As a female do you have the courage to walk alone in the dark?

[Vaccine001]

I have done so but rarely. It has always terrified me. What if i akways think to myself..

Those saying they avoid being in a taxi home alone, how can you do this practically? Even if I get a taxi home with friends, the closest friend stays about a mile from me so someone is always going to be left in the taxi alone (unless we’re out with partners)

Generally yes but I always have my wits about me. I stick to roads with plenty of light and traffic.

I often go for walks late at night. But I’m always listen and watching. For someone to sneak up behind me, put their hand over my mouth and drag me into somewhere quiet and attack me. That feeling is always there when I go out for a walk. But I still go.

@TheNestedIf

Yes.

I used to walk the route Sarah Everard took 3 or 4 days a week. At the time I was doing it, Hanwell was festooned with yellow ribbons for Alice Goss. I used to walk about at night a lot and only stopped because my habits changed during lockdown.

If I am attacked, and I do keep an eye out, I may not succeed, but I will attempt to injure, or much worse, and I do carry equipment do do just that. I won't get stopped and searched, because if I looked remotely dangerous, I wouldn't be a target in the first place.

People always say you can't use keys as weapons etc. But really... The attacker isn't going to go the the police and dob you in!!

@FlowerArranger

I think we are all a bit spooked right now because of what happened to that lovely young woman, Sarah Everard. But I'm a bit peturbed to read about so many women being so scared that they restrict their lives so much. By all means he sensible, but do not hide in your homes or stop doing the things that you want to do.

I've lived in London most of my life and I've always gone out by myself, often walking home from the tube by myself, late at night. I've never been accosted, which may be due to luck, but I refuse to be scared.

Exactly. I'm of the same mindset although I have had dodgy incidents as a teen. Which, incidentally, a WPC blamed me for, said I shouldn't have been out then.

I do take care, being observant of potential lurking places for attackers, taking care to walk facing oncoming traffic so that I can't easily be followed by someone in a car.

I used to always do it. I live in a fairly small village in a rural area. Would think nothing of going out for a walk at 1030 at night with the dog. And about 15 years ago, I lived in the closest town, and would walk home after a night out (about 15 minutes walk). Now, I wouldn’t. Last year, myself and a friend I sometimes go walking with were discussing how we felt uneasy walking out together after 930… you could almost feel the shift in atmosphere. Was very bizarre, and we actually haven’t done it since. We used to go weekly, but now just stick to the summer months or earlier times.

@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse - a close female relative was dragged off the street and raped, when she was 16. About 10pm at night walking home.

In the area I live in, just around the corner from where I lived at the time (and I not a “rough” area) a young women was grabbed off a dark path, raped, tortured and killed by a man who had planned in advance to find and kill a woman . It was 20 years ago but I remember it well, as does every woman of my age who lives in the town. I didn’t know her personally but had friends who did.

Last year, in woods about 15 miles from me, where I used to walk, a young woman was sexually assaulted by a male stranger with a mask on.

That’s enough for me.

I prize my freedom and walk in the dark whenever I need or want to. I've done this since I was fifteen and am nearly seventy.

Freedom of movement is a precious thing

I used to be really confident about walking around at night until in my mid 20s I got followed on my way home. It was obvious he was following me. I ended up hiding behind a hedge in someone's front garden. It didn't stop me going out at night but I became a lot more alert about my surroundings, and that hasn't left me - I'm 50 now. Since lockdown though I've become scared, properly scared in a way I never was before. I know I'm probably invisible now, older, fat and grey, but these experiences don't leave you. I think I'm just more anxious generally and that's why I feel unsafe now. I wish more than anything that men could experience this fear, just for a few moments, so they could understand what it is to be female.

I walk alone at night but I avoid certain places. I'd never walk along the canal towpath after dark although I use it frequently during the day when it's quite busy. I keep to well-lit streets and routes I know at night and will change them if I feel in any way unsafe, by going into an all-night supermarket for instance. I feel much less safe in the country, but then I'm not familiar with it and my spidey senses don't work there.

I do walk alone at night and feel very confident doing so. I take the obvious sensible precautions but otherwise I enjoy the freedom and fresh air.

When I used to have to, I wore a hat that hid all my hair and a big coat and flat shoes. Then I could pass for a man in the dark as I am tall and built.

I do walk in the dark if it is early evening, but very, very rarely would I choose to walk alone late at night. The most I've done is walk across the supermarket carpark after shopping. I know its really pathetic but I'm actually quite scared of the dark and only since living alone over the last few years have I been able to go from the backdoor to my bins about 50 yards away without being gripped by fear (and I can't come home to a dark house, I have to leave a small light on 24hrs)

So, no, I'm not comfortable at all walking alone at night. However, I wish I was, as I know I've missed out on things and been ruled by fear.

