In a post I recently shared of cycling in your own company, I started thinking about issues of safety, being female, and cycling solo. Of course anyone who rides solo on a regular basis is aware of potential conflict that may arise anytime you’re on the road. Conflict may come from an impatient honk, cycling group members making awkward comments, or the classic “get off the road” shout. However, for women, these encounters are often layered with elements of sexual harassment and it’s a real barrier in our ability to take up space by participating equally in cycling and other forms of public life.
The History Of Harassment and Women In Public Spaces
Undoubtedly, the bicycle has been a tool of emancipation for women but it also came at a great cost. Harassment towards women on bicycles at the turn of the 19th century was a means of discouraging women from entering public spaces men always dominated. Early female riders faced social stigma, issues with clothing and exclusion from other spaces in education, politics, and society. For example, Emma Eades, the first woman to cycle in London, was attacked with bricks and stones by men and women while riding the streets of London because cycling was considered improper for a “lady”. In addition, Cambridge University male students protested women gaining access to education at the university with an effigy of the “New Woman” on a bicycle that they took down, decapitated, and tore to shreds. Despite all the challenges, more women rode bicycles as it was a practical and easy way to travel without a chaperone in public spaces. As the feeling of freedom and self-reliance on a bike reigns through women’s history, the fight for right to ride rages on today.
It’s not surprising that the gender gap in cycling also reflects ongoing street harassment and the increasing horrific stories of drivers killing cyclists, which makes one think twice about going out for a ride. So what should we do? First we have to see harassment for what it exactly is and not fall into its trap. Ladies, we owe it to ourselves to understand the one sided power play of harassment and assert our humanity. I’m not saying it’s fully our responsibility to avoid it but rather that harassment doesn’t really require us to participate in it as a favor to the harasser to avoid danger. In real life that means you don’t have to laugh at a sexist joke, smile back, or talk to anyone who is hurling lewd words at you. No amount of your humanity is going to stop anyone from doing what they do and it’s not entirely on us to be responsible of others responses when we don’t give in.
The conversation of harassment is also part of the larger conversation as the outdoor industry reckons with the effects of gender discrimination and sexual harassment. In a space dominantly controlled by white men, bicycle culture and industry is perceived to be the most discriminatory towards women. According to a Camber Outdoor study, “55 percent of women working in the bike field said they had been directly or indirectly affected by behavior or comments that are discriminatory or biased based on gender.” In cycling clubs, fellow female friends of mine share that they have been uncomfortable around certain men who are touchy feely with them or who make them feel uncomfortable by their comments of their bodies. It’s no wonder that women are desiring spaces of their own in cycling.
Being Female On A Bike And Taking Space
When I started cycling, I found that it liberated me in a way I have never known before. Being that I was never in one place long enough to be approached by someone and if I were, I could get away a lot faster on a bike than foot. When I did commute by train or bus, I recall men saying inappropriate things at me and rubbing themselves on me when passing through, exposing themselves, or masturbating in the open space in front of me. The stories friends tell me are similar but when I started cycling, I noticed that being on a bike changed my experience of harassment on the road.
With cycling, I had to get used to claiming my space on the road as I have no other choice to stay safe. Asserting my space and movement gave me a boldness I have never known before. This experience has filtered through other areas of my life where I’m not afraid to speak up or take space in areas where women are not represented or where people are vulnerable. A sentiment, many of us women in cycling share.
But while women’s experiences of harassment seem despairing, women are not allowing harassment to keep them from cycling or taking space. Women today are starting their own cycling groups, clubs, and organizations to equip women with skills and the tools to staying safe on the road. But when you’re riding solo or with just one other friend, what should you do to handle uncomfortable situations? To give you some ideas of what you should do, we asked HOLLABACK! a global organization to end harassment, about how we should handle potential harassment situations when out on the road.
Responding When You’re Harassed
The truth is, your safety is the first priority and there is no right or wrong way to respond to harassment because it’s not your fault. Your response is a matter of choice. If you choose to respond directly to a harasser, here are some guidelines to keep you safe:
- Be firm. Look them in the eye and denounce their behavior with a strong, clear voice. Many people prefer to name the behavior. For example, you can say “Do not [what they’re doing], that’s harassment.” You can also simply say “that is not okay” or “don’t speak to me like that.” Say what feels natural to you. The important thing is that you aren’t apologetic in your response.
- Don’t engage. Harassers may try to argue with you or dismiss you through further conversation or by making fun of you. As tempting as it may be get into a verbal war with them, we don’t recommend it. The attention may further feed their abusive behavior.
- Keep moving. Once you’ve said your piece, keep it moving. Harassers don’t deserve the pleasure of your company. If you’re at fault, just say sorry and raise your hand and wave.
- Report it: If harassment occurs in or near a business, public facility, or transit vehicle, let the business owner or public agent know.
- Document it: If you can do so safely, take a picture or video of your harasser and up load it to your social media. The Hollaback app is available for users to log the location and types of harassment encountered. If the harassment is egregious, you may want to report it to the police and use the documents as evidence.
Other Tools
Iphone SOS Tool: When you make a call with SOS, your iPhone automatically calls the local emergency number. After an emergency call ends, your iPhone alerts your added emergency contacts with a text message, unless you choose to cancel. Your iPhone sends them your current location, and, for a period of time after you enter SOS mode, it sends updates to your emergency contacts when your location changes.
Bike Camera: I think having a bike camera is a great idea if you’re working on your bike, commuting, or doing long distance rides on the road. It may help to add the extra layer of documentation if you’re in an uncomfortable encounter that needs to be reported.
Ally With Men: This deserves it’s own post but in a nutshell I think it’s important to have men and non binary folks as our allies when addressing sexism or harassment. Women should not have to be the ones who work on this issue alone. We all need to collaborate to address the issue.
Street harassment is not merely just a woman on a bicycle issue, it’s also a space and mobility issue. Everyday women are striving to be part of spaces dominated by men to bring better representation for the issues they face. If they are not comfortable or safe cycling to work or the grocery store, how can you expect them to opt for alternative modes of transportation? While it’s wonderful that the cycling industry and cities are having to look in the mirror and deal with the issues of sexism and discrimination, we still have a long way to go and we all have a responsibility to make streets more humane and safe for us all.
Image: ©Emily Maye