The biggest issue that arises when people travel is safety. This encompasses many topics such as sexual assault, robbery and scams, motor vehicle accidents, food poisoning, STD’s, animal bites, etc. Within the mainstream and online media most attention focuses on threats to the personal safety of women. It’s as if males are immune from muggings, drink spiking, motor vehicle accidents, etc … or are deemed to be incapable of benefiting from advice.
Nevertheless, out in the real world, males are just as vulnerable to these threats as are females, if not more so. No one questions that women are deserving of support and advice in relation to the issue of traveler safety. But it would appear that men being men, well you know, they should just suck it up. Or something.
I read a post in a feminist blog that informed me that men don’t need this sort of advice because men “can look after themselves“. Well to the extent that men *can* look after themselves whilst travelling, they do so chiefly by following the same sort of advice that they offer to women (and then get called victim-blamers!). Funny thing that.
Aside from feminist bias I can’t think of a logical reason why journalists persist in compartmentalising their coverage of this issue along gender lines … that is unless the goal is simply to perpetuate a myth of eternal victimhood.
And so it is that much of the online discussion of traveller safety is devoted to women railing against the injustice of being unable to dress like a hooker – according to local mores – without being approached with offers of work. Oh, wait, perhaps the patriarchy made them do it? Just what is the big deal about briefly modifying one’s normal fashion style? Those people promulgating this crazy notion of polite compromise as being akin to outright capitulation, have a lot to answer for. (Refer to these posts for more on this issue: Post 1 & Post 2 & Post 3).
Guys, on the other hand, seem to be able to enjoy their holidays just fine without the need to show off their butt cheeks whilst shopping in the market.
No, no-one deserves to be harassed or raped. And in an ideal world we could wear whatever we chose, and go where-ever we wanted at any time of the day or night, without attracting judgement or a violent response.
But it’s not an ideal world, and it is foolish to ignore patterns of behaviour correlated to higher levels of threat, in favour of feel-good public rituals and esoteric babbling about the need to “educate” men and boys. Sounds a lot like comfortable insulated upper middle-class delusion to me. The criminal underbelly of society, along with the mentally ill, naughty boys (and girls!) one and all … they just need a good talking to, and a couple of polished Powerpoint presentations should straighten them out.
Christian schools have been teaching the ‘do not steal’ lesson for a couple of thousand years now, and we still seem to have a problem with theft. I am not saying that there is no place for education, but I sure wouldn’t be relying on it as the biggest stick in my armoury.
Oh, but heaven help any man who attempts to join the discussion and suggest tips like “don’t get drunk or take drugs”, “dress conservatively” or “don’t walk alone at night”, for they are immediately labelled victim-blamers and rape-apologists!
This theme, that the behaviour of women never causes nor contributes to the problems they encounter or anything bad that happens to them, is a feminist mainstay. And dare you suggest otherwise then you are the bad guy, even if you really don’t think you are … because your mind has been corrupted by “cognitive bias’ and ‘systemic sexism’. Move over Scientology!
An example of a recent article about traveller safety that demonstrates this narrow fem-focus can be seen at http://www.chiangmainews.com/ecmn/viewfa.php?id=3795
An alternative position is provided by this article – http://matadornetwork.com/change/travel-safety-is-not-a-gendered-issue/
Did you know that some airlines still have a policy of not seating unaccompanied minors next to men? I guess that haven’t read my post about female kiddy-fiddlers.
Airline discrimination table
http://mensrightsmelbourne.com/2014/03/24/sydney-fireman-john-mcgirr-accuses-virgin-of-discrimination/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airline_sex_discrimination_policy_controversy
And so in April 2014 a Australian feminist journalist by the name of Tracey Spicer wrote an article about how she didn’t want her children sat next to men on flights – see the article and related discussions here and here. This article in a feminist web site contributes nothing to the debate but there are some interesting points buried amongst the readers comments.
Yet despite the fact that men on planes are a cause for concern, on account of them probably being perverts, these men stepped in to help the flight attendants when help was needed.
Oh, but I love this article, it contrasts feminists silence about men being required to sit away from unaccompanied children, with the requests of ultra-orthodox Jewish men to be sat away from women.
