London Evening Standard/London
A woman whose photograph appeared on a website featuring pictures of unsuspecting female passengers eating on the Tube has called for an end to the “humiliating game”.
Journalist Sophie Wilkinson fell victim to the trend of “stranger shaming” - in which photos are taken of people in public places - while she was eating a salad during a Tube journey.
Her photo was uploaded to the Facebook group called “Women Who Eat on Tubes”, which has more than 15,000 members.
The page says it is “observational, not judgmental” and “doesn’t intimidate or bully”, but when Wilkinson found the photograph there were many abusive comments about her.
Wilkinson, 26, said: “I felt victimised and hurt. It is almost like a game, you spot someone eating and go up to them and take a photo and you have to do it stealthily. There are lots of people reading about it and thinking it is quite funny.”
Tony Burke, the group’s creator, has said the page “isn’t about women” and that “the gender aspect is a random coincidence”.
But Wilkinson said: “It is clearly about women. I don’t think shaming strangers is a gender-specific issue, but this particular issue is one.”
In retaliation, she contacted the man who photographed her, had the image removed and wrote an article about her ordeal in online magazine The Debrief, where she is news editor.
“I have had an overwhelmingly positive response from people, saying it has happened to them and saying it was good that I went public,” she said.
Transport for London has said women should contact British Transport Police if they feel threatened by having their picture used.
Although it is not illegal to take photographs on the Tube, Steve Burton, TfL’s director of enforcement and on-street operations, said: “If someone doesn’t want their photo taken, it is inappropriate to do so.”