There’s an interesting video going viral which was taken by a lady after she was groped on an IndiGo flight within India. Here’s the description of the YouTube video:
‘This man on the seat behind mine, put his fingers in the seat gap to touch me!!! I was very shocked for sometime to react. By then the flight went to landing mode. Then the moment flight touched down, i got up. Saw his hand was again on the side ready to take up any opportunity to touch me!!! I created such a scene, humiliated him in front of the whole flight! He thought like usual girls will keep quiet and he can get away with this! I have lodged an FIR now! He is a very rich man of Bhubaneswar and is now very humiliated in front of the people who know him. Cant believe the ordeal i had to go thru but being silent is a crime! The police officer was very helpful and the Indigo staff remained with me throughout. The man is under police custody currently. I clicked his pictures and made videos, shouted so loud that the entire plane came forward to see him! i made sure i humiliate him as much as possible because i know law will do nothing’
And here’s the video:
I say kudos to her for standing up to him!
What do you think? Did she do the right thing, gutsy as it might have been?
I would never purposely grope a stranger. However, I can think of two instances where I could have been falsely accused:
(1) I was on a EWR-HKG flight in business first in Continental. I was fast asleep. For some unknown reason, I started awake and my leg jerked up. I caught the Chinese woman on window seat in the crotch trying to climb over me to go to the toilet. I was mortified. Luckily she...
I would never purposely grope a stranger. However, I can think of two instances where I could have been falsely accused:
(1) I was on a EWR-HKG flight in business first in Continental. I was fast asleep. For some unknown reason, I started awake and my leg jerked up. I caught the Chinese woman on window seat in the crotch trying to climb over me to go to the toilet. I was mortified. Luckily she knew it was an accident and was amused.
(2) I was walking near Port Authority in Times Square. My swinging hand accidentally hit a girl in the rear that I did not even see or know was there until my hand bumped her and she started yelling at me.
If either of these women had video taped me and put my face on the internet, my life would have been ruined.
I am all for women empowerment in India especially North India. Given the girl's accent in the video, it seems they are from that region. So kudos to her for standing up.
However, I am gonna play devils advocate here. What if the guy didn't grope her and she made a mountain out of a molehill? Idea of personal space is quite different over there and it even makes me (a guy!) uncomfortable. What...
I am all for women empowerment in India especially North India. Given the girl's accent in the video, it seems they are from that region. So kudos to her for standing up.
However, I am gonna play devils advocate here. What if the guy didn't grope her and she made a mountain out of a molehill? Idea of personal space is quite different over there and it even makes me (a guy!) uncomfortable. What if the man was being his usual self and unknowingly trespassed her personal space in a confined space? I am not defending the male by any means but just food for thought... he might guilty or she might have overreacted. We don't know both sides of the incident.
I have a lot of respect for the woman standing up to the guy. The one thing that scares the bejesus out of me is if some unwarranted similar accusation was leveled against me. I'd be embarrassed, and not know how to react.
This is a comment directed at Bill. "How much groping could he do anyway." I can't believe anybody would say that in this day and age. Unfortunately, that is the mentality that leads to rationalization regarding sexual harassment. Oh come on...no big deal UNLESS IT'S YOUR BODY!!!
Agree with TEX2777 & Adam.
@chasgoose:
Because of the grievous nature of rape, there has been a pendulum swing in society to the far (right, left, whichever) that seemingly forces everyone to assume the accused is guilty until proven innocent. As of late, however, more and more stories are surfacing of rape victims having second thoughts or feeling guilty or shameful after a one-night-stand after the fact and crying "rape" as a way to feel less, I dunno, unclean? Or...
@chasgoose:
Because of the grievous nature of rape, there has been a pendulum swing in society to the far (right, left, whichever) that seemingly forces everyone to assume the accused is guilty until proven innocent. As of late, however, more and more stories are surfacing of rape victims having second thoughts or feeling guilty or shameful after a one-night-stand after the fact and crying "rape" as a way to feel less, I dunno, unclean? Or less "cheap". Or, they do it simply to get attention - like the case of a accuser that I went to college with. This does not in any way serve to diminish the rights or traumatic circumstances of those that are true victims of rape, though - so let that be clear - but it most certainly trivializes true rape victims.
And while there seem to be few legal or social ramifications for an accuser who has lied or stretched the truth, merely an accusation has the potential to ruin the accused's life even if exonerated. As a result, I think in the US it's not so much a trend to not believe the accuser as it is more and more people are being conscientious and examining the evidence before grabbing their pitchforks and torches.
@chasgoose
Indeed, the best evidence is that dude's failure to dispute the claim, so I am inclined to credit her story.
But sexual assault deniers have plenty of evidence, for example:
http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/features/a-rape-on-campus-20141119
Why is it so hard for people to take women's claims of sexual assault seriously? It's pretty distressing how many people here suggest that she was making the whole thing up and would like a video of him groping her too.
I wish she took a video of him groping her in addition to making this video.
It seems inevitable that she had to take the matter into her own hands, as "because i know law will do nothing".
If she'd gone the usual report to flight attendant then police route, it will probably be shooed away.
Broke up with my boyfriend this weekend. Frankly I wouldn't mind being groped on a plane, just as a little ego boost.
I'm glad she filed a Flight Information Region.
@TEX2777
I'm not so sure either, but considering it was published by well-known websites (such as Buzzfeed) I guess it's real. Even if this video was fake, it probably serves for a good cause.
@Bill:
Your point is valid. However, what you are probably unaware of is the magnitude of the issue (crimes against women) in India. The gang-rape in Delhi in 2013 was just the one that was brought to the attention of the Western media. Gang-rapes, eve-teasing, groping, and the general objectifying of Indian women is rampant. When taken in the context of India, I think the girl did the right thing...gathered evidence, spoke out, and got the man arrested.
I'm not defending him - but how much "groping" could he do? Assuming he was leaning forward through the gap in the seats he could get 1 maybe 2 fingers through - unless I'm missing something
Personally I always steer clear of sharing videos that vilify an individual unless there's clear evidence of their guilt in the video.
Assuming that he is actually guilty, then girl did good.
Props to the lady for standing up for herself. I couldn't have said it better myself.
Lucky, is this why you fly premium cabins?
She did the best thing possible!
There's a follow-up video here as well btw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6WK-mnaiqw
looks like the girl wants some money from the dude, who would you take sides with a fat old man or a young 22 year old woman?
Brilliant.