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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To find this poster in a train station wrong?

781 replies

megadude · 15/02/2016 16:43

Hi Mumsnetters,

I'd be interested to read your opinions about this poster. I don't want to say right now what I think about it, as I'd like to know how you'd interpret it.

TIA,
Megadude

To find this poster in a train station wrong?
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8
limitedperiodonly · 20/02/2016 12:59

So in case you missed it itsmine, here it is in full:

So I propose zero-tolerance. Let's start with campaigns. It's a bit old skool but maybe posters in public places would be a start. Like posters showing that all people are entitled to be in public, alone and unmolested.

And posters saying that if you hurt those people, you are not only a degenerate but you will be prosecuted and a jury of your peers will find you guilty.

Your marital and reproductive status is none of my business and will not affect my opinion of you in any way.

limitedperiodonly · 20/02/2016 13:00

I don't know Sallyingforth but if you provide a link I might be able to explain

Sallyingforth · 20/02/2016 13:11

Thanks but I'll go and find out.

limitedperiodonly · 20/02/2016 13:14

Fair enough. I'm not Judge Rinder

Alexa444 · 20/02/2016 16:36

I can't get worked up over it myself glitter it is well intentioned if not a little misguided.

limitedperiodonly · 20/02/2016 17:18

You are also right about the importation of disrespect for women, from countries that have a far worse record even than hours.

"However, on the whole it still just says to me that the world contains men who will take advantage if they can, so minimise their opportunity."

People aren't so different, it's just the culture they grow up in. So if you live in a culture where it's okay to rape and you will not be prosecuted, or if you are, you stand a good chance of being acquitted, then many people will do it. Why not? Rape is fun for rapists.

So if men from cultures where that behaviour is okay come to the UK they need to be disabused of that notion. But so do some home-grown men and women.

I accept that the UK is not as bad as some countries where in order to minimise men's opportunity to rape, women venture out only with male chaperones. That doesn't mean to say they might not be raped by those chaperones once they've put the dinner on and cleaned up.

That's what people find objectionable about posters such as this: the implication that if you don't have a chaperone, you are foolish for going out. I also find it objectionable that the poster implies that all strange men you meet when travelling home alone after a night out could be rapists.

OnlyLovers · 21/02/2016 13:08

I suspect it's because the rail company felt they ought to do something but didn't have the guts to say: 'Women! We can't control rapists and we certainly don't want to compromise dividends to our shareholders by employing extra staff so would you mind looking out for yourselves or staying indoors?'

ps 'Your money is good with us between the hours of 7am and 7pm because other people will be around to police your safety, so keep buying those season tickets girls.'

Absolutely this. It's an empty gesture.

megadude · 24/02/2016 19:05

Well, I emailed Greater Anglia at [email protected] on Monday. I've received the automated reply email, will let you know if I get a response.

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OnlyLovers · 25/02/2016 16:08

Nice one, OP. I'd be very interested to hear their reply.

megadude · 02/03/2016 13:54

Just received the reply:

Thank you for your recent email regarding one of our posters at Cambridge.

I have raised your comments with our marketing team; we appreciate you taking the time to contact us.

Yours sincerely,

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OnlyLovers · 02/03/2016 14:22

Oh. Confused

Is that it? How limp.

Thanks for letting us know, though!

megadude · 02/03/2016 14:34

Yes, considering they took a while to respond, I thought there might be something more substantial. I hope it's prompted some discussion in the marketing office and beyond.

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wickedwaterwitch · 03/03/2016 19:09

What a pathetic response

megadude · 11/03/2016 12:37

It's gets worse.

I thanked Greater Anglia for their response, and asked if they could clarify the message behind the poster. Here is their reply:

Dear Ms xxxx,

Thank you for your email.

We produce a number of different information posters with a general theme to remind rail passengers to take care; for example when boarding trains or on station property such as station platforms, concourses and footbridges.

The posters are not aimed at any specific gender or demographic group and any images used on the posters are for illustrative purposes only.

Once again, thank you for your comments.

Yours Sincerely,

I think I know what their attitude is now. I'll be drafting a response.

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OnlyLovers · 12/03/2016 13:02

The posters are not aimed at any specific gender or demographic group and any images used on the posters are for illustrative purposes only.

LIARS.

You're great, OP; a real thorn in their side. Grin Let us know what they say.

megadude · 12/03/2016 21:09

Thanks OnlyLovers! This is my first letter of complaint. The first took a while to write, and I'll want to sit down and write a good response especially considering their tone.

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OnlyLovers · 14/03/2016 10:02

Once you get into being 'Disgusted of Tunbridge Wells' it becomes a bit addictive. Grin

I don't want to trivialise this, though; it is a serious issue and good on you for letting them know what you (we!) think about it.

Itsmine · 14/03/2016 10:17

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

OnlyLovers · 14/03/2016 11:07

every safety poster can't feature someone representing every sex, gender, age, disability

No, but this safety poster could easily have portrayed a mixed group. The fact that they're all women, youngish and attractive very strongly implies (despite what the company have said) that the poster is aimed at youngish, attractive women.

megadude · 14/03/2016 11:10

It isn't common sense, as we don't live in a vacuum where men and women are represented equally in posters and advertising.

If anything is advertised with just women, then it's for a reason. This poster is on display on its own, I saw no other poster with the same vague message showing a different makeup of people.

Call me cynical, but I've yet to see these other posters telling men to "take extra care" without any reference to what they need to take extra care over. I've seen the tube poster showing a man falling down an escalator, that's expressing what the danger is.

If their marketing department asks to put any old picture of people on a poster for "illustrative purposes only", I'd check their credentials as marketing professionals!

They know the implications of this poster. I know they definitely know because I told them! If they genuinely believe this poster is just about falling over (which I don't believe for one minute), and they don't want to victim blame, then this poster must come down as there is ample evidence that this is the message many people are receiving from it.

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chilledwarmth · 14/03/2016 11:28

Is it just really saying that it's more likely that someone is going to try taking advantage of a woman than a man, so the poster features women instead of men?

megadude · 14/03/2016 11:32

It depends on what you mean by "taking advantage", chilledwarmth. Young men are more likely to be victims of crime.

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Itsmine · 14/03/2016 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

chilledwarmth · 14/03/2016 11:35

I think it's a poster specifically about sexual crime, and there's more female victims than male. By taking advantage I mean things like that Chad Evans I read online, guys getting a girl so drunk she doesn't know what she's doing and can't really consent to anything.

megadude · 14/03/2016 12:40

I might mention that Itsmine. It doesn't change the fact that I saw the poster on its own, so the poster needs to stand alone too if it can be seen without any of these other elusive posters.

Thanks chilledwarmth, Greater Anglia are however denying that this is what the poster is about.

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