All men should be aware of this

the main point (which I don’t think I’m getting across) is that men often don’t realise the impact of ordinary behaviours in certain contexts. Like stopping suddenly in an isolated space and creating a situation where a woman may feel trapped. I’m not saying he was out to kill me.

Are you a man? Because if so, I'd be interested in what about the encounter with the OP would have made you 'feel fear'? That she would sexually assault you? Violently over power and hurt you? Because I can understand your fear if another man had turned and followed you as men statistically hurt a lot of other men. But I'm very surprised you'd feel anything other than a bit awkward as the man in the situation described. What would you fear the wonan would do to you, and what is the basis for your fear?

Male violence is committed by a very small percentage of men so let’s keep this in perspective shall we.

It’s good to know several women don’t feel the need to be wary of men acting oddly or (women/you) being out on their own, and I mean that genuinely. Maybe I’m all too aware of what can happen (a very high profile awful case happened around the corner from me when in my last city), but I’ve not had that sick feeling for a very long time which was compounded by the guy stopping,
looking back and waiting. Don’t need any more comments I can see where this is going. But thanks :)

Are you a man? Because if so, I'd be interested in what about the encounter with the OP would have made you 'feel fear'? That she would sexually assault you? Violently over power and hurt you? Because I can understand your fear if another man had turned and followed you as men statistically hurt a lot of other men. But I'm very surprised you'd feel anything other than a bit awkward as the man in the situation described. What would you fear the wonan would do to you, and what is the basis for your fear?

Think about this from his perspective. A woman passes him, then that woman suddenly changes direction and follows him picking up speed. He was going to look round, it's a natural reaction if you think someone is following you, this applies to men as well as woman. It made him uncomfortable which is why he stopped so you could pass. You made HIM feel uncomfortable, why is that ok? Men feel fear to

I'm not angry at the OP for feeling scared, I'm baffled by what she expects this man to be aware of and vilifying him for what appears to be reasonable behavior.

The premise of the thread is
"any decent man should know that this sort of behaviour is intimidating for a woman, who’s alone, especially with nobody else around."

And the part that has most scratching their head is what sort of behaviour is the talking about?
And what would have been the alternative appropriate behavior?

^ This.

It's a sorry state of affairs. The OPs post and some of these responses are full of assumptions, accusations, bias, division, etc. Not dissimilar from some of the anti-semitic rhetoric of Germany in the 30s designed to promote divisions and hate. I'm not sure who or how it would benefit, as humanity we have to all learn to rub together, woman and men of all races and cultures. Much better to go through life without fear and with the general perception that people are good and kind, would help you, have empathy & compassion and that we are a social species, that know how to have a good time.

I'm 59 and just wasn't brought up with this mindset. It's almost like young women today are brain-washed into the Neo-Victorian mindset that they are the fairer sex and need special considerations... that weird phrase that was doing the rounds, 'I'm just a girl'... often used as a way of self-limiting themselves.

That’s what I’m saying - I don’t think there was anything else this man could have done and we’ll never know because OP listened to her gut and changed directions. So we don’t know what he would have done and if her instinct was right.
I only know how he responded, which seems to be to let her pass and hang back, which seems like the only good response in this situation.
i agree it’s a shame we live in a world where people can’t just walk in the woods. But op isn’t the one who you should be angry at for that.

Maybe he thought you were following him

Think about this from his perspective. A woman passes him, then that woman suddenly changes direction and follows him picking up speed. He was going to look round, it's a natural reaction if you think someone is following you, this applies to men as well as woman. It made him uncomfortable which is why he stopped so you could pass. You made HIM feel uncomfortable, why is that ok? Men feel fear to

I find it absolutely hilarious that the same hoardes who absolutely lose their minds about trans people in women’s spaces etc (on the basis that these people are biologically men, and as we know, men pose an inherent threat to women…), are telling the OP she’s being ridiculous! Try turning all of the arguments on this thread (‘he was just going about his day,’ ‘am I missing anything, he didn’t actually do anything,’ ‘by and large, people are just trying to get on with their lives’) (etc, etc, etc!) and applying them to your argument about trans women. You can’t argue it both ways!

