DV Select Committee contributor wants to browse adult sites on train wifi

[BrightonReSisters]

By now you've probably all seen, or at least heard about, Karen Ingala Smith's wonderful contribution to the Women & Equalities Select Committee yesterday. If not, you can see it here:

parliamentlive.tv/event/index/0d07ff13-636e-4b51-a946-2877e583dc4c

You may NOT have seen this re one of the other contributors, Diana James. Diana works with refuges in the south West. On the train to the Select Committee yesterday, Diana wanted to shop online for sex toys. Diana wasn't happy that GWR blocked the online sex toy shop from their WiFi, due to the adult nature of their products. We know this because Diana publicly tweeted to GWR to complain.

That Diana thinks it appropriate to visit an adult site on a public train is disturbing. That Diana thinks it's a good idea to broadcast this publicly is odd. That Diana thought GWR would bow down to Diana's demand to access adult content on their WiFi is downright bizarre.

Diana was invited to give evidence about provision of services for survivors of domestic violence and that makes behaviour even more worrying than if we were talking about a teenage boy or suited commuter.

Diana can of course do as Diana pleases within the bounds of the law. That said, this is a red flag.

When someone in Diana's position thinks this kind of behaviour is appropriate we must ask questions. The first question is probably the most obvious: why ask a this person, with questionable boundaries, to speak for vulnerable abuse survivors?

It's a small mercy that at least GWR seem to have their heads screwed on.

I thought the chairwoman seemed pretty good, though. But why was anyone asking those people (listed above) their opinion anyway? Why was Aimee Challenor asked? Were women asked who'd needed refuge?

but maybe some people don't think that browsing a sex toys site on public transport is a big deal?

I'd guess actually that most people would think it isn't appropriate.

Anyway I'm on an almost empty LNER first class coach- the nearest person is 4 rows away - and happy to report LNER blocks that site too.

The Women's & Equalities select committee really do pick the worst trans representatives to speak at their meetings don't they? They seem so naive, ignorant and 'woke'. At the very least they are phenomenally bad at researching the people they invite to speak. First they had flasher Jess Bradley for Action for Trans Health at their trans inquiry in 2015. ATH are a violent, anarchist, revolutionary group that advocates for revolutionary violence to 'defend trans rights'. It has also tweeted that 'the only good 10,000 cops is 10,000 dead cops (reference to Labour's manifesto pledge to increase police numbers by 10,000). Bradley, as we all know, has since been suspended from their job as Trans Officer at the NUS, after it was exposed they ran an exhibitionism blog with photos of them flashing their penis in public places, including their workplace, and posting memes about child rape and incest.

The Women's & Equalities select committee really do pick the worst trans representatives to speak at their meetings don't they?

I'm beginning to wonder whether the parade of pervy representatives we see might actually be representative of the community rather than being some outlandish exception.

Yes, it's quite revealing that the people the trans lobby put up for representing them in the media are so unremittingly awful with loads of pervy skeletons in the cupboard. Almost like they cannot get anyone without a seriously shady past (or present). Always amazes me the media allow extreme torture porn advocate Jane Fae, or the awful 'I love being sexually harassed and treated like a piece of meat' Paris Lees to appear and have the audacity to say that women have nothing to fear from men who claim to be women being in their spaces

Why tweet publicly on the matter?

Why mention the meeting in the tweet?

So, DJ proclaims she is being asked to contribute to a govt committee about single sex spaces, and in the same breath complains that she isn't being allowed to fulfil her sexual satisfaction in public, portraying herself as a victim of 'sex shaming'.

Interesting complaint to make, really.

What's the expression, when someone shows you who they are, believe them?

I’m running out of words now and now castigate myself for being surprised that I’m surprised! I am certainly not a prude or wish to embark on a concerted campaign to prevent women buying sex toys but how the fuck can anyone campaign that company as boring as a train operator should be compelled to offer access on their WiFi to these websites / stores. If you want to buy a vibrator or whatever can you not do it later? Use 4G or your house WiFi. How urgent is it to buy it right now and the evil train company is stopping you? I imagine it’s banned to stop the 4 year olds on the train accessing such sites but this seems to be too logical for these loons to accept

If you want to buy a vibrator or whatever can you not do it later?

