Over the top?

[Oneeyedvic]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12771938

"If a guy is checking out a woman it's annoying, but that's how sexual predators who are honing their craft test how far they can go," says activist and filmmaker Maggie Hadleigh-West.

Are all men 'checking out' women sexual predators?

or

Are women 'asking for it' by wearing plunge bars and short skirts?

[woofgang]

1 to some degree yes
2 to some degree yes

[Whickerman]

Men will always check out women, women will always check out men. Has always been that way too, that's how sexual attraction works.

BUT - the article is about men shouting, whistling, catcalling, and even groping women they don't know in the street. Yes, this is unacceptable sexual behaviour.

[Zeuhl]

If a parent is standing outside a school playground checking on their kids it's annoying, but that's how sexual predators who are honing their craft test how far they can go

If a citizen rings someone's doorbell checking on their neighbours it's annoying, but that's how burglars who are honing their craft test how far they can go

Lets agree to focus on the behaviour we really object to and leave everyone else to get on with it -

So we can deal with the sexual predators and leave the men 'checking out' women alone.
.

[Tuddypat]

When an 'activist' says something silly, it's annoying, but that's how miserable killjoy facist right-on twits who are honing their craft test how far they can go.

[jno]

now how did I guess Tuddypat was male?

[Tuddypat]

I'm just testing how far I can go jno..I always thought you were male by the way, but I'm told you're not.

[Kromovaracun]

I have to say I did skim-read the article a little, but I do have some sympathy with what the author is saying purely because what she proposes is quite observable in some sections of society.

Best example of this to my mind is students. As far as I've seen, there's very little evidence of a 'pecking order' mentality amongst male students - or if there is then it at least manifests very very differently. As such you'll find very little non-consensual catcalling/whistling/groping on university campuses, comparatively speaking.

To a lesser extent, and I'm aware I'm making a much shakier assertion here, but I think there's something of it among gay men, too. The reason you'll hardly ever see men hooting at other men in public in the same manner that the author describes happens to women is because the potential 'hooters' are not only smaller in number but they also know they can expect a reaction - people aren't encouraged to ignore it in the way that Hauck observes women typically are.

Naturally, there'll be exceptions in both of the above, but I think they demonstrate that Hauck is saying isn't quite as far-fetched as it sounds.

[DISCLAIMER: The above arguments are fairly disparate observations based purely on experience - not any wider evidence that I'm aware of. They thus suffer from all the limitations and deficiencies that comes with that.]