What's the latest time you would feel safe being out alone?

[ilovemincepies24]

What is the latest time you would feel safe being out alone (without a dog)?

I live in a small ish town which is pretty quiet after 8pm when the local supermarket shuts. A woman was allegedly attacked a few weeks ago at around that time, and since then I've felt uneasy walking in the dark (which is quite early at this time of year), even in built up areas.

On an ideal world it wouldn't be like this but...

I honestly can’t think of a time when I wouldn’t feel safe being out, but I guess maybe I wouldn’t if an area was really dodgy or deserted. I hike and wild camp alone and I’ve not ever felt uncomfortable doing that, but I’ve certainly felt uncomfortable in specific situations in the middle of the day in a busy crowded area.

I live in a busy area and there is a pub at the far end of my road so you get the dickheads on weekends. Ordinarily? Any time before 21.30. Weekends maybe earlier

I drive but I probably don’t like going out any later than 9:30pm, I always over think the short walk from My car to my door. 10 years ago I’d walk at most times and still panic but do it anyway 😂

Why?

posters who don't walk alone anywhere at 4pm if dark, is it safe to assume you drive and get from A to B that way? You're not just home by 4 every day?

In my own locale, I'd feel safe anytime. I wouldn't feel at all safe anywhere further than a mile from my house after dark if alone. But not bc I think I'll be attacked or anything, just that I have really bad anxiety and can't walk well or run in an emergency. In fact I was out at 3pm the other week and nearly got attacked by a furious Scottish crack head man for refusing him a cigarette. The police happened to be standing right behind him! Plus I was with people. Thank goodness.
So a horrible person could do something any time of the day really. In fact the busier the area, the more likely someone might be a maniac.

i feel safe outside at any time. i feel sorry for people that feel unsafe after 4 what a sad way to live 😔

I can’t imagine a time I wouldn’t feel safe being outside.

I regularly come home from friends or work between midnight - 2/3am and it would never occur to me to not do that

I would go out at any time of day or night. But it’s all theoretical in that I’d be driving and I have a child at home so wouldn’t leave him alone.

What I wouldn’t do as twilight approaches is venture into unlit areas or use any means of public transport.

I live in a big city but in what i consider a safe area, I got the train from the city centre then walked home from the train station (about 20mins) after midnight on Saturday, wouldn’t occur not to really.

I’d be more likely to get a cab if it was raining than because it was dark. I wouldn’t go wandering about a deserted canal path if through the woods/a park but I’ll happily walk along a road.

I couldn’t go about my life not leaving the house after 4pm half the year, I’d go stir crazy.

In my small town, any time - but I'd be careful where I was walking, so no secluded alleyways or through the park.

A woman was abducted at 8:45am where I live (and her body not found until years later when the murderer died) so I try not to assume that daylight is safer.

I work at night atm and don’t feel unsafe but I live in the suburbs rather than rurally so feel reassured by the presence of others.

Same, I’d feel very restricted not going out just because it’s dark, I feel very sorry for anyone who’s life is restricted to that level.

Happy to go out at any time, although I fall over when running more when it’s dark so I try to stick to daylight running

Would go out anytime really- I don't always feel completely comfortable, but I would never not go out because of that.
Big city- suburbs/ studenty area.

It totally depends where. We live in a pretty safe town, I’ll walk home alone from the pub at 11pm but I walk the long way round along well lit streets with houses. I’ve trained DDs to do the same. I’m also always hyper vigilant about people walking on the same side of the road- I will cross the road if there is someone walking behind me.

In a city centre I don’t think I’d feel comfortable alone at night, I would get a taxi or make sure I was with someone.

Anytime. I regularly walk alone at 10pm, midnight, 2am, 5am, when it's pitch black, even through the woods. If I didn't go out alone when it's dark I wouldn't get anything done at this time of year and I wouldn't be able to get to work & back.

Walking to work at 4am is my peaceful time. I'm usually the only person around, sometimes I'll put headphones in, sometimes I'll just enjoy the silence.

You’re generally more likely to be attacked by someone you know than a complete stranger, so overall I don’t think walking on my own is statistically more dangerous - instances where people are attacked by strangers get more press because it’s more unusual.

I live in the north of Scotland so if I avoided going out when it was dark I can’t imaging my work being pleased.
Tbh the time doesn’t occur to me like I would
make a judgment call based on several factors to decide what I felt comfortable with but locally in my wee town is walk about at my time day or night it’s other places I’d think bout it first.

Lived in city, country and small town. I risk assess depending on area but have always been willing to walk home at any hour of the day. It’s bloody freezing at the moment so I have little inclination to go out this evening but fear isn’t what stops me!

The 4pm cut off blows my mind slightly. I go out after that just to walk my 6 year old home from school on days he has clubs.

There's no time limit for me - much more about area than anything else.

I walked back from the pub at 1am on my own last week but felt nervous walking around a residential area in a different part of the city at 1pm today.

Do you mean you don’t walk anywhere after 4pm or would you feel ok alone but driving/getting a taxi etc?

No time limit. I live in a village which feels very safe. Quite an old demographic - most of my neighbours are elderly people with spaniels. My only worry about going out in the dark is tripping over!

24/7 really, but I'm in London so it's always busy with a varied range of people so it always feels safe.

I had to walk through a housing estate at about 5am a while back and that did feel a bit scary, but not so much that I didn't do it.

Good to see so many other "never, but" replies as it's mine too!

I'd be an idiot to feel SAFE anywhere at any time. I've been more consciously aware of my constant background risk assessments since getting older and sicker - I no longer walk with a confident stride, and I sure as hell couldn't tussle with a mugger as I've done in the past.

But it was always there, the risk assessing. And it has only twice stopped me walking somewhere alone, that I can remember. It would stop me more often now (but I can't walk far anyway!) I still pootle around in the middle of the night.

By and large, I refuse to be governed by fear of what some unknown person might perhaps do. Fear is how women are oppressed; we still have freedom to roam and we should assert it.