Opinion of this proposal

[DavidB.]

Many women feel harassed by sexually charged comments they get when walking on the steet, often from young guys hanging around in groups. Rotterdam's biggest party, Leefbaar Rotterdam ("Liveable Rotterdam"), wants to introduce fines for catcalling women ("psssh, hottie!", but also less "flattering" comments) on the street. Leefbaar is aware of the fact that this is hardly enforceable.

Freedom proposal or horrible proposal?

[DavidB.]

I also think this is an FP for reasons dead0man already pointed out. These kind of comments are never really intended for "flirting": there is a clear difference between a genuine compliment and "hey, nice a$$", and it's obvious that a genuine compliment isn't problematic. Rude comments are, however, meant to make people feel uncomfortable, and refraining from doing so has to do with basic decency. Once I was in the city with a friend of mine and he suddenly made some inappropriate comments to a girl with a short skirt. I was utterly shocked and embarrassed by this. I wouldn't even think of doing something like that (normal).

By the way, the Leefbaar proposal has been called "xenophobic", which is ridiculous, considering the fact that 1. non-ethnically-Dutch women are just as often victims of sexual harassment and 2. ethnically Dutch guys catcalling will obviously also be fined.

This law might make people think twice.

[DavidB.]

Completely awful. Catcalling works 75% of the time. I support it

Yeah? You score 75% of the time if you say "pssshhh... eyyy slut"? Because that's what most of these guys in Rotterdam do.

[DavidB.]

fp (not a gross misogynist)

but apparently a vile racist, as this proposal would do zero to address the structural causes of women being treated like chattel while increasing the power of the racist criminal justice system

I highly doubt you have any knowledge of the Dutch criminal justice system.