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This week, police in the working-class North Jersey town of Bergenfield arrested a 21-year-old man who they said pointed a cell phone camera up the skirt of an 18-year-old high school student as she stood on line at a convenience store.
A DPW worker saw him and called police, who went to the 7-Eleven on Main Street and arrested the shooter. They charged him with invasion of privacy and released him on $1,500 bail pending a Municipal Court appearance.
Local media treated it as a single event, with no context — which means they either didn’t have the space or didn’t know what they were dealing with.
Ever wonder why some cellphones made in Japan make a shutter sound every time you take a picture? There’s a reason.
For those unaware, upskirting is a cottage industry.
Tens of thousands of photos are posted online, with countless sites devoted to them alone. And I’m not talking crotch shots that paparazzi get of celebrities getting into or out of their cars, or a perv simply sidling up to a woman and stretching his hand down.
Digital technology and Internet warp speed — and money people will pay to access such sites — have made the practice into a game. Upskirters will position their cells or cameras in low-hung bags, stand under stairways or ride escalators.
A Kentucky middle school teacher reportedly was arrested after he was caught under the cheerleaders’ bleachers.
You realize this means these guys have put some thought into this — and obviously don’t have moral compasses.
As the practice becomes more prevalent, human rights organizations are calling for lawmakers to crack down. And with good reason: It is clearly a violation, even if the viewer doesn’t know whose private area he’s looking at.
Think about it: There are plenty of places men (or boys) can legally go to see the area inviolate. Upskirting is something more insidious.
Has this ever happened to you? Do you know someone it happened to? What was your (or her) reaction?
Here’s the trickier question: Are there precautions that women can take?
Write to me and I’ll publish your responses. Or simply comment below.
I’m truly curious to see how women feel, and what they think, about this.
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