Men fined for whistling at women in railway station [Archive]

grinner

12-16-2003, 11:57 AM

Men fined for whistling at women in railway station

Dutch police say they have booked five men for whistling at women in a new crackdown on sexual harassment in Rotterdam railway station.

Men caught whistling at women in or around the station face a fine of nearly £30 if they are caught, reports De Telegraaf.

Police spokesman Huub Veeneman said: "We ask the woman if the man is embarrassing her before writing a penalty - not all woman see this as unwanted behaviour."

He said the crackdown had been launched following a series of complaints from women and that five men had so far been caught.

Mr Veeneman added: "The problem is more urgent in and near the central railway station because a lot of men come just to watch the beautiful women.

"Some of them are really intimidating the women. They are not only whistling but if a woman doesn't agree they start to insult her in the most awful way.

"And some of them just don't realise they can't do this. One of the men we captured said it was his way of trying to find a girlfriend." This :g2f: What next... we can't leer at women? Bah... all whistling is, is showing male appreciation of the female form.... yummy.

NebariNookiee

12-16-2003, 12:01 PM

I'm speechless.:evil:

Digger

12-16-2003, 12:05 PM

Mr Veeneman added: "The problem is more urgent in and near the central railway station because a lot of men come just to watch the beautiful women. How does he know they're beautiful. Is he looking at them? THAT"S SEXUAL HARRASSMENT! GET HIM!

generic_screenname

12-16-2003, 12:05 PM

And some of them just don't realise they can't do this. One of the men we captured said it was his way of trying to find a girlfriend.

Now that's just silly. Everyone knows if you want to get a lady's effection, you have to dry-hump her leg.

grinner

12-16-2003, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by generic_screenname
Now that's just silly. Everyone knows if you want to get a lady's effection, you have to dry-hump her leg. :spew:

NebariNookiee

12-16-2003, 12:07 PM

Originally posted by generic_screenname
Now that's just silly. Everyone knows if you want to get a lady's effection, you have to dry-hump her leg.
Or hit'em over the head with a club. The ONLY tried-and-true method.:smokin: -- Snoogins

DentArthurDent

12-16-2003, 12:10 PM

so...

Police spokesman Huub Veeneman said: "We ask the woman if the man is embarrassing her before writing a penalty - not all woman see this as unwanted behaviour."

Does the police go ahead with the dating service aspect for a fee to finace the crackdown...

what happens if the dating service proves more popular... ;)

"Police Dating Service, Rotterdam Divison..."

generic_screenname

12-16-2003, 12:18 PM

Officer Woolery: So, Kalie, did Arend's wolf-whistles offend you?

Kalie: No, not at all. Actually I thought he was kind of sweet.

Officer Woolery: Do you see yourself walking by his railway station again?

Kalie: Maybe...we'll see...

Audience: Oooooooohhh.....

fermicat

12-16-2003, 12:20 PM

Imagine the reverse situation. A woman is leering at you, watching you walk, whistling suggestively.....

Sounds pretty good?

Enjoying yourself?

Flirting like there's no tomorrow?

OK. Now imagine the woman is Rosie O'Donnell......

grinner

12-16-2003, 12:23 PM

Gah.... :yuck:

But, I would still take it as a compliment.

generic_screenname

12-16-2003, 12:23 PM

Somehow I don't think I have to worry abut Rosie O'Donnell whistling at me...;)

BlackThorn

12-16-2003, 12:23 PM

Originally posted by fermicat
OK. Now imagine the woman is Rosie O'Donnell......

:rollin:

Whistling is fine. Looking is fine. The usual cat calls and the resulting insults when you don't give them the reaction they want is where I start getting violent.

fermicat

12-16-2003, 12:29 PM

Did anybody see that episode of Sex and the City when Miranda keeps getting harrassed by some construction workers outside of a blockbuster store. They said stuff like "I got what you need" and all that hooey. Well, at the end she walks right up to one and calls his bluff and he freaks out -- "I've got a wife and kids at home. Geez, lady." I was ROTFLMEO!!!

DentArthurDent

12-16-2003, 01:00 PM

So...assuming this sort of thing has been going on as long as there has been women and men, why the sudden need for legislation? At what point did Women become so helpless individually that they need someone to take care of this for them... Don't give up the power to protect yourself...eventually everyone starts to assume that you can't, they write laws so that you can't. In the end you have no power...it is a road to ruin.

grinner

12-16-2003, 01:16 PM

slippery slope.

RydraWong

12-16-2003, 01:45 PM

At what point did Women become so helpless individually that they need someone to take care of this for them...

'Cos many women, if they're on their own with a strange guy hassling them, don't necessarily feel great about trying to confront that guy solo.

And a lot of women have learnt that if you tell someone who's whistling or cat-calling at you to stop, that's quite often when you get obscene insults yelled at you, or other serious hassle.

Which is one of the reasons why many women are not too enthused about being whistled at in the first place.

Personally, I find whistling mildly annoying at worst - but that's not all these guys were doing:

"Some of them are really intimidating the women. They are not only whistling but if a woman doesn't agree they start to insult her in the most awful way.