I suppose that if one is in the midst of an arousal episode it would spoil the moment to have to wait till later when the fuel for the arousal, the validation of heading to a Select Committee, is over.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the parade of pervy representatives we see might actually be representative of the community rather than being some outlandish exception

ooooh noo! This couldn't possibly be the case.

This Never Happens.

It’s just so crazy and perverse it would be funny if not for the fact that these people are not actually deemed to be crazies. Being crazy in itself isn’t even that bad if weren’t so desperate to impose their craziness on everyone else, and particularly highly vulnerable people.

As much as I can seethe about such people I do have to accept that not everyone is nice. What makes me double seethe and rage however is that parts of the left wing press, the woke, and most of the political parties are for this. How can this nutter be advising select committees?

In a mash up of different threads don’t be ashamed of opposing this. Who cares if this one issue aligns to the right? It might be the only good thing about them and doesn’t mean you’re going to start goosestepping in the middle of Berlin or come out in favour of slavery. Fuck those critics and the far right too

But...but...but...this is the most marginalised and victimised and powerless group EVER, terrified of feminists.

I'm beginning to wonder whether the parade of pervy representatives we see might actually be representative of the community rather than being some outlandish exception.

These might actually be the least worst.

Imagine those they turned down because they thought Aimee Challenor was less of a liability.

I'm astounded that the perverse thought that Lesbians like a strap on still exists. The penis is not the default for sex, nor is it the default for sexual activity. This tweet is certainly a red flag and negates somewhat the points put forth by James. My son, his friends and my male relatives would never use porn on public transport.

Well done Andy at GWR.

Especially as James explicitly (no pun intended) affirmed that a DBS was a requirement for entry into refuges.

And totally yes to the view that if women are so dangerous then why are men happy to go women only spaces.

I'm reminded of the Panorama video on the latest scandal of NHS facilities and the care of vulnerable people. The men in that video knew that the female should not have male carers. Did they give a shit to this most basic request? No.

Isn't it a bad idea to buy anything using an unsecured public wi-fi anyway?

Imagine any employee or volunteer of an organisation working with vulnerable women and children, heading to a meeting with MPs to represent that organisation and complaining in public that they are unable to access a site to purchase sex toys on public transport.

How many of these organisations would make no challenge to that individual? How many organisations would not make a public statement that this behaviour does not represent the values of their organisation?

Somewhere in the South West is a women's refuge that is so bloody petrified of the trans tyranny that they dare not stand up and state that this behaviour does not represent their values and that women and children accessing the service will be safe and not subject to discussions or images of porn. Or even that the individual will not be working with vulnerable children and has been 'spoken to'.

An unbelievable silence from the refuge.

It was a bad idea in the days of unencrypted http. Most sites use https now so the entire traffic between your browser and the site is encrypted even if the wi-fi is open .

Haven't read right through, I'm all for women to view sex as normal not shameful but I am shocked and surprised at a woman wanting to browse sex toys on a train. If nothing else I'd be concerned about creepy perves seeing me and getting interested

Oh ffs I should have known better by now

In future when shocked at the reported behaviour of a woman I need to google name then see if I'm still shocked

I'm no longer shocked, just grossed out

I'm accustomed to men watching porn on the train when I'm commuting. I know we've discussed here on MN about whether it's a form of manspreading or if it's because their need for it is so strong that even at 05:20, there's no prospect that they can face their day without their last exposure to it before they need to refrain (presumably) in their workplace.

If pushed, I'd have to say that these video clips must be stored locally for them or obtained using their own mobile data as the definition seems far beyond what is typically available on a train's public wifi network. misses the point and may be very wrong

Totally agree with you Truth.
In any other circumstance the person would have been hauled over the coals for bringing their org into disrepute and possibly even suspended while further checks are made on their suitability for a role working with vulnerable adults and children. And a public statement made as you describe.
The invincibility of some TRAs is astonishing.

Whilst I think buying things like this in a public environment is a bit weird, it's the complaining that she couldn't that's particularly odd. Sex toys very much come under the "what you do in private is up to you " territory. That said I did catch a colleague buying them online at work at a shared computer (this was before each person had their own, and few had internet at home admittedly)

Ewwwww Nauticant (def not envy blurgh) I need brain bleach. I'll share again tho

I suppose that if one is in the midst of an arousal episode it would spoil the moment to have to wait till later when the fuel for the arousal, the validation of heading to a Select Committee, is over.