How to approach women in public 101

One day, a long long time ago, in a galaxy far far away when I worked in science.... a bunch of girls and one bloke were sitting in the tea room talking about self defence. We talked about the general differences between men and women, strength, centre of gravity, and vulnerable body bits. Each contributed something: knowing when to run, how to fight when cornered, what to yell (FIRE!) and how to defend yourself with a pencil or a set of keys.

The one bloke listened with his mouth agape, "You girls have REALLY thought about this haven't you?"

Well, yes, we have. Because we have to, because every strange bloke we meet might be a strange assaulter. Men are generally so much stronger than women it's almost obscene, we have to think about our safety all the time. That's life.

This excellent post, Schrodinger's Rapist, sums up why we girls might treat really nice men like they're lepers if they approach us in public. It's a beautiful job, reasonable and non-hackle-raising. Essential reading for any bloke still looking for Ms Right.