I'm not trying to diss guys who may genuinely mean a whistle as an innocent compliment, but for a fair number of women, it feels like "OK, maybe this guy means well - or maybe if I don't smile, he's going to start yelling 'What's the matter, you stupid b****? Think you're too good for ...' etc. etc. etc. "

This is not a fun feeling.

grinner

12-16-2003, 01:50 PM

being as how I can't remember the last time I actually whistled at a woman... or said anything that wasn't appropriate... I still don't see that a look or a whistle is anything to fine someone over.

fermicat

12-16-2003, 01:52 PM

I just ignore any whistling or cat-calls. You never know if it is sincere, mean-spirited, or if they will hassel you more and/or get abusive with you. Best not to react at all, even if they insult you for it. I generally do not like that sort of attention from strangers.

BlackThorn

12-16-2003, 01:54 PM

Originally posted by RydraWong
And a lot of women have learnt that if you tell someone who's whistling or cat-calling at you to stop, that's quite often when you get obscene insults yelled at you, or other serious hassle.

With a lot of them, you'll get insults if you do anything other than give them the positive response they want -- even if that's just ignoring them.

So, you either learn how to give them that positive response, even if you aren't interested or just aren't in the mood . . . or you learn to deal with the insults, whether by ignoring it or confronting them.

Then there are the ones that will start following you and even physically get in your face for not giving them the reaction they want, but they aren't as common. On my bad days, I like those ones. Because on my bad days, I'm just looking for a reason.

generic_screenname

12-16-2003, 01:55 PM

As an introvert, if a girl wants to know how I feel about her she has to practically beat it out of me. (which is kind of fun ;) )So I don't really get the concept of whistling and lude comments as a means of showing interest. What is the point? How can someone honestly think it's a going to get anything but a negative reaction?

fermicat

12-16-2003, 01:57 PM

It's a no-win situation, unless it happens between people who know and like each other.

DentArthurDent

12-16-2003, 01:59 PM

I agree with grin, thing is that there are usually laws on the books that deal with this sort of thing in other ways...specifically targeting some jerks for THIS particular thing, might bring retribution against the women. It would be far better to keep them from loitering for the public good... and NOT have it be so gender specific, as a law.

stellar

12-16-2003, 01:59 PM

Whistling is demeaning to women. We live in a time when women should not be treated like dogs.

Anyway, I find that screaming "can I get some fries with that shake," and "yeah, baby, let me see that tootsie roll" work a lot better and at the same time preserves their dignity and honor.

fermicat

12-16-2003, 02:02 PM

Whistling and yelling at women would be more flattering if the men who did it were more selective...... But since they do it to any recognizably female person ages teen-ancient, it isn't.

Makes me want to yell back something like "haven't you ever seen a woman walking before??"

JadedLegend3

12-16-2003, 02:05 PM

The whistling and car honking, though they are idiotic means of attracting attention, I don't find to be offensive. I find it to be classic male thinking. Like that whole car on the moon thing.

Cat-calls and being followed and such, that is just not cool and very offensive. It is also dangerous, because a lot of these guys aren't being innocent. It's why I'm always armed when I go out. ;)

Jacqui :love:

grinner

12-16-2003, 02:08 PM

Originally posted by JadedLegend3
It's why I'm always armed when I go out. ;)

Jacqui :love: I should hope so... how would you carry anything if you weren't armed? Righty and Lefty are nice.

talyn3

12-16-2003, 02:20 PM

Originally posted by JadedLegend3
It's why I'm always armed when I go out. ;)

Jacqui :love:

The lady packs a .44 caliber Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, So you got yourself one question, Do you really want to whistle? Well do you punk???

DentArthurDent

12-16-2003, 02:22 PM

<cough> excuse me miss. would you be so kind as to allow me to whistle at you? ;)

fermicat

12-16-2003, 02:24 PM

Jacqui, with that pistol you could pull a Thelma and Louise on someone and blow up his truck if he is crude to you! Cool.....

AgentSun

12-16-2003, 02:41 PM

or just be buffy and unleash the slayer skills.

want to do that again, moron? i've got a rocket launcher with your name on it!

JadedLegend3

12-16-2003, 06:08 PM

Originally posted by fermicat
Jacqui, with that pistol you could pull a Thelma and Louise on someone and blow up his truck if he is crude to you! Cool.....

LOL Threads like this is why I love you guys!!!

fermicat, one day while I was driving w/ my friend, she kept on back-seat driving. We were driving along a road that had a cliff on the one side. After her last comment on my driving I said to her, "If you don't stop back-seat driving, I'm going to 'Thelma and Louise' your a$$ right off this cliff!" She stopped. :ewink:

Jacqui :love:

JadedLegend3

12-16-2003, 06:11 PM

Originally posted by talyn3
The lady packs a .44 caliber Magnum, the most powerful handgun in the world, So you got yourself one question, Do you really want to whistle? Well do you punk???

:rollin: :rollin: :rollin:

:boom: :sniper: :jedi: :bigger: :bond: :bub: :smash: :flamethro :fwap: :fencing: :trout: :boxing: :gangster:

Jacqui :love:

Scarran Raptor

12-16-2003, 06:28 PM

or classics like "I beg your pardon miss, was your father an astronomer? because that ass is out of this world!"

"I love your outfit, it would look even better in a heap on my bedroom floor"

or the all time greatest pick-up line

*ahem*

Gimme some sugar, baby!