Technology

Uber is not society. It is making a decision it thinks will increase its revenue. It is indeed a sign of a lack of progress, but the people responsible for the progress you want are us. I'm not chiming in on the policy itself, but your comment makes it feel like you are not as committed to the progress you want made. There are men in this thread saying that they hate what women have to put up with, but understand it and want them to feel safe. That's not what I'm getting from your comment. If I had to choose between being in a forest with you vs them I'd choose them because it seems like you're more concerned with how you're perceived than how other people are actually affected. I can imagine that being viewed as a predator must be uncomfortable, but women are often viewed as prey and that's not great either. I don't want to start playing at oppression olympics, but the fact that a post about a move to theoretically increase women's safety has you responding about your feelings as a perceived predator makes it seem like you don't think we as a society should do things that make women feel safer because it makes you feel like you're being viewed as a predator.

I for the most part don't mind being around male strangers, but the ones that give me extra room on a sidewalk or in a bar are undoubtedly the ones I'm most comfortable around and ones I'd be most likely to engage with. Not because the others make me feel unsafe but because they make me feel safe. It's like if you invite someone into your house you can offer them food or a drink to help them feel comfortable or you can just not. You're not necessarily a bad person for not offering something, just potentially perceived as less inviting. Society is still seen and felt as the dominion of men for a lot of people, so when men go out of their way to make space for us, it signals that they are friendly and welcoming and want us to feel safe. I think if you want to work on that divide, the best thing to do is make the women you're around feel safe. It's unfortunate, but it's up to us to destigmatize our own identities. I just don't think your comment does that.