Post by karinothing on Apr 29, 2024 8:06:04 GMT -5
I know what this question is getting at, but for some reason it annoys me. I go hiking/camping and have encountered both men and bears. The bear was a LOT scarier than the man, although there are no doubt scary men on trails and obviously I am nervous about men alone on a trail for different reasons than a bear, but seeing a bear is instant fear that I don't get with a man.
ETA: The bears I have run into are black bears. They are still bigger than me. They still look like they want to eat me.
Post by followyourarrow on Apr 29, 2024 8:06:06 GMT -5
I'm going to assume a bear would be just as shocked to see me as I am to see it and wouldn't intend me any harm. A man's intentions are less predictable. I'd chose a bear. TW: Not to get too dark here, but I think I'd rather die from a bear attack than live with some of the things men can do to women in the woods.
If this question was reversed this board would implode.
I’m picking bear. My dumbass always talks to wildlife from a safe distance. If I saw a real bear I would be tempted to pet and cuddle it.
I can see a stranger most days I leave the house. Bears aren’t as common
I don't know WHY their ears look like that if they're not supposed to be scritched and pet. Why are they so cute if they're also going to be aggressive? It's so so annoying.
A man. The likelihood the man I meet is a rapist or murderer on my leisurely walk in the woods is less likely than the bear having an urge to harm me.
100% of bears would injure, maim, or kill me.
What on earth have you done to offend the collective bear population?!?
exactly. Having lived around bears my entire life, I can confidently say that 99% of bears do not want to injure, maim or kill you. We used to have to walk to our condo through the woods at night and would encounter bears weekly. While slightly nerve racking, if you made any noise they would either run away or ignore you but keep eating the garbage from the dumpster they were invading, haha.
Overall, though, I dislike this trend because all the videos I have seen about it are dads being asked this question about their daughters. It just sounds obnoxious.
Definitely bear. Maybe it's because I live in an area where black bears go walking through our neighborhood on occasion, but they don't scare me anymore. I don't really ever hear of them harming someone unless the human did something to provoke the bear. If it's a grizzly, that's a different story. Then, I pick man.
Are there polar bears in the woods? I assume a black bear.
I chose bear. A black bear is unlikely to attack me. A man is much more likely. Most crimes are opportunistic. I see both as threats but bear usually don't look for trouble.
I know what this question is getting at, but for some reason it annoys me. I go hiking/camping and have encountered both men and bears. The bear was a LOT scarier than the man, although there are no doubt scary men on trails and obviously I am nervous about men alone on a trail for different reasons than a bear, but seeing a bear is instant fear that I don't get with a man.
Genuine question: are the follow up sentences why it annoys you or is there something else? To me the interest of this question is not so much people's reasoned answers so much as their gut reactions. Does it bother you that women are answering bear?
I know what this question is getting at, but for some reason it annoys me. I go hiking/camping and have encountered both men and bears. The bear was a LOT scarier than the man, although there are no doubt scary men on trails and obviously I am nervous about men alone on a trail for different reasons than a bear, but seeing a bear is instant fear that I don't get with a man.
Genuine question: are the follow up sentences why it annoys you or is there something else? To me the interest of this question is not so much people's reasoned answers so much as their gut reactions. Does it bother you that women are answering bear?
It kind or rubs me funny too, and I think it's because it feels like fear mongering. Men are definitely the biggest predator for women - I would not argue that it's unreasonable to feel unsafe when encountering a random man in an isolated place. But the vast majority of men are not going to attack a random woman. It definitely happens, but implying that any man who comes across a woman is going to harm her is just creating even more fear than we already have in this world. I don't think it serves anyone to have to go through life feeling like your life is at risk at every turn.
I think I'm less concerned about a man's feelings around this than I am about women feeling like they can't do things on their own. I love hiking by myself and this narrative that it's inherently unsafe for women is going to stop a lot of women from doing something they would also enjoy.
I will add that I don't know what it's like to live in a body that could be easily picked up or overpowered by most men, nor do I know what it's like to be conventionally attractive and get harassment from men everywhere I go. So my experiences here may be very different.
wildrice , I definitely think lived experience impacts people's gut reactions. FWIW, I don't think that being small or attractive is what drives attacks on women, at least based on the 10 years of police reports I read in my earlier life. Women of all sizes and ages and backgrounds are assaulted - sometimes by other women though that is not as frequent in my experience. But I agree fear mongering is bad. This is the only exclusively feminine (well nearly) space I occupy, so I am interested in people's takes.
