i need to repeat myself, it seems.

[emmelinemay]

2 days ago, i wrote this.

Last night, on my way home on the night bus, a man kept rubbing his arm on mine, so i moved away. He put his hand on my back and says something like 'you ok?'. I say 'fine thanks' and move as far away as I can (not very far as the bus was crowded). He then grabs hold of my arm and says, 'oi. you ALRIGHT?'. 'Look,' i say, 'you don't go round touching women you don't know? ok? don't touch me. It's rude.'.

At which point, he says, 'why would i want to touch you, you fucking filthy lezza?'

Yes. Well done. Any woman that doesn't want your attention is clearly a lesbian. What other sort of woman would resist your manly might?

Comments

[gaius-octavian.livejournal.com]

I'm guessing he hadn't read your earlier post...

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

i did consider the irony at the time, that if the guy in question were handed my previous rant to read, he simply wouldn't understand my point.

See, most of you guys get it, at least on some level. The guys that do this will never understand why we react to them the way we do, and will never understand that their behaviour is simply unacceptable.

[miss-soap.livejournal.com]

Perhaps you should print out a small-word, condensed version and hand it like a flyer to offenders.

Alternatively I'm with Kieran; have them arrested.

[emmelinemay.livejournal.com]

Have them arrested for what? Being a wanker on public transport?

While it could be seen as harassment, it could also take time away from police who might otherwise be dealing with actual violence, rather than the fear/implication of it.

I've been googling for possible existing pressure groups or campaigns about this, and so far drawn a blank, other than reclaim the night, which is a bit more specific, although relevant, as the sort of casual arrogance/aggression i've described happens all the time, and not just at night. It's just at night, the risk of actual attack is far higher.

[bluekieran.livejournal.com]

Talk/write to the police for advice - they will know exactly at what point it becomes a crime, exactly which laws are being broken, and under what circumstances they are likely to be able to do anything about it.

They may also have some useful canned advice for minimizing the risk of actual attack, although most of it probably falls under the common sense category.

[angel-emma.livejournal.com]

If you can be arrested and taken to court for racist remarks said to someone on a bus then the same can be done for touching someone. One of my clients is a WPC with Transport Police and they are always arresting people for things like this. I am seeing her next week I will ask her.

[unclesatan.livejournal.com]

Touching somebody without their permission is a battery.

The guy who grabed your arse had clearly commited a sexual assault, but the guy who kept touching your arm has commited a battery and possibly an assault if he made you fear for your own safety

[miss-soap.livejournal.com]

Offensive touching is assault and you can have someone arrested for it. You can certainly ask the driver to eject him from the bus.