Pregnant NYC Bike "Karen" was the victim, not the agressor

[littleripper]

Trial by social media for a pregnant woman who cried when a man tried to steal the bike she's hired is tried and hung by social media, and put on unpaid leave from her job, with no evidence or investigation:

https://www.bicycling.com/news/a43920956/pregnant-nyc-karen-on-video-trying-to-steal-a-black-mans-citi-bike/

https://news.yahoo.com/receipts-show-hospital-worker-accused-170920174.html

It turns out she had paid for the bike and he has no evidence he paid. But he is not the subject of the internets wrath, no consequences for him.

I hope she takes her employers to court and wins a massive settlement. Surreal levels of misogyny and hatred directed to a pregnant healthcare worker who did nothing wrong at all.

Will this ever be recognised for what it is?

@Ofcourseshecan I'll ask you the same question I asked miss Lucy

If the males were the aggressors why did they record the footage? Why didn't they push the nurse over and just take the bike?
Why is her leg still on the bike (presumably if you'd just been pushed off a bike that you were seated on while pregnant you'd stay off you wouldn't risk your child £1k find or not).

Also if she booked the bike and the males didn't where is her evidence for the double charge? As we can see the bike remained with the males.

Can you really not see the holes in the nurses stance?

You're just trolling now. Any woman surrounded by any 5 men who are angry with her is going to feel vulnerable.

We are supposed to believe it is somehow racist for her to feel nervous, or that it is racist for observers to think that she would be nervous in that scenario? That is nonsense and pure misogny. You and your supporters are very big on lived experience. Every woman in the world has had the lived experience of being intimidated by men, and so is likely to react accordingly, if outnumbered by men in a confrontation. And yet, somehow, if the woman happens to be white, and the men happen to be black, it is racist to say so? Misogynistic rubbish.

We are supposed to believe it is somehow racist for her to feel nervous, or that it is racist for observers to think that she would be nervous in that scenario?

I haven't seen anyone here say that it's racist for her or a woman to feel nervous when surrounded by men - be they black, white, green, blue polka dot, as some of you like to say. But let's keep playing the M card wink. It's already lost its sting.

HypocrisyRules, do you believe this particular nurse is a lying, thieving racist?

I have already said upthread that I think it may have been a genuine understanding, and that it is as unfair to infer that the men were doing anything wrong, as to jump to conclusions about the nurse.

You are conflating two different things:
Do I think the men were doing anything wrong? No, pending further evidence, I am assuming that both parties genuinely thought that they booked the bike,

Do I think it was natural for any woman outnumbered by 5 men in a confrontational situation to feel emotional and nervous? Yes - but that has nothing to do with their race, nor have I seen any evidence that the nurse's reaction was affected by race.

Has it really? I must have missed misogynistic violence being solved this morning.

To answer your questions:
1, I can only guess at their reasons for recording the incident. Most likely to post footage online, just for the fun of being antisocial. Videos like that are common online.

2, she was desperately trying to keep hold of the bike, faced with a $1200 fine.

3, how would she get evidence of a double booking? She had evidence of her own booking, which is enough to prove she was innocent.

Can you not understand why women are posting here in support of a woman harassed by a group of men, wrongly suspended from work and vilified online?

Do you think these particular men are liars and thieves?

To answer your question: I don't know, I don't know her but upon reading this:

In the viral video, the scrubs-wearing woman appeared to start crying, repeatedly screamed for "help," and accused the Black man of putting her fetus in danger.

Typical. (Not so much the help bit but the last part).

The video was viewed millions of times as critics on social media accused her of racism. The civil-rights attorney Ben Crump said the woman "tried to weaponize her tears to paint this man as a threat."

I'm inclined to agree with Ben Crump. It's fair to say she's likely someone who is capable of 'white women tears' and telling people 'this black man has threatened me' when nothing like that has happened.

Not any more than racism or white women's tears has been solved.

Do you think these particular men are liars and thieves?

I've no idea. Hence why I didn't start shouting across social media that they definitely were.

To answer your question: I don't know, I don't know her

Would you agree then, that it was fairly irresponsible of the media to publish numerous articles which branded her a lying, racist thief?

Well if we can get the violence of 'white women's tears' acknowledged and resolved we can come together to tackle the men. Is it that that white feminists are still stuck with a binary mindset about racism, eg all racists are bad people? Is that what is stopping you from acknowledging the disparity in power between white women and black? Good people can be racist and bad people can be anti racist, life is not binary. To expect black women's unique experiences to dismissed and silenced in the name of solidarity is no better than the misogyny of offer from men.

Can't say I'm surprised by your response - only to be expected from you.

So if I'm upset I shouldn't cry in case it upsets black women? Utter bollocks.

Yes yes that's what has been said or insinuated. That's what it means. White women shouldn't cry when upset because it may upset Black women.

In that case, I better not talk to black women period.

I cry easily. I happy cry, I angry cry, I frustrate cry and I sad cry. Sometimes I cry without even knowing why I’m crying. It’s just me

Would you agree then, that it was fairly irresponsible of the media to publish numerous articles which branded her a lying, racist thief?

I'd say yes and no. Given that she seems to have played the usual hand by saying 'these black men are putting my foetus in danger' when that's not true, it's not a stretch to think she's lying or being racist. Don't you think so?

If she'd done nothing of the sort, then yes it's irresponsible to assume she is, just by being nervous or trying to stand her ground.

Why are you surprised? Are you the only person allowed to swear? Should I somehow be in awe, afraid or just roll my eyes? Should I have raised your bollocks and fuck off with a 'c**t' Genuinely curious.

Doesn't sound like much of a loss to black women tbf. If you don't want to educate your self as the the difference between crying and weaponised crying, that's a reflection you, not black women.

Given that she seems to have played the usual hand by saying 'these black men are putting my foetus in danger'

Right, she didn't say that though. It's important to work with the actual facts when accusing someone of something so serious, isn't it? Even if she had, it wouldn't have made her a thief. So given she didn't say that, do you agree that it was irresponsible of the media to publish numerous articles saying she was a lying, racist thief?

I'm sorry you missed my sarcasm. But I doubt Black women would fall apart when you don't talk to them.

You're not the only one who's capable of crying in the way you wrote but I assume you don't think Black women can tell the difference just like women of all races can tell when a man is being genuine or not.

I’ve been biting my lip to avoid saying this. But it’s unavoidable. The only men of colour who might have seen me distressed are those who have either robbed or assaulted me. Most times I was able to run away, or just stood shaking as they ran off.

I didn't tell you directly I said anyone. You, however, addressed me directly. There's a difference.

I'm surprised you didn't know that.

I won't not cry when I'm upset in case it upsets and oversensitive person. I rarely cry but when I do it's genuine, I believe that to be the case for most people.

I've read some bullshit on MN over the years but this takes the biscuit.

I've answered your questions including the one you've repeated. I also said "she seems", so perhaps you should work on facts and read to understand, not reply. You don't get to order more (answers) from me - I'm not in your interrogation room, neither am I responsible for what the media publishes. You can direct that demand elsewhere. Thanks

Calling tears a weapon is incredibly misogynistic.

If someone reacts to a confrontation with tears, they're probably feeling afraid, or powerless, or overwhelmed. There are many reasons why women are more likely to cry than men.

Meanwhile, the vast majority of harm done with actual weapons is done by men. Those who don't feel powerless and fearful during a confrontation, but violent. There's no equivalence at all.