Comments on: Lap dancing in Crouch End http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2009/03/lap-dancing-in-crouch-end.htm Liberal Democrat MP for Hornsey and Wood Green Fri, 10 Feb 2012 14:02:44 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Anonymous http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2009/03/lap-dancing-in-crouch-end.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1749 Anonymous Tue, 31 Mar 2009 19:20:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=2132#comment-1749 When I was 18 years old a male work colleague decided to play a practical joke on me. He arranged to meet with me for lunch at a local pub that I was not familiar with. When I didn't see him outside, I went in looking for him. <br/>I found myself in a place filled with drunk, sweating and leering men, some of whom made lewd comments and touched me inappropriately as I tried to make my way through the pub. <br/>When I got to the far end, I saw two women, naked save for their underpants gyrating over a pole and each other. <br/>I got out of there as fast as I could feeling shocked and frightened. I was rendered speechless and unable to defend myself because I was outnumbered, because I'd never encountered anything like this before, because it came as a complete surprise, because I was subjected to these men's overwhelming sense of entitlement about my body and in that environment and about women's bodies generally.<br/>This pub was situated next to a council housing estate on a main road leading into the centre of town. There was a newsagents, a knitting shop and a grocer's nearby.<br/>My colleague's response? He laughed heartily at his 'little' joke. <br/>I spent years having a recurring fantasy after that incident where I would burn down the pub and slowly poison my work colleague's coffee cups with drops of bleach. Of course, I've never really acted on these fantasies - it's only a harmless fantasy, just a joke, right?. <br/>I really admire women and I do marvel at our collective restraint. When I was 18 years old a male work colleague decided to play a practical joke on me. He arranged to meet with me for lunch at a local pub that I was not familiar with. When I didn’t see him outside, I went in looking for him.
I found myself in a place filled with drunk, sweating and leering men, some of whom made lewd comments and touched me inappropriately as I tried to make my way through the pub.
When I got to the far end, I saw two women, naked save for their underpants gyrating over a pole and each other.
I got out of there as fast as I could feeling shocked and frightened. I was rendered speechless and unable to defend myself because I was outnumbered, because I’d never encountered anything like this before, because it came as a complete surprise, because I was subjected to these men’s overwhelming sense of entitlement about my body and in that environment and about women’s bodies generally.
This pub was situated next to a council housing estate on a main road leading into the centre of town. There was a newsagents, a knitting shop and a grocer’s nearby.
My colleague’s response? He laughed heartily at his ‘little’ joke.
I spent years having a recurring fantasy after that incident where I would burn down the pub and slowly poison my work colleague’s coffee cups with drops of bleach. Of course, I’ve never really acted on these fantasies – it’s only a harmless fantasy, just a joke, right?.
I really admire women and I do marvel at our collective restraint.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2009/03/lap-dancing-in-crouch-end.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1748 Anonymous Wed, 25 Mar 2009 14:51:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=2132#comment-1748 The reason people do not want this 'establishment'is not because they don't think lap dance clubs should be allowed. Its not about offending people's feelings either. Its because they don't think its right to set one up right in front of a young girl's school, smack bang in the middle of a residential, leafy part of north london swarming with young families with kids. As you can gather NOBODY in Crouch End wants this to happen. Its like building a bacon factory in the middle of Stamford Hill.<br/>If you really want a lap dance go into the city. You'll have more fun there anyway. The reason people do not want this ‘establishment’is not because they don’t think lap dance clubs should be allowed. Its not about offending people’s feelings either. Its because they don’t think its right to set one up right in front of a young girl’s school, smack bang in the middle of a residential, leafy part of north london swarming with young families with kids. As you can gather NOBODY in Crouch End wants this to happen. Its like building a bacon factory in the middle of Stamford Hill.
If you really want a lap dance go into the city. You’ll have more fun there anyway.

]]> By: Anonymous http://www.lynnefeatherstone.org/2009/03/lap-dancing-in-crouch-end.htm/comment-page-1#comment-1747 Anonymous Thu, 19 Mar 2009 23:45:00 +0000 http://localhost/wp28/?p=2132#comment-1747 I'd always be suspicious of people trying to ban such establishments.<br/><br/>There is a trend for this sort of thing right now, such a the ridiculous suggestion we should criminalise those who pay for sex.<br/><br/>To argue the case for this, some New Labour politicans have used completely made up statistics about how many prostitutes are controlled etc. I woudln't be suprised if invented stas were used in this area too.<br/><br/>I'm not particularly in favour of such places, if anything it's the customers being exploited in them rather than those performing. That said, i don't view them as especially harmful, or certianly not relative to other problems we face.<br/><br/>I'd suggest a good proportion of city center pubs and nightclubs cause far more trouble to the police and far more noise, danger and intimidation for the WHOLE of the local community, not to mention significant violence. We should tackle the worst of these establishments as the immediate priority rather than trying to close something down that might offend people's feelings. I’d always be suspicious of people trying to ban such establishments.

There is a trend for this sort of thing right now, such a the ridiculous suggestion we should criminalise those who pay for sex.

To argue the case for this, some New Labour politicans have used completely made up statistics about how many prostitutes are controlled etc. I woudln’t be suprised if invented stas were used in this area too.

I’m not particularly in favour of such places, if anything it’s the customers being exploited in them rather than those performing. That said, i don’t view them as especially harmful, or certianly not relative to other problems we face.

I’d suggest a good proportion of city center pubs and nightclubs cause far more trouble to the police and far more noise, danger and intimidation for the WHOLE of the local community, not to mention significant violence. We should tackle the worst of these establishments as the immediate priority rather than trying to close something down that might offend people’s feelings.

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