ETA: I never came across a police report about a bear attack but I did once read about some woman on woman crime where a tricycle was the weapon?
Don't most hikers pack bear spray and similar anyway? Does it work on humans too? I feel like you're most likely to get attacked by wildlife during your hike (hello mountain lions!) but I still consider single male hikers as a potential threat , especially if I were alone.
Genuine question: are the follow up sentences why it annoys you or is there something else? To me the interest of this question is not so much people's reasoned answers so much as their gut reactions. Does it bother you that women are answering bear?
It kind or rubs me funny too, and I think it's because it feels like fear mongering. Men are definitely the biggest predator for women - I would not argue that it's unreasonable to feel unsafe when encountering a random man in an isolated place. But the vast majority of men are not going to attack a random woman. It definitely happens, but implying that any man who comes across a woman is going to harm her is just creating even more fear than we already have in this world. I don't think it serves anyone to have to go through life feeling like your life is at risk at every turn.
If statistics supported this, then I would agree with you, but they don't. I keep thinking back to the news article that talked about how there were 26k reported pregnancies from rape in TX in 16 months. Maybe #notallmen, but certainly more than enough of them.
The question itself is misleading. Because chances are (assuming it’s a black bear, for all intents and purposes) neither will hurt you. However, a bear will usually only attack if provoked or if protecting its young. Bears are pretty straightforward. WYSIWYG. Humans are devious, calculating, deceptive and pathological. And it’s really hard to tell what kind of human you’re dealing with in passing. You rarely hear of bear attacks on humans and in the vast majority it’s bc the human is doing something dumb (even the scarier breeds of bears). You hear about unprovoked attacks on women all the time. Yes, the bear to human ratio is lower than the human to human ratio but all things being equal I think a bear is innately less likely to randomly attack me.
Post by sproctopus on Apr 29, 2024 10:20:57 GMT -5
The stats are something like 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence by intimate partners vs 1 in 2 million for bears.
The entire world is designed to uphold men-- y'all really don't have to help them, lol. They're really doing fine. 😂
Also, it doesn't matter how strong, attractive, smart, observant or clever you are if an opportunity presents itself for some men. Think about that statement backwards and how victims might perceive that.
I think it's equally as dumb to need to clarify that it's not all men....like when people feel the need to say all lives matter in response to black lives matter.
The stats are something like 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence by intimate partners vs 1 in 2 million for bears.
The entire world is designed to uphold men-- y'all really don't have to help them, lol. They're really doing fine. 😂
Also, it doesn't matter how strong, attractive, smart, observant or clever you are if an opportunity presents itself for some men. Think about that statement backwards and how victims might perceive that.
I think it's equally as dumb to need to clarify that it's not all men....like when people feel the need to say all lives matter in response to black lives matter.
Not sure if that was directed at my post, but that's definitely not what I'm saying at all. I am 5'9 and 240 lbs so I wouldn't say I'm stronger or more clever at all, just a more difficult target for a quick crime of opportunity so I don't identify with the fear someone half my size might feel. If you have lived your life constantly having to push people away from you your fear of a random man is understandable and I don't want my opinion based on my own experience to minimize that.
I think constantly receiving the message that women can't do things on their own or they will be attacked is oppressive. I would guess that most women are safer staying single and doing things like hiking on their own than marrying many of the men out there - intimate partner violence is much more prevalent than stranger violence. It's kind of like the threat of kidnapping - people are afraid their kid is going to be trafficked at Walmart, but most kidnappings are by family members. We are focusing on the wrong things and the main harm is to our mental health if we can't leave our house without fear.
If this question was reversed this board would implode.
Again, for the third time, that's exactly the point of the question. It's a two parter, and only the first is being discussed. If the question were reversed, it's a no brainer, not a 3 page dissertation on statistics of attacks, of romance novel fantasies, etc. We'd all say woman, find it silly to even ask, and move on. It's the comparison that's the point, not the actual man vs bear (is anyone else wanting to keep thinking manbearpig?)
The stats are something like 1 in 3 women experience domestic violence by intimate partners vs 1 in 2 million for bears.
