PERSPECTIVES II

From a LiveJournal entry 8/21/09:

There had been an attempted rape and the park managers' response was to put up notices warning women not to walk by themselves in the park.

Signs hung  around London's Mudchute Park read:

"Regrettably, due to a number of recent attacks it is no longer advisable for women to walk alone through the Valley. The police have been informed and the parks management is aware of the situation. We strongly advise single women to avoid using the park to approach Mudchute station and instead use other entrances such as via the Crossharbour DLR station behind ASDA."

I just love the response:

Since I object to being told where I can and cannot go, and being implicitly blamed for being attacked if I don't follow someone else's rules, my housemate and I made some alternative signs reminding people through parody that if women in the park were being attacked, probably by a man or men, then the blame lay with the (probably male) attacker rather than their victims.They went something like this:

"Regrettably, due to a number of recent incidents, it is necessary to remind men walking alone through the park not to rob, rape, threaten or assault anyone. Thank you in advance for behaving like decent human beings. Signed, single women who refuse to live in fear."