Women left shaken by laughing cyclists at 5.40am -- with one filming them
Two women were left feeling intimidated by a group of cyclists they crossed paths with in Pearl's Hill during the early hours of July 11.
Stomper Anonymous, who is friends with one of the women, shared photos and a video of the incident that occurred at around 5.40am.
He said the women were Korean tourists who had just finished supper in Tanjong Pagar. They were taking a stroll to digest their food before heading back to their hotel.
Hoping to share the incident on his friend's behalf, Anonymous told Stomp: "She and her female friend were waiting quietly at a traffic junction when a large group of cyclists rode past them.
"Out of nowhere, some in the group started laughing and talking loudly in their direction. Shockingly, one of the cyclists even took out his phone and started filming them without permission - while continuing to laugh.
"To put it bluntly, it felt like they were trying their luck picking up girls. One of the cyclists was clearly filming the women without consent. When he got caught, he laughed and casually said 'hi', which felt mocking and disrespectful."
Anonymous said the two women did not dare to react or confront the group of cyclists, who rode off after the traffic light turned green: "They were clearly outnumbered and intimidated."
Slamming the cyclists' behaviour as "inappropriate" and "totally uncalled for," he added: "It's disturbing and feels like a form of harassment or bullying, especially coming from a group.
"To make matters worse, the women are visitors from Korea. While it's not their first time here, this is the first time they've encountered such behaviour. What kind of message does that send about our country?"
Anonymous said the women did not lodge a police report because "as foreigners, they weren't sure what they could or couldn't do and were unsure of their rights here."
"They left the scene feeling shaken, disrespected, bullied and powerless," the Stomper added. "It was a group of men against two women, and it's just not right to film strangers without consent."
"From the way it happened - the laughter, the group dynamic and filming - it does come across as a form of harassment. Personally, I feel it crosses the line into sexual harassment.
"This shouldn't be happening - not to anyone, and certainly not from a group that clearly felt emboldened by numbers.
"We hope Stomp can help highlight this, because it's simply not okay. Let's make sure these things don't get swept under the rug."
Anonymous highlighted that the women were not looking for trouble and simply wanted accountability.
"No one should feel uneasy walking down the street, especially in a country known for its safety," he told Stomp.
