The Crazy Idea Of Female-Only Compartments On Trains.
This article on the BBC is entitled Labour MP says ‘merit’ in women-only train carriages.
This is the first paragraph.
Women-only train carriages could combat the rise in sexual offences on public transport, a Labour MP has said.
My use of crazy in the title of this post, is based on what Lord Adonis said on Radio 5 Live, this morning. He also indicated that the solution was to moderate peoples’ and especially men’s behaviour everywhere.
But I don’t think female-only compartments are a good idea for very practical reasons.
The latest generation of commuter trains like the Class 378 trains of the London Overground are walk-through.
This seems to be a design that is used in modern London Underground and Crossrail trains. Putting separate compartments in a train like this, would block off the ability to walk along the train to perhaps position yourself at the appropriate place to disembark at your station.
I also think that this type of layout is safer and more passenger-friendly.
About a year ago, I had a severe nose-bleed on a train, caused by an excessive sneeze. I had no tissues, but a lady sitting opposite had several and even helped clean me up.
I’d be interested too, to see an analysis of all harrassment on trains differs according to train type.
Conclusion
Like Lord Adonis, I tend to believe that harrassment on trains is better stopped by other means.
The Anonymous Widower 
I agree, it is better to sort out the behaviour than have separate carriages. But I can understand why women might prefer to be in female only carriages. Finding oneself amongst a group of drunken men late at night can be intimidating. In the lovely clean well laid out train above, a lady could just get up and walk away further down the train to somewhere she felt safer. On some other trains with narrow aisles and closed doors between carriages she would find this less easy an option.
Looking at this from another point of view – a lone woman in a ladies only carriage could be an attraction to a man bent of harassment or worse. In a closed carriage, he could do a lot of harm without being disturbed.
Perhaps it is time we stopped allowing drunken people on a train – a breath test could sort that out – and having an arrangement where known sex offenders had limitations on how they could travel on trains. Not sure how I would do that. In church we have a one, who has been in prison, and he has someone with him at all church events.
It is very complicated. And the most dangerous people are those who aren’t on any registers because they haven’t been caught.
Comment by nosnikrapzil | August 23, 2017 |