*whistle* oi oi !!!
It’s a summers day, your walking down the road in a dress or maybe a pair of short shorts. A gentleman in a van gives you a beep beep, a whistle or maybe an oi oi !!! How do you feel? Does it give you a bit of a boost? Put a spring in your step? Or do you feel humiliated? Degraded? Harassed? This is something I have been thinking about since watching a feature on this morning the other day and also after digging my shorts out of habitation to make the most of the sun and heat.
In Nottingham their police force will now be recording misogyny incidents such as wolf whistling as hate crimes.
Now im going to be honest, I always take it as a complement. I am slim and leggy so in the summer months it’s quiet normal for me to get beeped and whistled at if I’m in shorts or a skirt, and I always take it in fun and as complement. The day I walk down the road in a pair of shorts and don’t at least get a beep will be – for me – a sad one. I understand that not everyone feels the same as me but a hate crime? This seems a bit much to me personally. But I understand that it can be embarrassing, I’ve been called a MILF by a van driver in front of my children and had to try and explain what a MILF is to my then 10yr old daughter – ‘mum in a lovely frock’ was my answer (my eldest just laughed and my other daughter pointed out that I wasn’t wearing a frock!) but it never even crossed my mind to go home and report this incident to police. I can see why people might feel harassed by this, but to call it a hate crime seems more than a little harsh. It also seems like a massive waste of the polices time and resources – both of which are already at a premium. If I had rung up the police after the ‘MILF’ incident, the description would have been something like this. “It was a transit type van might have been silver, might have been white, it was driven by a man” – it’s not a lot for them to go on to be fair!
The definition of a hate crime is
‘a crime motivated by racial, sexual, or other prejudice, typically one involving violence.’
I’m not sure anyone can honestly say that whistling at someone as they walk passed a building site is a hate crime, can it be embarrassing? yes. Can it be harassing? Possibly. Is it a hate crime? In my opinion, no.I understand it can be seen as objectifying women, but have you never seen a fit guy and given him a phwoar? In the grand scheme of things it’s such a small quickly forgotten thing and we should just take the complement and run rather than involving the police, but maybe that’s just me.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on being wolf whistled.
7 Responses to *whistle* oi oi !!!
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I think what the police have done is extended their definition of hate crime to include crimes committed against people because of their gender. This is a logical move as the definition already covers crimes motivated by racial and religious discrimination. It has been reported in the media as meaning that wolf whistling is now a crime but I don’t think this is exactly the case. However if the wolf whistling involved threats, violence, intimidation or harassment then I guess it would be. Personally I am not a fan of being wolf whistled. I find it embarrassing at best, and at worst it can be extremely intimidating. However, I don’t think the police are likely to be hunting down men in white vans to prosecute. That said, I personally would be happier if some men didn’t feel the need to pass comment on the bodies of passing women as if we were some sort of trophy. Equally, I wouldn’t treat a man that way either, though I understand that some may feel differently. #tribe
I have no real opinion on it really! It’s kind of like being id’d for looking under 25, at 34 this is a massive compliment. Interesting argument though xxx #puddinglove
Interesting read #puddinglove
I’m a bit torn because on one hand I was frequently humiliated and scared as a late teens by people doing this while walking to the bus stop. On the other hand I can how it might be taking the law too far. It’s a tough one. But growing up in had people follow me in their cars and stop to talk to me. At 18 got very upset. #TribalLove
Interesting read – not that I get wolf whistled a lot, if at all (haha) but I do find it humiliating, embarrassing and a little unnecessary. However I do agree with you that I don’t think the police would be particularly interested in pursuing the offending white van man driver’s! #puddinglove
Its a tough one to answer. I think it depends on the circumstances. A typical builders site or a van man wolf whistling doesn’t bother me. Its the groups of younger boys i find uncomfortable. Whether it’s seen as a crime though i guess is other peoples opinions. Thanks for linking up to #puddinglove
I don’t think it should be seen as a crime – personally I don’t mind the occasional beep. It makes me go a bit pink, but on the inside I do a mini fist bump and think ‘oh yeh I still have it’ 😉 #PuddingLove