Am I the only person pissed off with the TFL advert showing a woman being raped: "Please, no, please, please stop taking unlicenced mini cabs...".  I have written to TFL who have not even acknowledged receipt of my email and now have also contacted Boris who's lovely logo appears on the advert.

My problem with the ad is:

• It portrays women as 'victims', encouraging the idea that we are helpless little things incapable of going out alone without a (presumably male) escort.
• It gives dodgy men the idea that if a woman puts herself at risk she is asking for it.
• The idea that unlicenced mini cabs are inherently unsafe and black cabs are is completely untrue as over 100 women have been raped recently by one black cab driver.  Also women will presumably be taking the unlicenced cab as a cheaper option to the black cab and safer option than the bus and walk home. I wonder this is more about their loss of revenue from illegal cab drivers who are not paying their taxes.
• Women that have rape may find this advert traumatic.
• Women in general will feel unsafe going about London late at night after seeing this advert.

Please right to TFL (email them from their website) and Boris Johnson to express you disgust.  For more info there is also a facebook (yuk) group campaigning to get the ad banned:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=108831192505078

This shows some cool posters as well and ideas for subvertising.

These adverts are an affront to all liberated and free minded women who like to go out alone at night.  Most rapes are committed not by strangers but people known to the victim.  It seems like the powers that be are trying to use fear to keep us in our place and we should not have it.  These ads need to come down.