Is it OK to watch porn in public?

[Rusty Trombone]

I sometimes read sex stories on my phone when i'm on the train. (its only text so not so bad i think) then if there is a good part i later reread it and masturbate to it.

Maybe a better example, what if for some reason I wanted to read "Mein Kampf" while I'm on the bus to learn how crazy Hitler really was (would never happen since I don't like to read!)?

That's why we now have audio books. Pop in the earphones and go to town. But don't jackboot down the down the carriage.

 

[Gasse]

who exactly decides what's "appropriate" to read or watch in public? And is it really necessary to accommodate for everyone's sensibilities

Um, lawmakers and/or the local transit authority? I'm pretty sure the City of London has something on the books about porn on the bus. Buying a ticket makes you subject to those regulations.

And I think it should be point out again, but the original story was about a person watching porn privately in a public area.

I feel public trumps private in this case. A city bus is not private, nor is it some libertarian / state of nature environment.

Yeah, I know what do we mean by civilized? [worms, meet can opener]

 

[SugoiBoy]

I saw this article and it bugged me :
http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-38611265

The woman sits next to some guy in a bus.
She then pears at his smartphone and then notices that he is watching porn.
And she finds in revolting, thinks about calling the police and stuff.

What's your opinion?

It would cause serious problems in a place like Dubai where all porn is illegal.

 

[faboo2001]

Two words: book cover.

Disclosure I'm a Jew.

And what if someone read over my shoulder and found out what I was reading that way? This would make it almost exactly the same scenario as the opening article in question.

Um, lawmakers and/or the local transit authority? I'm pretty sure the City of London has something on the books about porn on the bus. Buying a ticket makes you subject to those regulations.

I feel public trumps private in this case. A city bus is not private, nor is it some libertarian / state of nature environment.

That's actually an interesting observation. Not sure what the rules are regarding the transit system the gentleman was riding on while he was watching porn, so he could've been breaking the rules and possibly the law in that situation.

But again, assuming it was done legally is it really right to consider such actions "harassment" (or however you want to label it), especially when you can argue that the persons privacy had to be violated in order for you to know he was doing something questionable? I know, it's odd how it looks like I'm defending the guy when I wouldn't condone watching porn in public at all, but to consider calling him out for harassment bugs me.

And bravo with the Seinfeld reference. Another great show!

 

[TheScientist]

And what if someone read over my shoulder and found out what I was reading that way? This would make it almost exactly the same scenario as the opening article in question.

I beg to differ. In the porn in public situation, there is no doubt as to the person's intent. In the reading a controversial text in public, there are various possible intents on the part of the reader.

 

[static]

I beg to differ. In the porn in public situation, there is no doubt as to the person's intent. In the reading a controversial text in public, there are various possible intents on the part of the reader.

There are plenty of intents with porn:
1) college student writing a thesis on the objectification of women
2) interesting articles (Okay, I know it's a stretch. =P)
3) Couples / Sex therapist doing research for a client
etc
etc
etc

The point isn't whether it's legal / illegal. It's at what point does your privacy become more important than surrounding people's feelings? If I'm reading Mein Kampf on the train with a book cover (so you can't see the title as many Japanese people do), and someone reads over my shoulder and realizes what I'm reading to get offended. Who's wrong? Me for reading it, or the other guy for reading over my shoulder and invading my privacy?

EDIT: I mean, do I have to read my book holding it basically right at my face because I might offend someone who's practicing bad manners by reading over my shoulder?

 

[faboo2001]

I beg to differ. In the porn in public situation, there is no doubt as to the person's intent. In the reading a controversial text in public, there are various possible intents on the part of the reader.

No, I think there would be doubt. Even if the intent was to get aroused, that doesn't mean the intent was to get other people involved in some way.

 

[TheScientist]

There are plenty of intents with porn:

No, I think there would be doubt. Even if the intent was to get aroused, that doesn't mean the intent was to get other people involved in some way.

To the both of you, I left out something beyond intent there: situation. It is in fact highly unlikely that the public porn viewer is a student or health professional unless we are accounting for stupid students or health professionals. None of the scenarios seem to be about any kind of academics in the first place.

 

[static]

To the both of you, I left out something beyond intent there: situation. It is in fact highly unlikely that the public porn viewer is a student or health professional unless we are accounting for stupid students or health professionals. None of the scenarios seem to be about any kind of academics in the first place.

It doesn't change the question. At what point does my bad manners for reading / watching porn / reading Mein Kampf / whatever on the train exceed your bad manners for invading my privacy? Where do you draw the line? Should Alice reading a steamy sex scene in a novel be included? Should me reading a technical book about oral sex be included? How about reading review sites on this forum? How about me browsing a p4p establishment on my way down there to pick my girl? Especially in Japan, it's considered bad manners to look at someone else's phone / book. Especially considering most of the things I listed above are not 18+ content. I can understand not doing it in a place predominantly comprised of people under 18 (school, playground at the park, etc) but what about other places? Family restaurant after 9pm? A bar / club?

