Jeremy Corbyn Sugests Women-Only Carriages On Trains
According to this article on the BBC, Jeremy Corbyn is suggesting that women-only carriages should be introduced in the UK. This is the start of the article.
Labour leadership contender Jeremy Corbyn has said he would consider women-only rail carriages to help stem a rise in assaults on public transport.
Mr Corbyn told the Independent he would consult women on the suggestion.
But the idea was attacked as outdated and unhelpful by his Labour leadership rivals Yvette Cooper and Andy Burnham.
I have no view one way or another on the actual proposal, but practically there are problems.
Most new urban trains, like those on the London Overground, Underground, Thameslink and Crossrail are effectively built as one long articulated carriage. This picture shows the inside of a Class 378 train on the Overground.
This layout increases capacity, enables passengers to spread themselves to less-crowded parts of the train and get to the appropriate carriage for disembarking.
I am not sure whether it is a safer layout, but on a couple of occasions, I’ve had a drunk or a noisy baby sit by me, whilst I’m trying to read, so I’ve quietly moved to another part of the train. It must also be an easier train to monitor for security purposes.
The layout also makes evacuation of the train easier in the case of an incident, like a complete power failure in a tunnel, as you’d just walk to one end of the train to be taken down steps by the emergency services.
If there was a segregated area for women, this would be extremely difficult to incorporate into a train designed in this way. It might even compromise the tunnel evacuation procedures.
So to create some women-only trains would mean an expensive rebuild, new trains, or a lot of work to make tunnels fit the new circumstances.
An alternate would be to make one train in six say, women only!
And surely, if you have women-only trains, you should also have women-only buses, taxis and minicabs. I think the latter are one of the worst places for attacks on women. This article in the Daily Mail has the headline of No woman is safe in a minicab, says rape judge. It may be an exaggeration as it’s the Daily Mail, but it does say there are 100,000 private hire drivers in the country and questions the checking procedures.
It would be far better, if instead of making public transport safer for a particular group, we made it safe for everybody who wants to use it.
I was travelling on the Overground recently, when on arrival at Dalston Junction station, a blind, black lady in her forties was met by a uniformed Overground stationman, who led her professionally up the stairs and through the barriers.
Every station in the UK should be mandated to follow the Overground rule of station staff being present from the first train of the day until the last. Also if you need special assistance on the Overground, you don’t need to give prior warning. This page on the Transport for London web site, details their policy.
Rape Is Acceptable If It’s Within The Socialist Workers Party
This seems to be the message from several reports this morning, including this one in the Guardian.
Let’s face it rape and I would include threats and violence as well, is never acceptable in any circumstances.
The Times says that many have resigned from the Socialist Workers Party. Hopefully, they’ll be the first of nearly everybody who leaves.
A Tale Of Two Young Women
Today we had the good news of Malala Yousafzai leaving hospital after being shot by the Taleban in Pakistan for speaking up for the education of girls.
But the student, who was raped and murdered in India hasn’t been as lucky. The latest news is here on the BBC.
What is it in the sub-continent about their attitude to women and girls?
But saying that, there is a surprisingly large number of Asian men in jail in the UK for sex offences.
How Not To Run A Prison System
This story from the United States is terrible.
I’m not saying, rape of women prisoners doesn’t go on in other countries, but you rarely here of it in Europe. I seem to vaguely remember, that when C used to visit HMP Holloway in the 1960s and 70s, that she told a story of a prisoner, who got pregnant.
I also think there are some countries in Europe, where few women are incarcerated.
The United States should bring its Justice and Prison up to the standards of the civilised world.
The Anonymous Widower 