Pink Trains ~ What do you think?

[**meep**]

NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell has rejected a call for pink train carriages for women and children, saying it's more important to provide "real protection".

The NSW Rape Crisis Centre and the Rail Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) want the government to trial the pink carriages on the City Rail network for three months between 7pm and midnight.

The carriages would represent safe zones next to guard carriages exclusively for women and children.

"This option for women and children, with access to the guard and security alarms, may encourage women and children to go out and enjoy all that our city has to offer without being concerned about what may happen on in the train on the way home," the NSW Rape Crisis Centre's Karen Willis said.

RTBU National Secretary Bob Nanva said the system has been successfully used in Brazil, Japan, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Israel and Taiwan.

But Mr O'Farrell says women should feel safe travelling day or night on all carriages.

"I think what's most important for all passengers, but particularly for female passengers, is to have appropriate security across our train system," he told reporters.

"My focus is on getting police transport command controlling our train system - not on carriages that might be painted pink but don't offer any particular protection in the event of a problem," he said.

There were 203 reported cases of sexual assault and other sexual offences on the rail network in 2010, with women aged 18 to 29 most likely to be the victims, the RTBU said.

[**meep**]

from the link i posted earlier:

Women-only passenger cars are railway or subway cars intended for women only. They are offered on some trains in Japan, Egypt, India, Iran, Taiwan, Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia and Dubai, while passengers in some other countries have demanded their introduction. Women-only buses were implemented in Mexico City in 2008.

[*crikey*mate*]

first thing I thought of was segregation.

isn't that something a whole lot of people fought to eliminate?

yes I know this is gender related but it seems to me that women do want it all - treated as equals on one hand, but perfectly happy to be distinguished from males on the other.

In saying that, I've become assimilated to the idea of seperate toilets for men and women... but my personal preference is for non segregated schools as far as gender goes, but in favour of them as far as displayed ability.

as has been said - blokes get beaten up too - and what about the elderly? the less abled?

I've also met some pretty rough women - pretty sure there are a coupkle of women prisons around the place....

and define "kids" at what age do male children stop being afforded the protection that this type of carriage offers?

Some pretty scary kids out there too - otherwise there wouldn't be schools with metal protectors and onsite police.

OK - in theory the safe carriage is a good thing, but to monitor and control it will take manpower - why not just use that manpower on say the front carrriage of any train and make it available for everyone?

Plus another impracticality - how do ya know which end of the platform you have to stand on to be ready to jump onto the safe carriage? $100 says I'd be standing down the wrong end anyway. Then, I'd either have to make a mercy dash to the right end, or move between all those "unsafe" carriages whilst boarded.

[the_bob_delusion]

Yes a couple of those countries you mentioned Eve. Yes, when I saw one in another country. I was rather annoyed that they assume all men are predators. 

Imagine they have a school where they decided not to have male teachers for the same reason so they'll feel safer. 

[icyfroth]

It would be sign that law enforcement agencies have lost control of the criminal element.

[i-need-a-martini]

Perhaps it's something that's hard to appreciate unless you are female and catch trains?

I am not a particularly fearful person and will happily walk any part of Sydney at night on my own.

But when I catch a train at 10pm on my own on a weeknight where there might be one or 2 females compared to a dozen men, it does gets uncomfortable.

If it happens to be a Friday or Saturday night when even more men are travelling in groups ready for a night of big drinking with their mates, it is downright scary.

I always search for a carriage that has women in it in the belief there is some degree of safety in numbers.

A designated carriage would simply mean that I can breathe more easily when I travel.

[2106greencat]

They can just dump dad in the unsafe carriages.

Oh Niiice :^O

[icyfroth]

Martini, what makes you think that a pink carriage designated for women is going to stop a group of drunken yobbos make a point of getting on it late at night and with no law enforcement officers around because they're busy putting down drunken brawls in other parts of the city?

Have to go BBL

[*mrgrizz*]

why don't we supply women with their own bodyguards?

what about while your at the station waiting? walking home or to your car?

or are these "bad people" only on the train?

[cueperkins]

All Aboard.....

[aspie*mum]

WORKS really WELL in Japan.  If you are a women travelling by yourself or with kids you go in.  If you are with a bloke you are NOT ALONE so you just go in a normal carriage.

Another reason they brought them in, in Japan was the amount of people claiming "inappropriate touching" - it not only protects the women from that happening but protects the men from untrue accusations.