Would you accept a lift from a nice man in the middle of nowhere?

[Angelic999]

Out on a remote countryside walk alone as a woman, it starts raining. A man stops in his car to offer a lift. Would you say yes?

This happened to me recently. I said no thank you. He then proceeded to question me about where I was going. He seemed nice enough but I wasn't willing to take the risk to get in a car with a complete stranger (Ian Brady anyone?!)

Part of my female conditioning has been to then feel guilty that I have offended him! But then surely he should have more awareness. Although maybe it's just friendly country folk being genuine!

Hiking is my hobby and passion and I prefer to do it alone.

No fucking chance ever

Never. I once got asked to get in a car as a teenager and I still feel the heebie geebies about what might have happened if I had. 😳

It would have been rude of him not to stop and offer you a lift given the conditions. Wouldn't it?

No.

Maybe, but only if I was injured or something. Otherwise i’d keep walking. I am a bit naive but there’s more nice people in the world than Ian Brady’s.

It was raining but not torrential. It wasn't particularly cold or windy and I was well kitted up for the conditions- waterproof jacket etc. But maybe that was his thinking in an old fashioned Gentleman sort of way. He was relatively young though- early thirties I'd say. If he was older I'd have put it down to a generational thing.

I used to do this daily, albeit with a dog. I live rurally and walked the dog in often very quiet places. Most others I encountered were also walking dogs or looked like serious walkers. Once I turned tail and hid when I got a bad feeling about someone.

Not getting into a car with a strange man is certainly sensible, but I thinks it’s ridiculous to suggest that women should relinquish any idea of going out alone to avoid ill-intentioned men.

I agree, but I didn't want to take a gamble on him being one of the 0.001% when I could just walk.

Definitely not! You did the right thing. It’s very sad that is the case but you just never know. We should be safe!

Definitely not! I would avoid saying where I was going too.

That Is not what I said , I didn’t say women should not go out alone , I said they should not go walking in remote areas alone .
Drive to a park or wherever that there will be people about to go walking.
Hike with a friend or if that’s not possible join a group that go hiking 🤷🏻‍♀️

No, I won't, thanks. And I won't give up solo travel either.

Why should I or any other women be limited in where we go? And why rural areas? There's far more crimes including sex attacks and murders committed in nightclubs, in cities and towns never mind their own home if a male is present.

I understand the concerns.

From my view, rural Scotland, it would depend on your location and time of day.

We, as a family, DH, FIL, BIL, and myself, are on call for rescue and are called out at least three times a week for exactly this.

so if, as a local, DH knew the forecast, saw your location, he would do exactly this. to save him being called out later. Or me.

If you were fairly close to civilisation, fair enough.

I would also add we are often asked to check, depending on the forecast. Do you know where the nearest place is. Do you have a map. Are you ok? Do you have water.

Men don’t get it at all.

there was a court case in America last year and a witness claimed to see a muddy and bloody man walking down a lonely country road near the crime scene. The witness was a young woman - she testified she thought he was injured. The defence lawyer had their aha! moment - they tried to discredit her saying she couldn’t have possibly have seen him there because surely if she saw someone and thought he was injured she would have stopped and offered to help. She was like um no because I’m a young woman alone on a country road ? An injured man could still be dangerous. In what universe would a young woman stop on a lonely road to offer assistance to a middle aged man.

He didn't ask any of that. He didn't even ask are you okay. As it was obvious I was- I wasn't limping or in distress or looking fatigued. He pulled up alongside me and when I looked at him asked if he could give me a ride anywhere.

As I say it was raining but more of a shower- the rain stopped after about 10 minutes!

Agree. Why should we have to potter around a park. I want to walk somewhere that's more challenging and more beautiful. I don't have many friends who are capable of walking any distance at any speed and who find walks fun.

Fair enough.

interesting as I have said for a while we should have cards, ID, something like that.

where we are is a sort of

rural shop phones us to say
a wee walker has head away up x on her own.

It can be scary, my DH would probably be like that. do you want a lift or not, very inpatient farmer.

It's a load of rubbish. I'd stop and offer someone a lift because I'm from a rural area and you just do.
What is your excuse for being sexist?

Yeah he most likely was being genuine and just wanted to offer a warm car ride back to civilisation. I wasn't taking that chance though and also didn't want or need a lift. Had it been horrific conditions and getting dark maybe I would have jumped in.

What is a load of rubbish exactly? Please do elaborate.

I am not OP but I am sexist because 98% of sexual crimes are committed by men.
When that changes I may think again.
So, never.

No.

I still think of the time a man stopped to offer me a lift (in the rain), when I was a teenager coming back from school I just had a short 5 min walk from the train to my home. Rural but was lucky to live by a train stop. I politely declined, he asked if I was sure, but didn't push it, then went. I often think back to that to wonder if he was being genuinely kind (as is quite normal where I come from), or if I'd have ended up dead!)