As such, allow me to present to you "Rape Alley"
I almost always walk
down a particular alleyway when going to and from work and town. Most
of the times, I think of a conversation I had with a friend when we
walked through it at the end of a night out. My memory of the
conversation has slightly altered what was said, but the gist is
always the same.
“Let's go this way.
Shortcut.” I had said.
“What, down Rape Alley?” she asked incredulously.
“...'Rape Alley'?” I confusedly replied.
“What, down Rape Alley?” she asked incredulously.
“...'Rape Alley'?” I confusedly replied.
“Yeah! Don't you
think it looks dodgy?”
“Well... yeah, but... 'Rape Alley'?”
She laughs as we start walking through the alleyway. It is wide, well lit and there is minimal graffiti.
“Well... yeah, but... 'Rape Alley'?”
She laughs as we start walking through the alleyway. It is wide, well lit and there is minimal graffiti.
“Doesn't
it look like anything could happen here at night?”
I paused before responding.
“Well.. kinda, but so does any other alley way.”
“Yeah, so 'Rape Alley'!” She shouts and laughs.
“But this might be better than any other alley way in Kal. I mean, this alley is actually well lit from Hungry Jacks,” I point out. “There's lots of people getting Drive Thru, so there are witnesses.”
“Yeah, or they could randomly jump out and attack you!”
I laughed. Someone in the Drive Thru line looked at us. We were rather loud. Alcohol may have been involved.
I paused before responding.
“Well.. kinda, but so does any other alley way.”
“Yeah, so 'Rape Alley'!” She shouts and laughs.
“But this might be better than any other alley way in Kal. I mean, this alley is actually well lit from Hungry Jacks,” I point out. “There's lots of people getting Drive Thru, so there are witnesses.”
“Yeah, or they could randomly jump out and attack you!”
I laughed. Someone in the Drive Thru line looked at us. We were rather loud. Alcohol may have been involved.
“Somehow,
I don't think that would happen.”
“What
about this alley,” she pointed up another alley that joined in a
T-Section. “People could come from there.”
“Huh? That's as well lit as here!”
“But it's weird down here at night!”
“I think you're just being paranoid,” I said. “Maybe it's because I am a man, but I don't really feel unsafe here.”
I'll never forget that, at that exact moment, our walk transitioned from the exceptionally well lit area to the dark-as-night portion. To this day, whenever I think of that phrase whilst walking down this particular alleyway, even in daylight, I turn my head just as I did that night... just to be sure.
“Do you think that anyone has actually been raped down here?” An honest question that I had not thought of until that moment.
“Well, this IS Kalgoorlie,” She replied. “Probably not, though.”
“Yeah. Drug deals, though...” I smirked. That got a laugh as we crunched over gravel, grit and glass through the gloom.
“Huh? That's as well lit as here!”
“But it's weird down here at night!”
“I think you're just being paranoid,” I said. “Maybe it's because I am a man, but I don't really feel unsafe here.”
I'll never forget that, at that exact moment, our walk transitioned from the exceptionally well lit area to the dark-as-night portion. To this day, whenever I think of that phrase whilst walking down this particular alleyway, even in daylight, I turn my head just as I did that night... just to be sure.
“Do you think that anyone has actually been raped down here?” An honest question that I had not thought of until that moment.
“Well, this IS Kalgoorlie,” She replied. “Probably not, though.”
“Yeah. Drug deals, though...” I smirked. That got a laugh as we crunched over gravel, grit and glass through the gloom.
No comments:
Post a Comment