Women only train carriages? really????

[TheoriginalLEM]

So, i quite liked Jeremy Corbyn as a runner for opposition leadership. Down to earth, gritty etc...

Then he has the idea of women only train carriages to avoid sexual harrassment? What next? Women not allowed in pubs in case we have our sensitivities hurt hearing the odd F word?

Its a brilliant idea, why waste all our energies on trying to change attitudes, just keep the poor loves in their own safe little carriages. Will they be painted pink with little make up mirrors on the back of the seats?

Don't stop there - we can abolish sexual harrasment in the workplace by having women only offices. Of course certain jobs have a predominantly male workforce so women are going to have to step down from those career choices and stick to something more feminine instead....

Foot. Shot. Self. himself!

Men are more likely to be attacked in a pub, club or night out. Not in a train carriage. Sexual harassment of women is very common, and most is not reported to the police.

For men, the most dangerous thing you can do is go to nightclubs. For women, the most dangerous thing you can do is get married.

Great. I don't want to be segregated but if I don't sit in the women's only carriage I suppose the (nasty) men would think it was an invitation to assault me.

Yes Ex that's exactly what would happen

FFS what a load of inflammatory nonsense on this thread about something That isn't even happening. JC said he'd be happy to discuss it. Good for him. Good that a politician wants to listen about how women feel. How any of you can think this is not a good thing is beyond me.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33979568 Some info about the 1400 sexual assaults reported last year on the railways. Most of which were on women and girls so there's no need for the misplaced men sympathy.

I don't want to be in a separate carriage either. I don't want to feel frightened of men when I'm alone at night...but I do and rightly so based on past experience.

I don't think it's a good idea for all the reasons mentioned above.

I like the idea of a hotline for reporting the low level background noise of harassment and feeling up (let's call it what it is, sexual assault) that we all have to put up with. If women reported every incident that would have to employ every job seeker in Europe to staff the phones though. Also to stop the harassment of women both on and off public transportation, I don't think it's women he needs to be talking to he needs to be telling men to keep their fucking mouths shut and their hands to themselves.

www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/mind-gender-gap-whats-wrong-6323340

Interesting take on the matter, though the whole taser thing is a bit much...

I suspect given Corbyn's leanings this may also have something to do with accommodating the wishes of Muslim voters.

I think this is quite a stretch actually. He's not saying Muslim women feel unsafe or that Muslim women have been assaulted. He's saying "women."

I think you're reading too much into this.

Or, if you want a sensible article: www.newstatesman.com/politics/2015/08/jeremy-corbyns-plans-are-step-right-direction

I will no longer schedule meetings or accept engagements that mean I have to get the 'pisshead express'

Well, you could always do what the rest of us that don't like skanky public transport do - drive!! It's a much more civilised way to conduct life & a much nicer experience all round!!

I don't mind sitting on a train once a month or so, but any more often than that would be just awful!!

A sensible article = one that only agrees with your point. That we should all be super grateful a man is taking women's ideas into 'consideration'. How nice, I should be super, duper grateful to this guy for asking my silly lady opinion . Whilst the rest of the Labour candidates actually want to deal with the root causes, we should all appreciate this partonising pillock, it's worse than the bloody pink bus incident.

I don't see whats wrong with the measure really.

I too have a piss head express and its scary I would feel far happier with womens only carriages the only thing is - how do they implement it late at night?

I fully support trying to change "attitudes" but in the mean time would like extra safety measures.

iknow I was at the mercy of the trains until 30's due to not driving. Its a hideous service, a shameful expensive embarrassment. Left on deserted stations late at night with trains cancelled.

I drive now too.

I'm not able to drive as I suffer from black outs, IKnowIAm.

I'd love a women's only carriage! It'd be like a travelling mumsnet. :)

A sensible article=one that doesn't try (and fail) to be funny while at the same time infantalising the issue.

The only problem is - I have also witnessed intimidating girl gangs on trains late at night.

If I lived within sensible driving distance I might drive (although I might not, because you can't work while you drive and you can work on a train). But I don't. So I don't.

dreadful idea.

as an aside I am female I've been on the receiving end of two minor sexual assaults. One WAS from a woman.

no need for the misplaced men sympathy.

No need to be so rude either.

I think it is time the issue is addressed and pp thanks for posting the full quote which is pretty measured. However I think adequate train and station staffing, together with the return of park keepers for my local park, would be more effective.

The issue of sexual harassment isn't infantised, but the idea of proposing a women's only carriage is (quite rightly in my opinion), taken apart and shown for the silly idea it actually is. Honestly, if things are really that bad to need such a thing, all women should just find a country to live by themselves, ban all men. Problem well and truly solved.

The real answer would be to ban alcohol on trains. But that won't happen.

Thought that, as a man, I'd leave my two cents.

First off, a quick bit of honesty. I have been sexually harassed by a random woman in the street (I was 13 and she decided to grope my arse, didn't know what to make of it - she must have been about 40). A cousin had his drink spiked which almost led to a date-rape scenario. On the female side of things, I know several women who have been sexually harassed or assaulted, and a relative who has been raped.

A women-only carriage is a stop-gap - a welcome stop-gap, I'd imagine, for many women though. The chance to have a "safe place" for them to go and not have to deal with the minority of dickhead men is something I'd imagine they'd appreciate. No problems with this.

It would, however, cost money and staff to implement it. Would it be better simply to use the same money and staff to police the entire train adequately? Whilst I'm sure women would appreciate having their own carriage to retire to, I'm sure they (and everyone else) would appreciate having staff actually do something about the idiots causing this trouble. Women should feel confident to go wherever they want on the train, not sequester themselves away. Most of the time, when I take a train, I don't actually see a ticket conductor or any member of staff on a train - it seems we passengers are just left to get on with it (I guess this is partially because your tickets are checked before you get on and when you get off by the ticket barriers or station staff, and the trains I get can be so packed that they just don't bother as they wouldn't actually get through anyway).

It is a stop-gap solution, but better than nothing, and could set an ugly precedent.

Everywhere should be a safe place for women to sit

Of course it should BUT it ISN'T.

I would prefer it, if I had a teenage daughter, that she had a choice of sitting in a female only carriage, especially on a long journey. It is all very well being idealistic and saying how society SHOULD be, but until it is, I think options are a good thing.

'The real answer would be to ban alcohol on trains'

Alcohol has been banned on the Tube and buses in London for the last few years. There's still plenty of asshole behaviour around. Nothing to stop people getting as ratted as you like and then getting on the train home and causing aggravation to other passengers

MrsGB, what's patronising about saying that he wants to consult with women? I find it really refreshing. Usually we get told what's good for us by politicians, precious little listening goes on

Again. London is not the whole country. But you're right, drunk people should be banned from getting on trains and I did suggest that up thread. The majority of the dodgy behavior I have witnessed and been subjected to on long distance late night trains has either been prompted or exacerbated by pissheadness.

Would it be better simply to use the same money and staff to police the entire train adequately?

Yeah, I said something similar earlier - that way you get a train that's nice for everyone.

But as long as people are willing to put up with the condition, the companies have no incentive to do anything.

Maybe a month where commuters made a concerted effort to use other means (no matter the inconvenience) would make them take note - by hitting them in their wallet....