I haven't read every thread on this since I initially couldn't figure out what was the real question. Along the way the original poster clarified she was asking about visitation patterns. At my museum & those in my area women often do come alone or with a friend, relative, whatever. Our visitorship is heavily female, we have a restaurant and while the majority of women dine with someone others do dine alone. Sine the restaurant's often packed over lunch the person(s) less interested in the art (or the art lover less interested in having them tag along!) will get on the wait list for a table then go browse our shop, or dip into aspects of the exhibitions that interest them. We do also have men who arrive alone and tour the museum, dine, shop.
We don't offer a standing public tour anymore but it was never an issue in terms of safety. Our Information Desk has always had a panic button--more because the shop is located near the front door, and we have security guards who are clearly security. When we were located downtown we were much more aware of the homeless, tired, etc. stopping in but they couldn't get far into the facility and since we were then in historic buildings there was only our p/t security WOMAN to handle whatever hit hte door and the female shop manager as the first line of awareness of potentnial problems.
Daphne Holmes
Curator of Public Programs
Cameron Art Museum
--- [log in to unmask] wrote:
From: Jennifer Pena <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Men and Women on walk-in tours
Date: Wed, 13 Dec 2006 13:28:27 +0000
Like several other listers who have contributed to this thread, I am a
female who works at a smallish museum. The entirely female staff rotates
working on Saturdays. For whatever reason, the less than savory characters
seem to wait until Saturday to come to the museum. They often come in just
to use the restroom. We charge admission, so many just linger in the gift
shop and don't ever tour the museum. Though we try to make sure that no
staff member or volunteer (male or female) is ever in the building alone, it
does happen. And yes, when it has happened to me I have been nervous when
certain males have come inside the building. Do I panic? No. But I wonder
if I would be able to call the police quickly enough if something happened
or I was threatened. At this point we have no panic button, but will likely
install them at the front desk and in the gift shop.
I suppose I just bristled a bit and may have misinterpreted Indigo's
remarks. I grew up watching Oprah and constantly have the voice in the back
of my head telling me to "pay attention to those feelings and warning
signs." How often do you hear about men being abducted and raped? So I
think it's perfectly normal for women to have apprehensions about working at
a museum or any public place alone. But don't get me wrong, I do not live
in fear and I feel like I take a normal amount of precautions and care as a
woman, anywhere I am. I also have never had a problem visiting a museum by
myself, though if I visited one that seemed like an unsafe place I probably
wouldn't stay there alone. Sorry for the rant, just felt compelled to share
my feelings here.
Jennifer Pena
>From: "Gayle \"Indigo Nights\"" <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: Museum discussion list <[log in to unmask]>
>To: [log in to unmask]
>Subject: Re: Men and Women on walk-in tours
>Date: Tue, 12 Dec 2006 23:10:16 -0800
>
>Ok, I've just read the whole thread which offended me, too. I'm a single
>female. While I take the grandkids to lots of museums, I'm not averse to
>going solo and frequently do, for the same reason cited by another
>poster--I don't want to get rushed along when I'm trying to absorb
>everything, and, frankly, it's a pain in the tush to have someone who isn't
>as interested as am I on the journey.
>
> As a matter of fact, we just had our holiday event today with lunch at a
>restaurant and then the rest of the day at the Long Beach Aquarium. 40 of
>us went, and I kept trying to ditch everybody else so I could enjoy it at
>my pace. What was remarkable to observe were all the people who rushed
>through and then were out the door (in early afternoon), like been there,
>done that, still talking about how great it is, but viewing the Aquarium
>like they had a remote control and were wildly channel surfing. Me, on the
>other hand, I was the last one out the door of our group.
>
> But speaking to the whole gender security thing, sorry ladies, that's
>hogwash. I'm part of the burn the bra generation (shouldn'ta done that,
>gravity takes it's toll in the older years), and we fought hard for the
>equality many take for granted today. If my sisters in the workforce are
>wimping out about dealing with men, it vexes me mightily. Toughen up,
>Chickies!
>
> Security for men, women, and in-betweens should be a primary concern,
>but that means having an adequate and appropriate security plan, training
>staff how to handle emergencies, and a direct line to the PD.
>Hypothetically, staff should carry cell phones with cameras on them in the
>event they need to shoot the perp for evidence purposes.
>
> I know we have varying cultural issues between ethnic groups and regions
>of the country, but girlfriends, if you're going to work, then you're going
>to have to take it like a man and deal with men (that doesn't mean abuse,
>but that doesn't mean a man would or should tolerate abuse either). It
>could be a female haranguing male staff (but I'm not confessing to
>anything).
>
> As one who has worked more than 30 years (closer to 35), it just makes
>no sense to me that you would even question female staff working with
>visitors. To do so basically makes the base case for a male only
>workforce. For shame.
>
>
>
>
>Indigo Nights
>[log in to unmask]
>
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