On a positive note, in July 2014 an article by Amanda Blair entitled ‘We’ve become too paranoid about men in the company of children‘ highlighted the way many people assumed the worst when men were observed in proximity to children in playgrounds, shopping centres, etc. This UK newspaper article addresses the same issue, as does this item.
This blog post discusses an article by Wendy Tuohy on the same topic, but which in this case drips with hypocrisy bearing in mind the pronounced feminist bias of her prior repertoire of articles and offerings on social media.
This family-oriented tourist attraction in England has taken the step of banning unaccompanied adults from entering, though I suspect that unaccompanied women would not encounter a problem.
See also:
Airline allows women to choose seat away from men in world first (22 July 2024) No similar option planned for male passengers. Yet again, #GenderEqualityWhenItSuits
‘Absolute disgrace’: Locals furious at tourist’s lewd act with statue in Florence, Italy (18 July 2024)
Shocking moment furious female passenger struts naked through airport security in protest over fee (13 June 2024)
Woman forces whole plane to get removed after refusing to comply with exit row instructions (21 May 2024)
Woman loses it as she’s dragged off Spirit Airlines flight (5 April 2024)
Jetstar passenger who filmed unruly passenger on board flight speaks about horrific ordeal (19 March 2024) Australia
Woman asked to leave plane after boarding without wearing a bra (6 February 2024) USA
Woman refuses to stop singing on Delta flight (13 November 2023) USA
Woman arrested after running onto tarmac and under plane at Canberra Airport (2 November 2023)
Woman told to ‘cover up’ top on plane (1 November 2023) Australia
Influencer’s mid-flight meltdown: ‘I’m Instagram famous, you f**king bum!’ (19 September 2023) USA
TV star shamed for ‘inappropriate’ plane outfit (8 September 2023) So even *stars* need to be taught how to get dressed? #FacePalm
Passenger on 12-hour flight refuses to let woman recline her seat (15 August 2023)
Woman banned from boarding flight over racy outfit (10 August 2023)
Woman banned from United Airlines after wine uproar forced landing (2 August 2023) USA
Unhinged passenger chases flight attendant home from airport (28 July 2023)
Moment woman URINATES on floor of Spirit Airlines jet after complaining staff had prevented her from using bathroom (21 July 2023)
Woman has epic meltdown over ‘not real’ passenger on American Airlines flight (5 July 2023) See also follow-up article from 14 August 2023
Teenage schoolgirls and passenger fight on Sydney train (18 May 2023)
Shock as pregnant passenger beats up airline manager (4 May 2023) USA
Passengers arrested after wild mid-air brawl (25 April 2023) Now if this story involved 3 or 4 guys causing mayhem then I bet the journalist would have given us a gender rundown within the first paragraph (if not in the headline).
Woman zip tied mid-flight after threatening to kill flight attendant (12 April 2023)
Woman filmed doing a bizarre act on a Sydney train (6 March 2023)
Plane passenger ‘tried to storm cockpit for a drink’ (25 February 2023)
Elderly woman accused of biting flight attendant’s arm during Gold Coast trip (13 February 2023)
Tourist bites woman’s finger off over beach beanbag (2 February 2023)
US sports star Sha’Carri Richardson kicked off American Airlines flight (22 January 2023)
Woman cheered off Jetstar flight for allegedly being disorderly (11 January 2023) with subsequent coverage here (no conviction recorded)
Former US politician Chris Christie’s niece accused of biting, injuring cops during violent plane meltdown (5 December 2022)
Woman’s wild excuse after biting passenger in mid-air plane rampage (1 December 2022)
United flight attendant taken to hospital following incident with ‘disruptive customer’ (14 November 2022)
Woman unleashes on plane, throws bottle at passenger (14 October 2022)
Elderly woman escorted off plane after allegedly slapping steward (26 August 2022)
I flew business class, but what I found was zero class (16 August 2022)
Angry man watches passenger turn seat into a bed during flight (30 June 2022)
‘I was kicked off a flight because of my 10kg boobs,’ model claims (2 June 2022) Who dehumanised who, here?
ABC Illawarra host Nick Rheinberger victim of ‘shocking’ road-rage incident (30 May 2022) “Her car came screaming up and parked directly in front of my car and she got out and just started abusing me,” he said.”
