rapha support team with you? nice one.

Seeing as it's on the subject, tomorrow morning on Woman's Hour on good old radio 4 there's a discussion on street harassment and how women respond to being shouted at. Don't know whether that will have anything useful to add, but thought I'd flag it in case anyone's interested

I was very drunk while making my last post on this thread.

Jez that's my friend Vicky I mentioned. Interesting listen.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00tnb7s

^ a shame that they had to share their spot with Brendan O’Neill who is far more adept at debate.
he raises some awesome points imo but the Lash agenda is solid (also imo) and i think warranted an uncritiqued (in the studio anyway) platform from which to state their case. hopefully this wont be the only opportunity they get to go on air.

I thought Vicky was great. Brendan O'Neill was right I suppose when he said that attempting to legislate against any form of speech becomes an attack on liberty, but I don't think that he made a serious attempt at empathy at all, which must be part of this issue.

When my wife was shouted at recently from a car (which slowed down in order to do it) by a couple of men recently on the way home from the station near our house it really shook her up. After dark now she'll take a bus in between the two, instead of what should be a pleasant 10 minute walk along a well lit big suburban road. Watching her weigh up the options, worrying about the what might happen/might not happen is difficult. That's the bit that makes me upset about it on her behalf, the feeling vulnerable after the event not just the event itself.

To describe a campaign to discuss this issue as promoting fear by mapping the locations of incidents was uncalled for. I don't think he was listening enough to the experiences of women who are upset by this- that has to change in a debate like that one if it's to change at large. Legislating might well be fraught with difficulty and ultimately un-doable, but listening sensitively is not.

Brendan O'Neill was right I suppose when he said that attempting to legislate against any form of speech becomes an attack on liberty

That may be so, but street harassment isn't really a form of speech--it's the act of doing it that's important, and it's a form of assault. Someone wants to publish a misogynist article? That's a form of speech. But making lewd remarks or shouting abuse in the street, while involving words, is mainly an act of some aggression. It exploits the fact that women tend to be more vulnerable to the implied physical assault behind the words than men in virtue of tending to have less physical strength (much as of course some women are physically stronger than some men). So, category mistake, I think.

And, of course, the old chestnut--all meaningful ideas of freedom must involve some sensible restrictions. I don't want to be at 'libberdee' of murdering people, for instance. 'Absolute freedom' is not real freedom.

Gerroutofmathread!

would it be wrong to post something in a comedic voice saying "pfft. women, joke! Ha!"?

"pfft. women, joke! Ha!"

*the fact *that women tend to be more vulnerable to the implied physical assault behind the words than men

source? citation please.
http://xkcd.com/285/

Was cycling London to Hastings event and at some point three boys in a white ford fiesta shouted at me "cycle faster you fat c". So I carried on, and little did they know, I have remembered the first letter and three numbers and I saw them on the petrol station few miles down the road (imagine my luck), so I stopped, came to the blond t who called me fat :), and asked did you want to tell me something? Let me tell you, I'm a 6'2" Serb. He just looked down, and said nothing. The other two, just kept quiet. As Borat would say "great success".

I was cycling up Dark Hill in Richmond park when a young child poked his head out of a car coming in the opposite direction and shouted "Telly tubby".

i have had 'fat jesus' from a builder.

Brendan O'Neill was right I suppose when he said that attempting to legislate against any form of speech becomes an attack on liberty

If he's right about that then I suppose we'd better legalise racial harassment while we're at it. We wouldn't, as a democratic nation, want to infringe the rights of any bigot to intimidate or harass any group, whether they are grouped by ethnicity, age, or gender. Or anything else, I suppose.

source? citation please.
http://xkcd.com/285/

I should have phrased that better--what I meant was that only taking into account the tendency towards greater physical strength in men than in women, it tends to be easier for a man to be physically violent towards a woman than for a woman to be physically violent towards a man, although of course men are often the victims of violence by other men, too.

^ yeah, sorry. wasnt meant to sound challenging. was just interested to know if you were basing the statement on something worth my going off and reading. as a general observation though i agree with you of course.

to_day, i mean just half an hour ago or so 4.30 am, i stopped on the 205 circular near hither green to help out this guy, he had the full carbon race kit going plus friggen pro shirts and all.

i stopped to give aid, innertubes, pump whot ever ... you know.

he turned out to be a bit of a ritcho dumb nincompoop and neglected with a hint to his weight saving instant puncture fix spray aerosol can.

i took off while he was trying to get the schrader valve thing connector onto his tubs, without noticable (presta) valve extensions mounted to his deep carbon aero section rims.

have a happy walk!

i always stop to help, may i be pissed up as i was, but i stop!
but this guy just deserved to get stranded.
i carry half a tool case and nuts and bolts, chain links and whot not, first aid course participant and kit in my bag, but nothing keeeps me there helping if you behave like an utter twant.

go buy yourself a friggen clue!

Hmmn, I tend not to notice or care what people shout...

sent this to Cannon Hygiene:
"Hello. It have come to my knowledge that one of your drivers, register "AU56 OMX", have been shouting following to a female cyclist

“You stupid fucking slut, get off the road and onto the pavement, you stupid bitch”

I'm shocked. Ignoring the sexism, sexual harassment and extremely offensive language, he also encourage her to commit a crime. Cycling on the pavement is a crime in the UK. A cyclist is allowed anywhere on the lane and go by the speed they are confident with.

Having a company van, the driver is an ambassador for your company. Is this the image you want to reflect to the public?

What actions are going to be taken as a result to this?

I know she have contacted you already. I wish that I will hear that she will get compensated and get an apology.

Thanks, Glenn.
13 Oct 2010"

I reported the same incident via Cannon's website. Got nothing back.

Love to hear what happens!!!