This. is. Everything. Women have definitely been in various such situations but I get the feeling we don't talk about it enough - I mean there's definitely an unsaid empathy that permeates when women get together but I suspect it's exactly for this reason it's unsaid - we have NO idea what the 'right' thing to do is.
Having said that, I once witnessed an old classmate be bold and retaliate when she was groped on a public bus. It was rather crowded and just as she shouted in retaliation, the bus halted at its next stop and the man, petrified, ran for his life.
I was surprised and rather emboldened by the turn of events. I thought to myself "maybe they just do it knowing women don't retaliate".
But that was in my home country, I wasn't an women of colour in a different country... The latter situation makes it all the more complex. All the more confusing. "What is the right thing to do? I really want to punch this sucker in his face......but really.... I don't know"
Thank you for this much needed perspective Sashi. I have no idea what the ‘right’ thing is either, except that its not really the question, is it? Its another blame the victim question like ‘what was she wearing?’ I’m all for a bit of personal responsibility, but I fail to see why the melanated, female and sick foreign tourist should or could have fixed this. Even if helping and fixing impossible situations used to be your day job.
This. is. Everything. Women have definitely been in various such situations but I get the feeling we don't talk about it enough - I mean there's definitely an unsaid empathy that permeates when women get together but I suspect it's exactly for this reason it's unsaid - we have NO idea what the 'right' thing to do is.
Having said that, I once witnessed an old classmate be bold and retaliate when she was groped on a public bus. It was rather crowded and just as she shouted in retaliation, the bus halted at its next stop and the man, petrified, ran for his life.
I was surprised and rather emboldened by the turn of events. I thought to myself "maybe they just do it knowing women don't retaliate".
But that was in my home country, I wasn't an women of colour in a different country... The latter situation makes it all the more complex. All the more confusing. "What is the right thing to do? I really want to punch this sucker in his face......but really.... I don't know"
Ask Him for money!? Insistently. 🙂🤷♂️
Lol Jack, that just gives him leverage. You do relaise that could be misconstrued for sth else entirely right?
Thank you for this much needed perspective Sashi. I have no idea what the ‘right’ thing is either, except that its not really the question, is it? Its another blame the victim question like ‘what was she wearing?’ I’m all for a bit of personal responsibility, but I fail to see why the melanated, female and sick foreign tourist should or could have fixed this. Even if helping and fixing impossible situations used to be your day job.