 

[TheScientist]

At what point does my bad manners for reading / watching porn / reading Mein Kampf / whatever on the train exceed your bad manners for invading my privacy?

False dichotomy. Humans process images far faster than words. Few books are printed with large enough text that someone nearby would read and comprehend the text unintentionally. No passerby or adjacent person is reasonably likely to see someone reading literotica dot com and know what the reader is doing. Same for texts likely to cause social offense for reasons such as racism, sexism, advocating genocide, etc. On the other hand it is fairly likely
that an adjacent person will see what is going on with someone watching Anal Nurses 12 on their phone/tablet/browsing P4P establishment sites/etc. Visuals.

Finally, behavior in a public space isn't private. Even a person in a coffee shop with their back to the wall and making effort to shield their consumption of adult content is in fact in public.

Especially in Japan, it's considered bad manners to look at someone else's phone / book.

That is in fact quite conditional. People are expected to cover books in any case, not just the case of reading adult material. Certain allowances are made for people who attempt to conceal their behavior but not for open blatant behavior. I recently saw someone ejected from the shinkansen for just this very thing.

 

[faboo2001]

To the both of you, I left out something beyond intent there: situation. It is in fact highly unlikely that the public porn viewer is a student or health professional unless we are accounting for stupid students or health professionals. None of the scenarios seem to be about any kind of academics in the first place.

False dichotomy. Humans process images far faster than words. Few books are printed with large enough text that someone nearby would read and comprehend the text unintentionally. No passerby or adjacent person is reasonably likely to see someone reading literotica dot com and know what the reader is doing. Same for texts likely to cause social offense for reasons such as racism, sexism, advocating genocide, etc. On the other hand it is fairly likely
that an adjacent person will see what is going on with someone watching Anal Nurses 12 on their phone/tablet/browsing P4P establishment sites/etc. Visuals.

Finally, behavior in a public space isn't private. Even a person in a coffee shop with their back to the wall and making effort to shield their consumption of adult content is in fact in public.


That is in fact quite conditional. People are expected to cover books in any case, not just the case of reading adult material. Certain allowances are made for people who attempt to conceal their behavior but not for open blatant behavior. I recently saw someone ejected from the shinkansen for just this very thing.

Well this whole discussion is based on "situational" then if we're going down that route. What laws are involved, in what area/country/culture is this taking place, and how the scenario/situation plays out are all needed to be taken into consideration. Some places, there's no law against watching porn in a public area. Some countries/cultures are more open about the idea of porn in general. And though the whole images vs text argument is a good point, the person still had to invade someones private space to know what he was doing. Nor does it absolutely negate the idea that someone could get offended or upset by text, only that it is more difficult for someone to discover or recognize what you are reading. Anyway, I just think it's sometimes important consider such things, or you'll run into generalizations or blanket thoughts/statements that unnecessarily vilify people or certain acts.

 

[TheScientist]

What laws are involved,

Whether or not it is a matter of *law* is almost besides the point. The topic is "is it OK to watch porn in public" not "is it legal to watch porn in public"

he person still had to invade someones private space to know what he was doing

Again, when a person is in a public space, you can't really use this excuse. The expectation of privacy when in public is severely reduced if not entirely negated.

that unnecessarily vilify people or certain acts.

As with most issues of public behavior this is a matter of the behavior of the individual vs the sensitivity of the general public.

 

[NormalGuy]

the person still had to invade someones private space to know what he was doing.

I still fail to comprehend how people believe they have a right to do anything they want in public providing they deem its within their "private space" (whatever the fuck that is). In this logic it's ok to stand on the train wanking by shoving your hand in your pants, as surely inside your pants is your own "private space" right?

Let's face it, if you can't wait till you get home to watch porn, then you should seriously reevaluate your life. I'll continue to call out people that I see doing this, and if one day my kids happen to see you watching porn, then my fist will be invading your private space too.

 

[Jbagz]

The "private space" argument being put forth by @faboo2001 is preposterous.

For the sake of clarity, give us a working definition of private space on a train.

Is this "private space" variable in nature? Is it larger on a plane than it is on a train?

Does it change with time of day?

Is it smaller during rush hour than at 21:00?

Just what does this princely bubble of privacy that you keep talking about look like on a street corner as opposed to when in the supermarket?

 

[static]

I still fail to comprehend how people believe they have a right to do anything they want in public providing they deem its within their "private space" (whatever the fuck that is). In this logic it's ok to stand on the train wanking by shoving your hand in your pants, as surely inside your pants is your own "private space" right?

Let's face it, if you can't wait till you get home to watch porn, then you should seriously reevaluate your life. I'll continue to call out people that I see doing this, and if one day my kids happen to see you watching porn, then my fist will be invading your private space too.

