I read this idly this morning at one point during my usual in and outs to the kitchen… didn’t think any more of it. Just one of those articles which won’t really affect me.
Until one phone call from twenty year old daughter at 10:30pm who wanted to update me on her evening’s events.
On a train in East Anglian travelling from Liverpool Street out onto a station not on the mainline. A journey she’s done many times before to her boyfriend’s. He was waiting for her as normal.
Two stops away, she’s reading her book having come straight from work, wearing black thick tights (she only wears the expensive ones from M&S) and a neat skirt which sits just above the knee when seated.
A middle aged lady gets up to get off and beckons daughter over and informs her that the mature gentleman she’s been sat next to has been taking some ‘inappropriate’ photos of her and she’d like her to take her business card as she’s going to report him to the police.
Daughter’s head now in spin, turns to look at man who meets her eyes, gets up and moves to different carriage.
Lady gets off but they’ve kept in touch and she’s checked daughter is ok, which she wasn’t. Luckily BF there to scoop up one now scared and worried daughter and the following two hours is spent on phone to police who ring her back to confirm Transport Police have looked at CCTV and have identified the carriage and can clearly see his iPad at a relevant angle.
What the fuck they are then planning to do about it I don’t know…..
Should the helpful lady have spoken up in the carriage the minute she noticed the photos (she’d been sat next to him whereas daughter was diagonally opposite in an aisle seat). My mind is racing that they were both in on it…. can’t be… she would not have called the police, would she.
I can’t sleep now. Daughter is fine although she says she feels violated. She’s to give one more official statement tomorrow …. but really – what can they do? She was not harmed or attacked in any way… though this lady was presumably attempting to ‘do the right thing’ ?
I mean yeah … she’s young and pretty and she’ll be letched over, daily. But usually it’s silently and she’ll never know it’s happening (but we all know it is) yet this guy had the gall to do what the new bill is hoping to what? STOP? You’re having a laugh … I’d like to see you/government put this one into practice. She needs, as we all do, to remain vigilant, be aware of iPhones and iPads positioned at suspicious angles and maybe even have the confident to ask “excuse me, are you taking photos?” and say it really loudly with lots of witnesses.
There are some serious creeps out there. I might Twitter about this …. I’m really angry 😡
That is terrible. I catch that line too sometimes. There are some nasty people out there. I hope she feels better soon. It’s so terrible that the wicked people with the perverted minds don’t feel dirty but their innocent victims do.
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Thank you. She had a good weekend and is back at work and I think decided to not take it further with the authorities, which on this occasion I agree with.
The lady who decided to call the police was trying to do the right thing and I get that.
Really difficult one. My daughter was doing nothing which could be perceived as ‘wrong’ …
I know she’ll never forget the incident but I also know her well. Her mental wellbeing will be better this week having made the statements but perhaps not going on to do ID parades and so forth.
Really huge subject isn’t it …
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Yes it is at the moment. In my shameful ignorance I had no idea of what those poor girls have to put up with, or how sick minded some men are!
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Thank goodness for examples of men like your goodself 🤗
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🙂
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And you have every right to be. (Photography of any kind is illegal on the underground anyway)
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Thanks Derrick.
I didn’t know that 📱
I suspect after yesterday’s bill was passed, the transport police will be seen patrolling carriages a little more frequently in an effort to deter offenders….
Have a lovely weekend 🌸
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That’s so awful 😦 and terrifying. My heart goes out to you and your daughter.
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Thanks sweetie … I’m sure she will add it to her bag of life’s experiences and move on with her head held high and just a little more realism about humanity.
She was that little girl who bounced into school on her first day and assumed everyone would be lovely and kind and open, as she was…..
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I understand that completely
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I’m with you on this one. I have a daughter who is now grown up and a mum herself but if she was still a young woman and experiencing this I would be really upset. The whole cell phone and tablet thing just enables these pervs. When I was younger I was in the library in Chelsea and a wanker ( yes literally!) started jerking off next to me in the book stacks. I realized what he was doing, turned right to him and said “Sir! You are in the library of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Stop that this minute or I shall scream for the police.” Well that wilted him!
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Oh my God, that’s despicable 😖
Respect that you had the confidence to say something rather than move away embarrassed 👌🏼
I’m aware she’ll be being ‘looked at’ .. in queues, walking the streets of West Hampstead, admired and possibly even whistled at…, that’s what I call ‘normal’ but to have the possibility of her picture floating about is a huge step up isn’t it. That’s the bit I reckon the lady was trying to prevent..
Thank you for commenting Anne. All we can do is bring our daughters up to be aware, be wary, be confident in themselves so they can deal with these issues 👌🏼
I know she’ll feel better the more time passes. She’s going to see a college friend today in Nottingham …. on a train.
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Yikes!!!!! So creepy!!!! You just never know!!!! Hope your daughter is okay! Hope they catch the guy! 😨
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I know sweetie… one minute she’s minding her own business.
If the lady hadn’t pointed it out, she’d never have known; she’d have got off train and continued with her night.
The guy would have logged his photos and continued on his disgusting way.
Which situation is worse?
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It’s horrible!!!! It is a violation!
Check out my poem posted yesterday…
SOMEBODY’S. WATCHING YOU!
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No way, how weird!! 😱
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