Do you feel safe walking alone?

[toomanycushionshere]

I live in a village, fairly close to some lovely walks across fields. But I never use them on my own! I automatically assume that it would be an unsafe thing to do, even though I’ve never encountered anything or anyone untoward.

I’m sure I’m not the only woman who won’t walk in the country / woods etc alone, but I wish I felt braver and wasn’t missing out. Those of you who do, do you just take your chances or do you take precautions (alarm etc)?

No and I got a dog for this reason as I loved walking with friends when younger and didn't want the fear to hold me back.

The dog is great tbh and she sees anyone weird in advance and barks, so I feel quite protected. I'd not walk alone in remote areas personally (2 women have been killed in my area out walking in the last 4 years and although each man was arrested you just can't be too naive thinking it won't happen again) and even if it is just for my own peace of mind I'd rather have a dog.
Saying that, I know both women were also dog walking so...it's no real protection.

Sorry, not a clear answer.

I regularly walk alone, whether that's around the local woodland, around our town, to work at 0430 in the morning, even when it's dark in the winter. I actually find it really relaxing, there's rarely anyone around, I put my headphones in and listen to music most of the time. Never felt unsafe, don't carry anything to protect myself

Yes. I live in a very rural area and I don't think twice about walking and running on my own. Well, I do take safety precautions, but they're about mountain safety rather than protecting myself from attacks.

I'm not disparaging anyone who doesn't feel safe on their own; it's a sad indictment of our society. I dare say if I lived in a town or a city I wouldn't feel safe, but proper rural/wild landscapes don't scare me.

I do walk alone or more regularly with my dogs. But, I am wary of some more remote dog walks, through woodland or on hills . I have taken my dogs to more remote walks and have felt a bit uneasy at times.
walking through town, I am fine, but I would pick my areas.

Forgot to say, I have a spray I got on Amazon that is a paint spray - the idea is to spray it in an attacker's eyes then even if they kill you/run off they can be identified as it takes 3 days to wash off. It's pocket sized which is good and fits in a bum-bag for summer. https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B076KDXG4Y/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Re my other post which I can't seem to edit - neither woman knew their attacker and both were on well known walks. It's just something you have to do and be prepared for IMO or the weirdo's win.

I've got more anxious the older I've got, and would no longer walk alone in the countryside. I used to live in a very rural area and walked miles with my dog. Sadly I can't have a dog where I live now - maybe I'd feel a bit more confident if I did have one.

I love walking alone, it gives me peace and thinking time. My biggest issue is what happens if I injure myself - I lightly twisted my ankle out walking a few months ago on a “less trodden” path and realised that had it been any worse I would have had a hard time getting anywhere to get help. I now take walking poles with me. I don’t like walking through fields of cows though, they’ve always scared me!!

I love walking alone too, I do it frequently and love the headspace it gives me, I agree with the poster above in that I worry more about injuries than I do about being attacked.

I walk plenty, often alone. I don’t feel scared. Statistically most attacks are perpetrated by men the victim knows. So strangers aren’t a particular threat IMO. Most people are normal people. In my experience nutters gravitate to positions of control and/or authority. My only negative experience in this sphere was an assault by my former GP. The more women who walk about, the safer the nervous women will feel. So someone has to start!

I walk alone including waking home late// the dark

I feel safest in really rural areas- up a mountain

there are places I wouldn't want to walk alone - in towns or cities that I don't know late at night

The more people who walk around the safer everything becomes

I happily walk on my own in fields, woods etc. I do have a dog, but I would do this even if I didn't (and he wouldn't be much use anyway, but he's fairly big, so he might put people off). The only times I have ever felt even vaguely unsettled walking around on my own have been in cities. My only worry if walking anywhere rural tends to be 'What if I sprain my ankle or ddog is injured and my phone has no signal?'. I've never carried anything other than a phone for safety. The area where I live feels very safe to me.

No I don't, I live in a town centre and wouldn't, two female dog walkers have been murdered in the last year not far from me, dog walking doesn't keep you safe.

Yes, this is the only real thing to be wary of when walking solo. I’ve always loved walking alone, whether it was in central London, or when I lived in the country, walking daily on field paths where I seldom if ever saw another person over the course of eight years. (Weirdly, it was a village of dog owners, who walked their dogs round and round the playing pitch and playground, never in the fields, even those that never had livestock in them.) Likewise, I was wary of fields of larky bullocks, which are far more of a risk than a lurking stranger.

I also used to walk at night if I couldn’t sleep, in good weather, with a head torch.

I'm totally happy walking in woods/country alone.
The chances of a random attacker lurking in a deserted spot are, IMO, slim to none.

I'd be much more worried walking round a busy city centre at night.

It's funny, I feel the exact opposite!

I'd be too afraid to ever live rurally too. Seen too much crimewatch about isolated houses being targeted for burglaries.

During the day yes but at night no because I am scared of the dark -yes I'm a fully grown adult and it took me years to admit that.

I walk dog rurally at 5.30 am and feel fine - again worry about breaking leg and who would come for ddog who is a rather unwieldy.. walk down street across field round the woods and back.

I'd walk around in a town but not of it was deserted.

I am really scared of the dark though and hate walking anywhere in the dark.

I think a lot of people scare themselves too much listening to true crime or news, skew their sense of risk and shrink their presence in the world.

I'm a major true crime fan and I honestly think that's caused the opposite problem, I've made myself believe that I know all the signs to look out for, how to be safe when I'm out and that I'll be absolutely fine, so therefore I have no fear, I don't protect myself and I'm probably the perfect target, young woman, headphones in, walking alone at night.

I am the exact opposite. I live on the edge of a large town and feel comfortable walking alone, including walking home at night. I think it's because there are more people around and that actually makes me feel safer. If something happened there are other people around or houses in close proximity.

I would feel far more uncomfortable walking somewhere remote or out in the countryside where there may not be any passers by or houses nearby to try to get help if I came across a nutter. I would never live rurally for this reason....the house I grew up in was very remote with no neighbours in shouting distance and we were burgled twice during my childhood.

No solo walking in the countryside for me. It just takes one nutter to attack me ....

However i do walk alone round the roads to the shops etc but am aware of who is near me.

I think I watch too much scary tv. Or do I. Dunno.

I walk alone in woods during the day. My anxiety level rises if I see a man doing the same (though it’s fine if they have a dog or are with a friend). So not entirely relaxed about it.

Yes because statistically I am no more or less safe alone rather than any other places

Always have - over fields and parks and through towns. Being around traffic is a bigger risk.

Doesn't bother me too much if I know the area. However I'd add that DH is usually with me. He's not a big help though in the dark as he doesn't like being in dark places. Not that useful for someone who's an amateur astronomer.

I think it's fairly normal to be wary of the dark and things that go bump in the dark. Just like any other fear, don't let it control your life.

Such a mixed bag by the sounds of it - probably just shows that there’s no right answer. I’m happy to walk through the village / in town during the day but not at night.

I just hate living near such pretty walks that I know would make me so happy but to feel to scared to actually use them. It makes me so angry!