I was just reading this, and it got me thinking; what things can't I, as an unaccompanied male, do without making people suspect that I'm a paedophile?
Nougat, crocodiles and lavender hold Anthony Peregrine's attention in Drôme.
The woman behind the cash desk looked suspicious. "Are you alone?" she asked. I glanced around, to ensure I had not been joined by a coach party.
"Apparently," I said. She looked even more suspicious, and no wonder. There is something deeply wrong about a lone man of mature years seeking entry to an establishment called Le Palais des Bonbons et du Nougat (Palace of Sweets and Nougat).
I went in anyway. I had to. I was in Montélimar, which, as we all know, is the European centre of nougat production. This is neither more, nor less, impressive than being world capital of pear drops.
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I wandered about entranced. I learnt of Alexander the Great's role in sugar history, admired sugar sculptures and listened to the Archies over the PA (Sugar Sugar - this place doesn't miss a trick). I smiled at children, whose mothers gathered them in rather abruptly, and thoughtlessly entered a competition to win my own weight in sweetmeats. I now live in fear of the postman staggering up the drive under a 13-stone slab of nougat.
Can I go to a park where there are young children? Can I go to a fairground? How about watching a Disney film at the cinema? It seems that for a lot of things, guys need something to legitimise their presence; a dog, a kid of their own or friends, while women seem more able to do things alone without having people think the worst about their motivations.
I agree with you Peter, that men alone in some situations might be seen as perverts etc. And it's wrong.
However, whilst women may enjoy more social freedoms in this area...I disagree on one point, no women can often not do a lot of things alone - walk down the street at dusk and exercise by themselves...or walk home somewhere isolated by themselves...otherwise if they get attacked they were 'asking for it' for being there alone.
But, society sucks.
yeah. i don't go out alone at night, i used to but i think it was stupid. but even then i lived in a really populated area with lots of lights and people around even at night and i only went to the store that was 5 minutes away. even then i felt a little unsafe. if i was a man i wouldn't be that afraid because i might get beaten up but probably not raped.
i don't even like to go out at night with my mom except to the wine store a minute away from us.
and even with men women aren't safe. there was a livejournal entry i read by a woman who had her face bashed in by a man when she was with another man. he couldn't protect her, the man just came and broke her face pretty much and maybe other bones too... she had pictures on her blog, before and after pictures. it was horrendous. she had to have painful surgery and was in terrible pain and she was like, "how could this happen? i thought i was safe with a male friend."
Men can get raped as well, Milla. Asides, it is quite rare for someone to attack you in the street at night, male or female. Its probably just as dangerous to get into your car. If you are in fear of men when walking about the scummy people who carry out all these nasty acts win.
Oh grow up. I got attacked on the way to school once in broad daylight and all the police could say was, "oh, you were wearing a short skirt"...
It was my fucking school skirt and all of about 3 inches above my knee.
And as for being 'attacked' on the street at night...perhaps not....but harassed, yes.
