ONE BILLION RISING. Will you give your support to women across the planet on 14 February?

Probably preaching to the converted, When . One thing missing in those who feel they are born to dominate the world is the imagination to put themselves in the place of the underdog. They can be willing to protect a chosen underdog, or advise the underdog on how to avoid being attractive to other exploiters, but not to restrain their own impulse to domineer - because they don't know what it feels like.

Elegran Superb post. A big thank you from me.

Elegran Awesome! Legendary!

Lovely, Elegran. In the mode of Swift!

elegran brilliant post !!!!

Elegran.....Respect!

Elegran...Wow!

Hi dorsetpennt

If that lady did not like the man following her why did she not leave work later and get a later train.
There is no way the man should be put out because of her.
Often people in London got to their train with seconds to spare.
As an alternative she could have got a job outside London.

Frank

Over to you, Gransnetters! I will rein myself back in the vain hope that Frank is being mischievous!!!

when well what can I say !! as we say here in the North "gobsmacked*,I cannot believe that the comments are coming from a man who is the same age as me nearly and brought up with this outlook on life.Tell you what why didn't the lady concerned just stay at home and lock her self away so she didn't work or travel on any transport and just vegitate her life away.I am lost for words and that is a first for me.
Fab posts elegran and when

HUNTERF Perhaps she thought she was being stalked. It is a very frightening situation to be in even if the stalker never speaks or even approaches you. Btw men can be stalked too and it is just as frightening for them.

However, if the man was just heading for the train, it would have been better if he didn't habitually pant down the same woman's neck. Someone has already mentioned a courteous man recognising that women become nervous if they think they are being deliberately followed, crossed the road to reassure her. While you may invariably behave in a gentlemanly fashion – and from what you say, it is apparent that you do – some men need to learn a bit more emotional intelligence and keep an eye on how they appear to other people, especially women. Once again, it is not automatically the role of women to accommodate men and how they expect to be.

Unless you are being mischievous, Frank, you must see that it is women who you think must adjust their lives to suit men and wear clothes that are not provocative, but they must not object when men stand and watch them climb out of the pool in nothing but a dripping swimsuit at the end of a session when they thought they could rely on being unobserved by lascivious eyes. How come these men are allowed on the poolside before the pool is empty, if it is a ladies only session?

Women had to band together to get access to all the things that men took for granted for centuries - education, the vote, entrance to the professions, equality in the Church, equal pay, access to their children in matrimonial disputes. If you and a few friends want all-male swimming sessions and exercise classes, then go for it - fight for your rights. It will not be easy, but for inspiration you can look to the women who had to fight - the Pankhursts, Elizabeth Garrett Anderson, Mary Seacole, Nancy Astor, Amelia Erhardt, Elizabeth Fry, to name but a few.

So exquisitely put Elegran

HUNTER

I am becoming rather concerned that you're not just 'getting' what is being said here. So loud and clear:

IT'S NOT WOMEN WHO HAVE TO CHANGE IN THEIR DRESS, BEHAVIOUR AND EDUCATION, IT'S MEN WHO HAVE TO CHANGE. MEN ALSO NEED TO TEACH THEIR SONS TO CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOUR TOWARDS WOMEN.

It's really very simple.

I sure that there a lot of people who can think of more important things in life than who attends a swimming session or gym class
Once again well written elegran I do wish I was so elequent.

Hunter I do believe you are wrong 26/1 18.30

I am no great feminist , but this injustice to women of various countries has to righted. They have to touch the soft underbelly, It is a good thing women all over the world are uniting on 14 February.

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Hi absent

This man was interviewed by the police and they checked the time he finished work and several people knew he got the same train every night.
He had 13 minutes to walk nearly half a mile so he had to take the shortest route.
The police just said there was no evidence of stalking and he had not committed any offence.

Frank

That is good, Frank that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing. BUT there are a lot of other people around who are not so innocent. The lady wondered whether the man who was following her was one of the wrong 'uns.

Hi Franky 27/1 , 19.34

HOW do you know all this ? Have you read it in your local newspaper ???

Hi Nono

One of the people I worked with knew the man and I had met him while I worked in London. The person I worked with travelled on the same train.
I can only presume the man was telling the truth as he never went missing for any period of time.
If he had been stalking I presume he would have been in jail.
In no way was this man responsible for the woman tripping up and injuring herself.
I supose he should have been compensated by the woman for his wasted time.

Frank

Frank is having a laugh at the expense of us women, if you ask me. I'm just SO PLEASED that the men in my family are so different. Includes small not-yet-men who leap on any sign of unfair discrimination.

This sounds like one of those convoluted anecdotes which prove nothing about nobody nowhere (apologies pedants, but I have HAD ENOUGH of the latent misogeny I am reading)
I think everybody has said about all there is to be said, but the attitude that a woman "has it coming to her" or that if someone is following her too closely for comfort somehow it is her fault, this just belongs in the 19th century or earlier. It is like bullying, too often the victim is rrequired to change their way of life or pattern of behaviour, not the bully.
"If he had been stalking I presume he would have been in jail" - just doesn't follow.
Just as we observe cashpoint etiquette - i.e. we stand back from anyone using an ATM, there are similar considerations in other aspects of our everyday life.
But I give up - HunterF you come across as someone with the ossified attitudes of a nonagenarian with the outlook of Soames Forsyte. I find this hard to credit on an enlightened site like GN.

Hi gracesmum

Are you saying this man should have got a later train so he would not have to follow this woman every day.
He might have been wanting to get to some activity.
Maybe an aerobics class.

Frank

I have to hand it to you HunterF - this is just a wind-up isn't it?
However we also take violence against women seriously whether threatened, implied or overt. If this had been your late wife or one of your daughters, how would you have reacted?
I bet you are a real softie underneath this Soames Forsyte exterior!

HUNTERF, I do believe you are a bit of a wind-up merchant. Very glad I haven't joined in with this discussion, actually.