Kicking their sorry butts

Me, and Kim Fay, working on the slideshow today in the computer lab.

Today's meeting was a brainstorming session. We had to crack open our brains with mental hammers and put forward creative yet practical suggestions.

Now, that was the hard part. Practical suggestions.

Anyone can sprout ideas from the tip of their tongues, but when it comes to practicality, how many of these ideas can actually be applied? For example, the problem with buses is that its shape deters the driver from seeing if anyone is being sexually harassed, especially if it's a crowded bus.

One of the solutions?

A miniature, round-shaped bus.

A miniature, round-shaped bus where everyone sits in the view of everyone. Sounds like a solution...in cartoons.

But if there's one incontrovertible thing, the round-shaped bus is a creative idea. Just minus the practicality. Hence, minus the mark. =( Which is not good at all.

So no, a round-shaped bus is not our solution.

I really hope to hear some of your ideas. It doesn't matter if it's boring and mediocre or just plain ridiculous, please do voice them out here! Every comment counts. =)

Need feedback!

I promoted this blog in Swifty's blog yesterday, and I said something that sounded very true (though at that time I thought I was only writing nonsense).

Anyway, back to sexual harassment. I just need a little help from you
guys. Do you think you can visit this blog and
leave a comment? I'm very worried that a potential sexual harasser will chance
upon that blog, look at the pathetic amount of support there and think to
himself, 'Muahahaha no one supports such campaigns I shall go harass more
people.' Though I doubt sexual harassers can talk in such coherent sentences.
They are usually sick idiots.

Now that I read it again, yeah! That is one of the reasons why you all should be supporting this AWAM project! I know everyone probably walks around with this unseen bubble speech above their heads saying, 'Aiya, who cares. It won't happen to me.' I know that because I too have that bubble speech of indifference.

But what you don't know is, if you don't start taking such matters seriously, potential sexual harass-ers will be able to see this bubble callout. Don't need me to elaborate on what will happen next right?

So give me some support! Comment! Just to wish us good luck (ya I know this is very buay paiseh but nvm) or say, 'I SUPPORT YOU.'

Unless you're from the opposing team. But even then if you want to support us, I won't mind. =P

Sexual harassment on public transport

The only thing worse than sexual harassment itself is probably not telling anyone about it. More so in the conservative Malaysian communities, where people are not so keen on attracting attention to themselves.

But don't you know that at the same time, that has cost you your rights? What do you do when a man on the bus takes a photo of what's under your skirt? Ignore him and pray he will go away?

NO!

Scream! Shout! Voice out! Put the sexual harasser to shame! Banish these foul creatures from the face of the earth! Which is precisely what this post asks from you.

To get the ball rolling, I’ll quote several experiences from celebrity blogger Xiaxue:

There was once i was on my way home from school. I was in my RV PE uniform and and i sat on the window seat of a very empty bus. This Bangala (not again!) came aboard and he decided, among the 30 other EMPTY seats, to sit beside me.

No, he didnt actually sit beside me. He sat ON my lap! He then pretended that the bus was shaking thus he "accidentally" sat on me, and slided down my lap so that he was actually sitting so close to me that my whole thigh were touching his whole thigh. Freaked out and shocked, i tried first to pull out my school skirt, which he sat on. When i was doing the pulling, HE GRABBED MY HAND!!!!

I "urgh!!" and moved seats to far far behind him. I WAS SUCH A WIMP!! I CANT FORGIVE MYSELF for letting him go scot free!! Later on he kept looking back at me.

The above is an example of cases that the writer herself experienced. The following is one she has witnessed.

Once, after work at ard 12am, me and 2 of my colleagues were travelling home on bus 97. We were sitting in the front row, top deck, talking and suddenly this lady came to us and asked if she could sit with my colleague. We asked why and she pointed to this Bangala (yawn, whats new?) 2 seats behind us and said the Bangala kept talking to her and just now, even touched her shoulder.

The Bangala moved 1 seat forward to directly behind my colleague and the lady (who now sat beside my colleague) and he was so atrocious! He put his arm through the grip on top of my colleague's seat so that she cannot lean back or her back would touch his arm.

We asked him to **** off and he claimed that he was the lady's friend.

I was damn stupid. I asked the lady, "Is he ur friend?"

My colleague smacked me on the head and said, "Obviously not right!"

The Bangala continued to mumble under his breath and my poor colleague could not lean back.

I went downstairs to tell the bus driver. I took my bag and pretended to alight.

The bus driver was SO heroic! All i did was to tell him,
"Uncle, upstairs got this guy keep disturbing us."


He stopped the engine, explained to the downstairs ppl abt the situation, stormed upstairs and pointed at the Bangala and told him in a thunderous voice,
"YOU! GO SIT BEHIND."


Bangala replied the same sentence meekly, "She my friend."
"GO SIT BEHIND OR I CALL POLICE!"


Bangala mumbled and moved 1 seat.
"TO THE BACK."


He finally moved far away and the lady kept saying thanks to me and I could sense a this natural high from helping ppl who appreciated it. =)

The one below is a seemingly paltry case that occurred in a train, but equally unethical, none the less.

On the MRT this guy on my right sat far too close to me. His butt crossed that line that indicates ur space. He is actually very skinny, so there was no excuse for doing that... He then promptly fell asleep and i tolerated this as i didnt want to give up my seat. A few stops later the person to the guy's right got up and i went to sit down on his seat. When he woke up 2 minutes later, imagine his surprise when he saw me on the wrong side of him! Too late to shift to the right now, hahaha...

We would like to hear from you! Please share with us stories (though it would be better if none of them existed in this world) like the above. Or it could be one you heard from your friend, anything at all. This is important because it serves to warn the other women of the way these filthy creatures work.

For example, my friend once told me about how people will throw eggs at your car’s windshield and how you shouldn’t stop the car to clean because these people will use this advantage to rob you. Totally unrelated to sexual harassment, I know, but just to let you know that if you speak out, people will know about it and they will grow aware.

No matter how small (ogling at your breasts, touch your hand) or how big (a guy masturbating near you, touching you with his genital), do not be afraid to post it here. We will not judge you, nor will we say that your stories disgust us, not appropriate etc. You can leave it anonymously or under a pseudonym.

NOTE: NONSENSE COMMENTS WILL BE DELETED.