There's a lot of places I don't like walking alone in daylight too. It's so bloody annoying and sad that we live in a society where women - and many men - are afraid of doing normal, everyday activities because of the shocking "what ifs".

Yes I do, I can’t believe so many people are claiming not to leave their house after 5pm, I see lots of women walking around in the dark so it’s clearly a MN thing to not go out once it gets dark

I regularly walk in the local woods with my doggos. I tend to go late in the evening and it’s dark by the time we exit. Sometimes I get spooked, but usually because of scary programs I’ve watched, not because of fear of attack. Both my husband and mum hate me doing it but I love the solitude. I must admit Sarah has been on my mind a lot because of the court case which has made me question myself but in all honesty I’m not going to alter my behaviour. I’m even planning a solo wild camp on Dartmoor soon.

@TonyThreePies

I used to be really confident about walking around at night until in my mid 20s I got followed on my way home. It was obvious he was following me. I ended up hiding behind a hedge in someone's front garden. It didn't stop me going out at night but I became a lot more alert about my surroundings, and that hasn't left me - I'm 50 now. Since lockdown though I've become scared, properly scared in a way I never was before. I know I'm probably invisible now, older, fat and grey, but these experiences don't leave you. I think I'm just more anxious generally and that's why I feel unsafe now. I wish more than anything that men could experience this fear, just for a few moments, so they could understand what it is to be female.

Men do experience this fear! Stupid to say they don't. Or do you think they enjoy getting mugged and murdered?

@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse - My DH has never been scared that he might be attacked by another man when walking alone at night, neither has my father. I know because I’ve asked them.

Yes but not in city centres. When my husband is away I often go on a dog walk late evening or at night but in fields or woods where I wouldn’t expect to see another person! I have a head torch.

Baking Believe what you like.

@BakingOfTheFoodCats

Yes I do, I can’t believe so many people are claiming not to leave their house after 5pm, I see lots of women walking around in the dark so it’s clearly a MN thing to not go out once it gets dark

Are women claiming that? I think there’s quite a difference between being out at 5pm when it’s dark because of the season and there are loads of people around vs walking home alone late at night. I think that’s what most posters are envisioning.

Where I live there just really isn’t anywhere you would be walking to at night other than home from the station and I’ve only done that a handful of times.

I was absolutely fearless in my teens. Looking back it’s shocking just how fearless we were and we were lucky at times! Not that luck should come into it.

Now … I don’t know. Could I get out of bed right now and just go for a walk for a couple of miles in the streets and feel safe? I’m really not sure. The few times I have walked home late from the station or been out for a run I probably have felt a bit scared but I’m not actually sure what I am scared of? I feel confident that I’m ugly enough not to be a target so is it just that silly fear we all get at times? Of nothing. Almost like when you run up the stairs at night in case something gets you.

[quote EnchantedWoods]@Ifyoudontlikeitdosomethingelse - My DH has never been scared that he might be attacked by another man when walking alone at night, neither has my father. I know because I’ve asked them.[/quote]
Just because your DH hasn't been mugged or murdered doesn't mean other men haven't! That's like when women say there isn't a problem with men sexually assaulting women because it hasn't happened to them.

My DH got smashed round the head and had his bike and bag stolen. He found that scary.

@Tealightsandd

www.bbc.co.uk/news/explainers-56365412.amp

More than 70% of women were killed in their own home - twice the figure for men.

Outdoors is actually more dangerous for men.

It's a bit chicken and egg though. If women don't go out to avoid being attacked on the streets then of course most women who are killed will be killed at home. It doesn't necessarily mean women would be safe if they went out.

I am a school cleaner so leave home at 05 20 am. Fortunately I have only a ten minute walk. I am very wary, but carry a personal alarm that a colleague gifted to us and am very vigilant just in case. I have a daughter in her 20s who can't see any problem, but I was just the same at that age.

@BakingOfTheFoodCats I know plenty of people, myself included who tend to go home from work and stay in in the evening. Going out would be the exception rather than the rule.

It just depends on your lifestyle I think and also where you live too.

I myself am wondering where you’re all walking to and from at night while I sit watching ITV dramas

[quote myadhdusername]@BakingOfTheFoodCats I know plenty of people, myself included who tend to go home from work and stay in in the evening. Going out would be the exception rather than the rule.

It just depends on your lifestyle I think and also where you live too.

I myself am wondering where you’re all walking to and from at night while I sit watching ITV dramas [/quote]
Taking the dog for a walk in the woods or the fields or just around the pavements if I'm feeling lazy!

I don't have television so that's probably why!!