Woman claims airline told her to ‘cover up’ exposed chest on plane (21 May 2022)
OnlyFans model’s gross flight G-string act divides the internet (19 May 2022)
Love Island star Amelia Marni says she was asking to ‘cover up’ on Jetstar flight (16 May 2022)
I wasn’t allowed on a plane because of my X-rated pants (28 April 2022)
US woman allegedly opens emergency exit, flees aeroplane down inflatable slide (21 April 2022)
Lizzo wears outrageous butt-baring outfit on plane (12 April 2022) Grotesque
Woman who ‘slapped passengers’ on Jet2 flight banned for life and fined £5,000 (24 March 2022)
Is this the rudest passenger ever? (23 January 2022)
Miss Universe model Olivia Culpo told to ‘cover up’ before boarding plane (17 January 2022) Virtually identical articles as per this one seem to appear a couple of times a week now … they are beyond tedious. It’s time that narcissists (and their media enablers) put on their ‘big-girl’ pants.
Passenger claims woman breastfed cat on-board flight (25 November 2021)
Bizarre moment woman walks through Miami airport in a bikini and Covid face mask | Daily Mail Online (4 September 2021)
Woman lights cigarette on Spirit Airlines flight, stunning passengers | news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site (27 August 2021)
Mum and daughter kicked off Southwest flight for demanding passengers’ seats (news.com.au) (11 August 2021)
Eight outfits that got people thrown off flights (13 July 2021)
Woman attacks passenger, unleashes on Ryanair flight from Ibiza (news.com.au) (1 June 2021)
Woman Accused of Punching Flight Attendant, Yelling at Another for Not Picking Up Her Garbage (msn.com) (4 May 2021)
Female passenger hits & abuses male partner (31 March 2021) USA (Video)
American Airlines passengers brawl over who gets to leave plane first (25 March 2021) USA
Jetstar rules: Model Isabelle Eleanore told to cover up on flight (news.com.au) (3 February 2021) Articles like this *frequently* appear in the MSM. This is news?
US airline passenger charged with punching woman whose kids kicked her seat (8 January 2021)
Woman in only underwear and T-shirt forces plane to divert (11 November 2020)
US mum forced to cover chest with flight attendant’s jumper (4 November 2020) Articles just like this one now appear almost daily (another example). Eye Roll. It’s just so unfair that women can’t wear trampy outfits on planes. (See also this blog post)
Woman punches flight attendant for not wearing mask correctly (21 October 2020) USA
Woman’s epic freak out on flight compared to The Exorcist (29 September 2020)
Girl’s hair set on fire in random attack on Adelaide bus (1 September 2020)
NFL player sues United Airlines, alleges woman sexually assaulted him on flight (21 May 2020)
Two ‘dirty’ female plane passengers leave social media grossed out (9 March 2020). Not so much a safety issue as one of empathy and respect for others around them.
Mum and daughter face court for allegedly attacking pilot in cockpit (4 March 2020) UK
Mother, 38, is spared jail for trying to commit sex act on male passenger on TUI flight after ditching her daughter, 7 (4 February 2020)
Drunk flight attendant busted after passing out for entire trip (10 August 2019)
Kind stranger comforts scared 96-year-old on flight (9 August 2019)
Woman smashes man with laptop during violent argument on aeroplane: ‘Just take her off the plane!’ (24 July 2019) USA
Drunk flyer kicked off plane, arrested for disgusting act (18 February 2019)
Women-only plane seating needed to combat sexual assault and midair ‘manspread’ (7 December 2018)
Air India starts selling seats in female-only section (17 January 2017)
Angry woman slaps airport worker in London after missing her budget flight with Ryanair (13 January 2017) UK
Businessman tests airline on gender discrimination by saying he can’t sit near men (25 October 2016)
Women-only train carriages? What a ridiculously regressive idea (4 May 2016) Australia. Pro-feminist article attracting more that 1,200 comments
City of Perth trials pink ‘female-friendly’ safe bays with better security (13 April 2016) Australia
Women-only ‘pink carriages’ idea for Aussie trains causes controversy (5 April 2016) and ‘Pink carriages’ for women only draws fire from feminists and commuters
Travel advice: Five places that women shouldn’t travel to (3 December 2014) The focus of this article appears to be mainly ideological dangers. In such places one might catch sexism from a seat in a bus.
