To be nervous

Nope. Merely pointing out that you hadn’t answered it.

Sorry, are you demanding I answer your question? Really?

I’ve told you my view, OP without the subsequent information was being UR. How people react to that is up to them really.

My daughter was at a late cinema screening last night and did the last leg of the public transport journey on jer own at 12.30am. She's 16 and I didn't give this a second thought.

That doesn’t answer my question. I was talking about all the sneering and derision pps have been indulging in on the thread.

I think without the full story, OP was being UR to be so concerned about a very trivial logistical journey.

Well, what that tells us is that you think it's perfectly fine to sneer and scoff at other women if you happen to decide the context appears to justify it. I'm glad I don't know you.

Are you suggesting the absence of the full story merited the sort of treatment OP has been given on this thread?

Hadn’t divulged “chapter and verse”, not the care, she hadn’t divulged relevant information, which explained why a grown woman was concerned about a very normal event.

It is completely abnormal for a 33 year old woman to write, about a solo ten-minute train journey around midnight and a transfer to a taxi at the station, has anyone done this before and have they been ok? As though she was planning to climb the north face of the Eiger barefoot and without ropes. Yes, I think amused and scoffing responses merited, given the post.

If the OP had included all the information she dripfed in her initial post, no one would have sneered. Because it would have been obvious why she was approaching this deeply ordinary thing with such trepidation.

I agree it alters the perspective, but it's not a weird response at all. Are you suggesting it was fine for people to sneer at OP simply because she hadn't divulged chapter and verse about her situation?

My take is that OP got 'snitty', if you want to use that word, because grown women were behaving like playground bullies about her situation. In her shoes, I would have too. The backlash now is imo happening partly because people are thinking 'she should have told me, I wouldn't have posted a string of crying-with-laughter emojis' - but as grown women they shouldn't have done that anyway, regardless of context.

It totally depends where you live too. My friends where I grew up, ill guarantee none have been on a train alone at midnight. I do it all the time where I live now. None have led sheltered lives, and are not people who are overly anxious. I’d say it’s perfectly normal to have some hesitation to be alone at a train station platform late at night.

So drip feed or no drip feed, as usual, many posters used it as an opportunity to sneer and try and make someone feel inferior or that something is wrong with them, when it’s a perfectly normal thing to worry about.

Enjoy OP when it comes around.

What a weird response. The OP omitted key information and then got snitty when responses didn't psychically intuit that she has good reason to have led a very sheltered life and not to have ever been on a train herself at night, aged 33.

You were under no obligation to, OP. Unfortunately some on this thread decided to treat it as an opportunity to sneer, but really that tells you all you need to know about them, doesn't it. Some of us get it, just saying.

It was key information. I hope you are ok on your journey and enjoy your night out.

It’s not justifying yourself, it’s giving your formation for people to give appropriate response, which you’ve now received.

In fairness people were commenting on assuming you didn’t have limited mobility etc, which of course changes things.

Im sure if you had said this initially you would have got different responses.

But surely you can see that while it’s perfectly understandable that someone recovering from illness or serious injury that led to them being a wheelchair user and having significant mobility problems would not be used to getting about by themselves on public transport at night, therefore people could have given you much more tailored advice?

For instance, there’s no reason for you to have to disembark alone at your station. Book help, via the link a pp posted. I used to use it all the time when I was a wheelchair user after an accident.

OP you sound as if you have had an incredibly sheltered life. Literally millions of people make this journey every day.

It’s sort of understandable that you are anxious about this if you haven’t done it before but the bigger question is how you have got to the age of 33 without being able to take a suburban train at night on your own.

It sounds as if you have been brought up in a super traditional environment and told it’s dangerous for women to be out on their own at night etc.

With kindness, you need urgently to get past this mindset as it will hugely hold you back in life. Is your husband very overprotective?

Please whatever you do don’t videocall him from the train. It won’t make you safer and it will enrage other people on the train.

https://www.greateranglia.co.uk/passenger-assist-and-ways-book-assistance

Here you go OP. I'm assuming this is the rail company you'll be using to get to Shenfield. It says you can either call them or use the website or an app, and they provide help getting from platform to platform, incase the taxi meet point is on the opposite side. I'm sure the guard would walk you to your taxi quickly, regardless. I've travelled at night out of London many a time and find them very cordial and helpful.

Hiya OP, due to your disability you can call in advance and request assistance from the guard of your particular train. Could you get your husband to come to the platform and get you, instead of getting a taxi? Otherwise if you call in advance, I'm sure the train guard will be happy to escort you off the train and I'm sure the taxi meeting place isn't too far off the platform. If there's stairs and a bridge to cross you could ask for assistance with that under your mobility issues and that will help you feel more secure getting to your taxi. Hope you have a great night.

Shenfield is OK OP. I’ve been there with DD late at night and there were lots of people out and about. Enjoy the concert.

Oh OP it makes sense now why this feels really big. Of course you feel vulnerable, and also there's the worries about gettin on and off the train when you're disabled.

I'm really glad you're going out to the gig, that's a really positive step in challenging your anxiety, well done!

I'd just focus on what a PP said about that station being busy and well lit, and then having somthing to distract you on your ten minute train journey. Would it help you to feel sexure by sharing your location on your phone with someone? I did this when I had to make several train changes in quiet rural stations, and ended up having to book a taxi number I saw written on a board in one. Knowing someone was keeping an eye on me felt reassuring. And it's only for this first one, the more you go out and become familiar with it, the less anxious you will start to feel.

Please don’t video call anyone on the train! It’s rude and inconsiderate.

You’re on a train, it’s not Beruit!

Kindly OP, why didn’t you include this info in your original post? This changes things completely! Given your update, it’s totally understandable you’d be nervous.