Rape:'Why didn't you take a taxi?'

TV presenter Eamonn Holmes has been criticised for telling a rape victim: 'I hope you take taxis now.'
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Holmes, 51, introduced the interview, saying: 'She was on her way home from a night out with her friends and walking home - didn't take a taxi.
'It's that old thing, I always say. Why were you tempted to walk home?'
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She said: 'I thought it would be OK.'
Holmes said: 'But it wasn't.'
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At the end of the interview, after thanking her for appearing, Holmes said: 'I hope you take taxis now. Everywhere you go, coming home at night.'

It is about time someone reminded all these naive women that no matter what your "rights" are, you still have to take responsibility for your safety or sadly face the consequences.

EDIT: So...87 96 people would risk being raped rather than getting a taxi? Well don't come crying to TSR when you get a reality check.

(edited 12 years ago)

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Reply 1

AP1989

She obviously should've taken a taxi but he could've been a bit more sensitive about it.

Reply 2

Lil Piranha

It's a sad fact of our society that you have to think ahead all the time to ensure your safety. It shouldn't be - you should be able to dance down backalleys naked, drunk at 3 in the morning if you wanted to without anyone trying to cause you harm, but unfortunately there are always those who will take advantage, so you should always watch your drinks, stay within your limit and never ever wander off on your own.

Reply 3

Philbert

It's not safe for women to be walking around alone at night; shouldn't we be tackling that issue rather than berating women for not taking taxis?

Reply 4

kerily

Original post by Philbert

It's not safe for women to be walking around alone at night; shouldn't we be tackling that issue rather than berating women for not taking taxis?

Oh thank Lord, someone talking sense. Why are we telling women not to get raped instead of telling men not to rape?

It's not like getting a taxi is even something everyone can do. You can't always afford a taxi (especially if you're in London!), you can't always flag one down, you might not have a working phone on you (lack of credit, lack of battery) and you might have a phone but no idea of local taxi numbers. Does this mean you deserve to be raped? Obviously not.

The point here should be 'if you see a woman walking alone at night, don't rape her' as opposed to 'if you're a woman, or have any chance of being perceived as one, don't walk around alone at night'.

Reply 5

Lil Piranha

Original post by Philbert

It's not safe for women to be walking around alone at night; shouldn't we be tackling that issue rather than berating women for not taking taxis?

We should be doing both I think (although berating is probably the wrong way to do it, educating would be better!)

No matter how safe you try and make the streets, I don't think you'll every get it 100% safe, and ultimately everyone is responsible for their own safety and to use common sense.

Reply 6

hungryaardvark

Original post by Philbert

It's not safe for women to be walking around alone at night; shouldn't we be tackling that issue rather than berating women for not taking taxis?

Yes, but it's not going to happen overnight, and in the meantime not taking a taxi when you're drunk at 3 in the morning strikes me as unnecesarily reckless. So yeah, all sympathy to the rape victim, and it's definitely indicative of a diseased society, but being just a little cautious never hurt.

Reply 7

TurboCretin

It is easier for men not to rape than women not to be raped.

You just don't rape.

EDIT: I seem to have been misconstrued by a couple of people here, so I'll elaborate. Women have a responsibility to mitigate the risk of bad things happening to them, like any of us. I am not saying that women should realistically be able to dance down back alleys naked. I am saying that the only person with the power to eradicate the risk is the prospective perpetrator. If a girl is raped, it is not her fault even if she didn't take the adequate measures to mitigate risk, because that risk would have been there irrespective of how careful she may have been. Rape victims do not have the power to prevent rape. Only the would-be rapist does.

On that basis, the above interviewer's handling of the subject seems to me to have been insensitive in the extreme. Women should not be made to feel bad for having been raped.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 8

Lil Piranha

Original post by kerily

It's not like getting a taxi is even something everyone can do. You can't always afford a taxi (especially if you're in London!), you can't always flag one down, you might not have a working phone on you (lack of credit, lack of battery) and you might have a phone but no idea of local taxi numbers. Does this mean you deserve to be raped? Obviously not.

Of course it doesn't, but this is why I plan ahead. I make sure I take enough money for a taxi and if there are no taxi ranks nearby I'll prebook one / make sure I have numbers on my phone / use the club or bars phone to call a taxi. It's important to educate women about their safety as well as tackling the criminals who'll take advantage.

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 9

PendulumBoB

Pretty banal conversation to be honest.

It's sensible advice, although given the fact that she has been raped I'm sure she is very cautious. It should have shown more sensitivity and maybe said it latter as a general point for women (i.e. The Police advise all women...)

Reply 10

kirsty1988

Alternatively, we could start telling all men "I hope you don't rape women. Everywhere you go, coming home at night, remember not to rape women."

Reply 11

skeanos

Pretty much reflects modern society that we would rather tackle the issue of someone walking home alone (GOD FORBID) than malicous rapists who once prosecuted (IF at all) are let on the streets in a very short space of time.

Reply 12

Lil Piranha

Original post by kirsty1988

Alternatively, we could start telling all men "I hope you don't rape women. Everywhere you go, coming home at night, remember not to rape women."

Unfortunately the twisted men who do are unlikely to listen.

Reply 13

Planar

Original post by kerily

There is a balance to be struck. Women on their own in big cities, drunk, and at night, are tempting fate. Obviously it is not their fault if they are raped, but you've got to be careful.

Reply 14

AP1989

Original post by Philbert

It's not safe for women to be walking around alone at night; shouldn't we be tackling that issue rather than berating women for not taking taxis?

We should, but that's a long difficult process.

Reply 15

Lil Piranha

Original post by ktlaurenroe

Ridiculous concept of telling women how not to get raped rather than telling men not to rape.

But it's not, it's making sure people know how to look after themselves.

Reply 16

Steezy

She could've been raped by the taxi driver anyway.

She should scould her face with boiling water so noone wants to rape her.

Or carry a knife/gun/any other weapon.

Or wear knickers which need a key to remove.

Or never go out again.

Or stop being so unlucky.

Reply 17

hs1991

I'm sorry but this isn't always the case. Up until last year, I would walk anywhere on my own in the dark and it wouldn't bother me. I know it's the same old "I didn't think it would happen to me" but no-one does. I work at my local pub and used to walk home by myself at midnight and it would only take 5 minutes. Last year, although I wasn't raped, I was attacked on my way home from work, on my own street, at 10.30 at night. Women are now being criticised for not taking taxis home but where do you draw the line? Should I have been getting a taxi for that 5 minute walk four times a week?

(edited 12 years ago)

Reply 18

Emor

Original post by AP1989

She obviously should've taken a taxi but he could've been a bit more sensitive about it.

The rapist obviously shouldn't have raped her.

It's cliché but the truth, she's not the one at fault.

EMZ.

Reply 19

kerily

Original post by Lil Piranha

Sometimes you go out without knowing that you're going to go out that evening; sometimes you just can't afford it (a taxi home would be about a quarter of my weekly budget, so I walk everywhere). If you said to most people 'get a taxi home or there is a 100% chance you'll be raped' then they'd probably be able to get one, but getting a taxi every time you go out is impossible for some people.

In any case, I don't think that responsibility for your personal safety extends to taking responsibility for being raped. Let's not forget that most rapes aren't committed by strange men down dark alleyways; they're generally committed by someone known to the victim, typically a partner, date, acquaintance, colleague or spouse. It's a tiny fraction that fit into this stereotypical view, and it's unhealthy to think of rape solely as something that happens to drunk women in miniskirts at 3am.