Hands Off

If you’re a woman in London, you have most likely experienced being groped, touched, leered at, harassed, followed or hit on by random strangers in public. It happens to women of all ages, from preteens to grannies. It has even happened to this Londonista, getting pushed into traffic by a man whose wrath was incurred when his request to 'smile, baby' was turned down five years ago.

If you haven’t experienced something like this, count yourself among the lucky few. ‘Street harassment’ has been around for as long as we’ve had public spaces. And there is no public space more confined, up-close-and-personal and perfect for a quick getaway than public transport.

The Metropolitan Police, in an attempt to address the growing problem, recently tried to ban a man from the railways who sexually assaults women by groping their backsides. Mark Burrell, 48, has a criminal record going back 30 years and has been convicted on four separate occasions for groping women in public. Despite this, Lord Justice Anthony Hughes of the High Court said that a travel ban on Burrell was unnecessary because the “risk of sexual harm is less than serious.” This line of thinking is tiresome and infuriating, not least of all degrading.

We commend the Met for relentlessly pursuing this topic and following through on punishment for offenders such as Burrell, even if the Court overturns its good efforts. As Londoners and veterans of the railways, we all have a right to travel without fear of being inappropriately touched, physically threatened or spoken to in an intimidating manner. And this isn’t just a feminist issue, it’s a human one. All of us, regardless of gender, deserve to be treated with respect and not made to feel afraid for our personal safety when using public transportation or walking the streets. Please report these crimes when they happen.

In New York, where similar problems exist, a community backlash has begun. Holla Back is a blog that encourages people to confront street harassers and snap their pictures, then post the details. Story after story of women being heckled and intimidated with filthy language and aggressive, antisocial behaviour (including being flashed, masturbated near and threatened with physical violence) is sure to raise the ire of any decent person. It may not be the most responsible way to go about raising awareness, but if you’re a woman (or a man) who has experienced harassment, it’s hard not to cheer for those who fight back.

There’s simply no reason that any of us should have to put up with it. And there’s certainly no reason for offenders like Burrell to be getting away with a wink and a slap on the wrist from the very people meant to protect its citizens – regardless of how ‘serious’ it might not seem.

Image by Brittney Bush under the Creative Commons licence.