Enjoy your night in jail for assault, because I'd make damned sure that charge stuck and you had a felony follow you for the rest of your life. Few are the situations where you have the right to put your hands on another person, and this is definitely not one of em. But hey, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Legally, you're right, there is no expectation to privacy, but even in US, there are certain things that are legal / illegal to film/record. Hey, girl wearing a skirt, I guess they have no expectation to privacy in public, so it's okay to take up-skirt shots? See how far that argument gets you. How about taking pictures down girl's shirts when they're wearing a low-cut top. No expectation to privacy, right? Hell, skip the pictures, just looking should be okay, right? If someone is taking ample effort to conceal something, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

 

[NormalGuy]

I'd make damned sure that charge stuck and you had a felony follow you for the rest of your life

To be honest, I'd be happy with that, do what you gotta do, but I'd also get my lawyer to make it clear to the court exactly why I'd reacted the way I'd reacted, and didn't think showing porn to my kids was acceptable. I think I'd have a far easier life with an assault charge than the other guy being charged as a sex offender

 

[static]

To be honest, I'd be happy with that, do what you gotta do, but I'd also get my lawyer to make it clear to the court exactly why I'd reacted the way I'd reacted, and didn't think showing porn to my kids was acceptable. I think I'd have a far easier life with an assault charge than the other guy being charged as a sex offender

Cept that's not something that can be charged as a sex offender (though I begin to question that in some states with the intolerant left). It'd be a misdemeanor at best. But hey, you go ahead and raise your kid with a felony charge on your record. I have no problem with scorched earth policies.

 

[just4fun]

If in Japan and you attack a Japanese person for what your talking about. Could be thrown out of the country after you serve your sentence.....and you will serve a sentence!. Other parts of the planet it's a different story.

 

[TheScientist]

Enjoy your night in jail for assault, because I'd make damned sure that charge stuck and you had a felony follow you for the rest of your life. Few are the situations where you have the right to put your hands on another person, and this is definitely not one of em. But hey, violence is the last refuge of the incompetent.

Legally, you're right, there is no expectation to privacy, but even in US, there are certain things that are legal / illegal to film/record. Hey, girl wearing a skirt, I guess they have no expectation to privacy in public, so it's okay to take up-skirt shots? See how far that argument gets you. How about taking pictures down girl's shirts when they're wearing a low-cut top. No expectation to privacy, right? Hell, skip the pictures, just looking should be okay, right? If someone is taking ample effort to conceal something, there is a reasonable expectation of privacy.

FYI Japanese law doesn't have a felony classification. Also the sort of photos you refer to aren't covered under privacy law.

 

[faboo2001]

Whether or not it is a matter of *law* is almost besides the point. The topic is "is it OK to watch porn in public" not "is it legal to watch porn in public"

Well it does if the person writing the article wanted to call him out for harassment, which is the point of my argument. I've pointed out that I'm in majority that finds watching porn in a public area to be in bad taste.

I still fail to comprehend how people believe they have a right to do anything they want in public providing they deem its within their "private space" (whatever the fuck that is). In this logic it's ok to stand on the train wanking by shoving your hand in your pants, as surely inside your pants is your own "private space" right?

Again, 2 issues with that way of thinking. First you're generalizing the whole issue. By no means do I feel that anyone can do ANYTHING they want by using "private space" as an excuse. If I'm on a train and happen to look over someone's shoulder and see he's making a bomb, I'm definitely reporting it and possible even tackle said person. And secondly the example you're giving shows that the person is doing something in plain site. He might be touching his "private space", but it sure isn't a private matter anymore!

The "private space" argument being put forth by @faboo2001 is preposterous.

For the sake of clarity, give us a working definition of private space on a train.

Is this "private space" variable in nature? Is it larger on a plane than it is on a train?

Does it change with time of day?

Is it smaller during rush hour than at 21:00?

Just what does this princely bubble of privacy that you keep talking about look like on a street corner as opposed to when in the supermarket?

Well if we're going for a definition, I suppose this would do:

Personal (Private) space is an approximate area surrounding an individual in which other people should not physically violate in order for them to feel comfortable and secure. It is the zone around individuals which they regard as psychologically theirs. The amount of personal space required for any given person is subjective. It also depends on how well you know the other person. The more intimate the relationship, the less personal space is involved.


The law does not recognize a specific crime or civil action based on violation of personal space per se. However, the law does recognize various actions based on assault, harassment and unwelcome touching.

Do I know the differences of what that space is depending on location or time? Heavens no, and nor was I trying to define such a thing. And as Gasse pointed out, and similar to my point to NormalGuy about rushing a guy if I find him doing something dangerous, a person's personal space definitely gets trumped depending on the situation or laws/rules that are involved. Again, this is mostly about a very specific scenario we're talking about and not my overall view on the matter.