Hello. Am 29.07.2018 um 19:27 schrieb Chris Keating:
to make sure everyone is welcome
You mean everyone that is not a little deaf, speaks not a little too loud and does not dare to deliver stuff to other sessions?
The hole case is a primary example why such things as a friendly-space-policy are complete bullshit. It is nearly never used with good intensions, it is nearly never used against people who really are misbehaving, but against normal people.
If there is really a problem, most countries have laws for/against it. That’s enough. If there is no law against a problem, there is no real problem. There is no law against too-loud-speaking because it is not needed; if somebody speaks too loud, you can just tell him/her. There are laws against unwelcome sexual contacts because they are a problem; use the laws if needed – no policy is needed here.
The reason why some people prefer policies is the matter of believing. If I say “XYZ touched me!” with a policy all I need is that somebody important believes me. With a law I need proofs. With a policy there is no need for proofs, there is no in dubio pro reo – there is just the question whom the important persons believes more. In German that is called Willkür (≈arbitrariness/capriciousness/despotism) and for good reasons we got rid of it.
Sincerely, DaB.
P.S: And before somebody assumes: I was never the victim of a friendly-space-policy.