The entire world is designed to uphold men-- y'all really don't have to help them, lol. They're really doing fine. 😂
Also, it doesn't matter how strong, attractive, smart, observant or clever you are if an opportunity presents itself for some men. Think about that statement backwards and how victims might perceive that.
I think it's equally as dumb to need to clarify that it's not all men....like when people feel the need to say all lives matter in response to black lives matter.
Not sure if that was directed at my post, but that's definitely not what I'm saying at all. I am 5'9 and 240 lbs so I wouldn't say I'm stronger or more clever at all, just a more difficult target for a quick crime of opportunity so I don't identify with the fear someone half my size might feel. If you have lived your life constantly having to push people away from you your fear of a random man is understandable and I don't want my opinion based on my own experience to minimize that.
I think constantly receiving the message that women can't do things on their own or they will be attacked is oppressive. I would guess that most women are safer staying single and doing things like hiking on their own than marrying many of the men out there - intimate partner violence is much more prevalent than stranger violence. It's kind of like the threat of kidnapping - people are afraid their kid is going to be trafficked at Walmart, but most kidnappings are by family members. We are focusing on the wrong things and the main harm is to our mental health if we can't leave our house without fear.
And if that man has a weapon? It's america in the woods. They probably do. I don't care I'm less than half your weight. A bullet will take us down just the same.
If this question was reversed this board would implode.
I’m picking bear. My dumbass always talks to wildlife from a safe distance. If I saw a real bear I would be tempted to pet and cuddle it.
I can see a stranger most days I leave the house. Bears aren’t as common
I don't know WHY their ears look like that if they're not supposed to be scritched and pet. Why are they so cute if they're also going to be aggressive? It's so so annoying.
I feel this way about raccoons too. Like why with the cute little hands and masked eyes if I can't touch you?
This discussion is interesting to me. Personally, I’d pick a bear. I’ve had great men in my life. I’ve also had unwanted touches, being told I need to smile, catcalled, been made uncomfortable, etc. And, frankly, I’m overweight & not particularly pretty with a resting bitch face.
It is absolutely a problem for my mental health when there’s a local meeting I need to attend & I know I need to walk the long way around bc there’s street lights vs across the dark field & parking lot that is shorter. Or even just being very aware of my surroundings much of the time. Or apologizing when I shouldn’t need to or just putting up with shit bc the vibe I get is this dude needs to be placated before he is fully irrational. It’s exhausting. But my life experience has shown that when I let my guard down, a male asshole shows up.
Frankly, as with so many things, I’m more pissed that “good men” don’t show up/speak up more. Which means I can’t even fully rely on a “good male” stranger
Post by ellipses84 on Apr 29, 2024 10:58:22 GMT -5
@ I saw a great follow up. One woman asked her husband if he’d rather have their daughter be alone in the woods with a man or a bear. He was debating, asking questions, throwing out hypotheticals, etc. like you all are. She then asked him if he’d rather have their daughter be alone in the woods with a woman or a bear. His answer was immediately a woman, without having to think about it at all.
Post by EvieEthelGarland on Apr 29, 2024 10:59:35 GMT -5
I have never had to ask to join a (mixed) group of strangers because a bear would not leave me alone.
I have also never been helped by a bear when something went wrong. (thanks Clint!)
I usually hike with my dog so I pick man. I do not trust him to not provoke a bear. He's an English lab so I doubt he'd intimidate a man with bad intentions, but he might deter them.
@ I saw a great follow up. One woman asked her husband if he’d rather have their daughter be alone in the woods with a man or a bear. He was debating, asking questions, throwing out hypotheticals, etc. like you all are. She then asked him if he’d rather have their daughter be alone in the woods with a woman or a bear. His answer was immediately a woman, without having to think about it at all.
I was just thinking about this! And also, would you rather let a bear sleep in your garage or a strange man? If you looked out your window and saw a bear lounging on your patio, would you find that more alarming than a random man lounging out there? If you were camping alone in the middle of the night and heard footsteps, would you rather look out of your tent and see a bear passing by or a man? If your car broke down in the middle of nowhere and you were alone but locked in your car, would you rather have bear lurking nearby or some random guy? Men are so much more threatening! Bears will just keep on keeping on 99.9999% of the time!