FWIW in relation to the OP original question- yes me should be aware that if they are in an isolated setting with a lone female present, they should take steps to try and increase her sense of safety.

People struggle to act normally when they're trying to look normal. Yes, men should cross to the other side of the road on a dark night and not walk up quietly behind a woman but I can't think how he was supposed to know that opening his back pack would be a problem. What if he was looking behind him to check he wasn't holding anyone up before taking a drink? Was he supposed to stride forward robotically for the rest of the walk lest someone imagine there was something more sinister in his backpack? I'm sure if that happened the next thing would be another person saying he was striding too stridently or something. Not to make light of the very real problem and fear at the heart of this but no, this is not the way forward.

Honestly, I do not understand how women have managed to be so brainwashed by social media and each other that they're convinced they're in mortal danger of being abducted or worse every time they leave the house. Reality check: men are around 3x more likely to be murdered and 2x more likely to be attacked by a stranger as women. Only 0.0005% of women are murdered each year in the uk and the perpetrators are overwhelmingly their partners or someone they know with only 6% of the 0.0005% murdered by a stranger. While it does happen it's hard to overstate how rare it is and you are genuinely far more likely to be struck by lightning than killed by a stranger. Add to this that you were in broad daylight on a road where other people were passing and you are being very unreasonable.

I find it absolutely hilarious that the same hoardes who absolutely lose their minds about trans people in women’s spaces etc (on the basis that these people are biologically men, and as we know, men pose an inherent threat to women…), are telling the OP she’s being ridiculous! Try turning all of the arguments on this thread (‘he was just going about his day,’ ‘am I missing anything, he didn’t actually do anything,’ ‘by and large, people are just trying to get on with their lives’) (etc, etc, etc!) and applying them to your argument about trans women. You can’t argue it both ways!

FWIW in relation to the OP original question- yes me should be aware that if they are in an isolated setting with a lone female present, they should take steps to try and increase her sense of safety.

Specific situation aside, what all men should be aware of is that they do ‘give women anxiety’ as the modern phrasing has it, and that is for very good reasons.

Male violence is endemic. Men are THE major social problem. The scale of violence and increasing sexism should not be minimised and dismissed with the endless excuses, nor should what men are pleased to call ‘misandry’ be compared to misogyny in any way shape or form. Misogyny and sexism is the result of irrationality and prejudice and the need to seek domination, power and control. What men and a few rich female helpers dismiss as misandry or namalt is the result of fact, learned experience, and the desire to protect both ourselves and our dependent children.

I am very concerned about the rise in men seeking to dominate, male violence, the rollback in women’s rights and also the death of democracy, which is closely linked.

Men need to start thinking about just what is in it for women to be anywhere near them, and women also need to reconsider this. Too many promises broken, every time, for the last thousand years. Too many times when women get written out of history, for the last thousand years.

As a man I am absolutely none the wiser from this thread and posters supporting the OP as to what I am expected to do in the situation the man found himself in to alleviate the fear my presence could cause.

if I'm walking in the woods and a woman approaches me from behind, walking faster than me and I only become aware of her when she is a few feet from me.

I should speed up so she can't pass me even though all available evidence would say she is trying to pass me by?
If she does overtake me I should make sure that I get back ahead of her which would require walking very fast begins her?

Dark road at night, our running in the woods and approaching a woman from behind, under pass at night, all those are clear enough. middle of the day and woman choosing to walk quickly close behind me ? Not a clue what people who think he should have acted differently want other than not be there or has been suggested don't walk behind her (he wasn't) and maintain distance to make her feel safe (she unilaterally chose to close the distance which he was completely unaware of until she was within a few feet of him).

OP having her spidey sense and acting on it, no problem whatever makes her feel safe. Saying that the unread was somehow due to the man's lack of awareness or consideration to how women might fear men, baffled given all the decisions she made

No it is not fairly commonly known by men.
I asked the three men in my life and it wouldn't even enter their minds to cross the road. They would'nt get up close behind a woman but they certainly wouldn't cross the road.