A Grope-free Train

I am not sure what commentary to place between these photos.

Visitors to certain Japanese cities will recognize this women-only train, certainly a phenomenon missing in other parts of the world. I could always take the condescending New York Times attitude towards Japanese society and use this public measure against groping to imply that life is decidedly better for women in the U.S., but I know too well that Japanese women have a far better quality of life than their U.S. counterparts in many respects, not the least of which is their greater access to quality education and universal health care. I will say, however, that my Japanese friend told me that she once took this train and found that she was overwhelmed by the the stench of perfume. So, between the occasional groping by an unscrupulous and enterprising man, and the intake of hefty perfumes in the morning, women taking rush-hour trains before 9:00 a.m. in Osaka apparently have a choice.