Considering getting a discreet body worn camera to record the behaviour of some men; any thoughts?

[PunishmentRoundupWithJoon]

This idea was inspired by another thread in which a woman was out walking and was followed by a man behaving strangely. One of the replies suggested getting a body worn camera and provided a link. I followed that link and am seriously considering getting one myself and attaching it to the strap of my backpack.

I am so tired of the behaviour of some men. When I try to explain some aspects of their behaviour to my partner, he just doesn't understand. Not surprising, as he's a man, and isn't subject to the same harassment as women are.

The staring and leering. The crotch grabbing. The times when you have the feeling they're filming or taking photos. It sounds almost unbelievable when written down, more so because of my age (not that age protects women from harassment and abuse). I thought by 55 I'd be free of this. Instead it's almost worse. The rude behaviour of certain male shopkeepers that you're pretty sure is because you're female. Oh, and the recent flasher. Happened so quickly it barely registered. Reported it to the police of course. Keep thinking that if I'd had the body camera then, the incident would have been caught on camera.

Also having thoughts of then uploading these incidents somewhere to show what women have to put up with.

I'm curious to see what is caught by such a camera. Thinking about it, I think that all women should be issued one free of charge!

Does anyone own/wear such a device at the moment and have you found it useful?

I’m thinking of getting one as I’m often out walking/cycling in quiet places. The last time I was cycling on the canal a man with a bike stepped into my way and I had to stop. He told me he had got separated from his friends and asked me which way he should go to get to a village where they had started from. I told him and went on my way but couldn’t help wondering it was all a bit strange as there’s only two ways to go on a canal and surely he would know which way he'd come. I’d also cycled ten miles up until I’d seen him and not passed anyone on bikes.
I have witnessed many things that would’ve benefited by having a recording (not all bad - once I remember passing an elderly gent who I later found out had dementia and had gone wandering and had a search party out looking for him).

You cannot use a hidden/spy camera in a public place legally unless you inform anyone around you that you’re doing so. You could get in a lot of trouble.

if you walk around carrying an obvious camera such as a go pro the rules may be different.

this is part of the reason women always take someone with them. It sucks I know.

OP, that is a truly awful thing to do. Just don't. And I say this as a middle-aged female. Most men are absolutely fine and, if they're not, recording them achieves nothing. It just makes you look like an unpleasant person (which I'm sure you're not).

You can film anyone or anything you like in public. Think about those glasses frames which record or people taking videos on their mobile phones.

I don't see why not. We're all being filmed all the time anyway. Dash cams, ring door bells, CCTV. I know people who are filmed at work 'to protect them'. I don't consent to any of that but I've no say in the matter. Why not on your person?

By the time anything has been recorded on a camera it too late (legal or not)- it’s already happened. The perpetrator could also destroy a camera and evidence it’s collected. Personal experience says the police are 99.9999% likely to do nothing regardless of evidence presented including physical evidence. Plus any mental or physical damage (or worse) has still happened.
It may not be the right way according to some - but I’ve gone down the route of taking training in situational awareness, de-escalation tactics and street fighting self defence.
No amount of cameras would have stopped what has happened to me, but confidence building will hopefully allow me to reclaim my right to be in whatever interior or outside space along with everyone else.

Dunno, not me who makes the laws lol. It’s one of the reasons these pedo hunters always say “just to be aware you’re on camera” when they get their go pros out. If you’re wearing a hidden/discreet camera you have to tell them or you yourself could end up in trouble.

CCTV, dash cams and ring doorbells have different rules.

Absolute twaddle. You can record anyone or anything in public either overtly or covertly.

Quote the actual law (if you can).

You want a discreet camera to record men you suspect are discreetly recording you?

Can't you see the contradiction?

No one has the right to privacy in public. I guess if what you're saying were remotely true then all the young women who deliberately covertly film creeps on the train/bus and post on tiktok have been rounded up and arrested?

I don't like the idea of men secretly filming women in any capacity and I think this is the same territory op. Obviously your rationale for doing it is very be different, but does that mean it's then fine for men to secretly film women 'for their own safety'?

I personally wouldn't do this.

You can still be confident and fight back with a body cam 🤷‍♂️

This is quite wrong advice for the UK. It is perfectly legal to secretly film someone in a public place. In a private place, the European Humans rights legislation allowing for privacy might apply and the person being filmed would have to be informed. But outside, no problem.

No you don't.

Please at least Google instead of typing things like this.

And Jeremy Vine with his cycling helmet cam 😁

@TwattyMcFuckFace yes you can still fight back. But ultimately it’s a waste of money ime. It’s also something else you got to carry - not what I want when on a run or just trying to get from my front door to my car to go to work. Then, as this thread demonstrates there is the legalities.
So no, to answer the op I would not bother with a camera. As I said it wouldn’t have helped me. But knowing how to be more confident, situationally aware, having de- escalation training and learning to fight dirty all may actually help. A camera does non of those things.

edited to add a missing NOT

@LauraNorda - I mentioned the men who record as an example of their behaviour towards women. It is the other behaviours mentioned that are more concerning to me. It is not a contradiction if I am recording for the purpose of safety - on the off chance their behaviour escalates.

I’m not getting a camera - I’m buying pepper spray. I need to exercise but I’m afraid going out by myself.

Nonsense.

this is part of the reason women always take someone with them. It sucks I know

What? Do we? I didn't get this memo.

@dontignoreauti - I live near Manchester. Obviously don't want to name the exact town, but like many, it's gone downhill over the past decade. I feel more threatened now than I did in the past, when younger. It's just so wearing and depressing. I want to do more walking when the weather cools down but am much more cautious nowadays. I used to walk and run along the canal frequently in my younger days, now, I'd think twice.

For those of you citing the legal implications, I will look into this. But it's definitely something I will be doing, if it's legal. If only to show my partner "look - this is what I'm talking about!"

It's a very small mini cam - black, so probably not visible on my black backpack.

The police took the flashing incident seriously, and took many details, gave me a crime number, and checked CCTV in the area. Unfortunately, nothing was visible. So I think, if you are lucky, the police do take certain things seriously.

Now that IS illegal as would be considered to be an offensive weapon I’m afraid. Whereas filming in a public place is perfectly fine.