to not want to walk 2 miles from nursery in the dark

[Fibilou]

Or am I being pathetic ? DH is at work and says he hasn't got time to drop the car back but I really don't want to make the 4 mile round trip in the dark, 2 miles of which will be with a 9 month old baby in a sling

If it was my dh he wouldn't like me walking 4 miles in the dark carrying a baby. If there isn't a bus get a taxi for a one-off.

To the OP - you are not being pathetic at all.

I told you, you should have left her at nursery!

You poor thing, what a horrid thing to ahppen.

"Are you at home? If so, why is your child at nursery until 6pm? I can't quite picture what your situation is."

I am on holiday today, I usually work until 6pm. You might want to read my update on p3

Why was she even at nursery all day if you were at home with the baby?
But sorry you had a shite experience

Mind you own business as to why she was at nursery

Just read whole thread. Awful experience Fib. I had someone flash me when I was with my DS. Felt sick. I hope you don't have to do that journey again!

So sorry to hear this happened to you, and how scary for you. Have you phoned the police?

Please don't let this put you or any of us off walking in the dark, if you do this just lets people like this win.

It is NOT dangerous to walk in the dark. Clearly you've had a scary moment tonight. These things happen to all of us and we shold all know how to deal with them. Actual 'danger' from total strangers is very rare - not that makes this sort of encounter any less scary. I just hate reading that grown women are too frightened to go outside in the dark. That isn't how I behave and that isn't how I'm raising my daughters to behave. Glad you're home and cosy now

Exactly NL, I walk in the dark all the time and have never had a bad experience. In fact I like walking in the dark, I find it quite relaxing.

i think as a previous poster said, i'd have just picked her up earlier. nursery wouldn't mind would they?

arses i think a lot of people, myself included, didn't read it as a plain old "i don't want to go out in the dark" but more of a "i don't feel i ought to have to, dh should leave work"- which IS unreasonable

and maybe we took it out of context, but that's the way with t'internet isn't it. hard to tell how someone is saying osmething

bigchris why does it matter why she was at nursery? OP could work from home, be ill, have other dcs to look after, it might be for socialisation.

northern, usually I agree with you. However when you are alone with a baby and someone following you it's a lot more scary than normal

I know what you're saying thisisyesterday.

NL, I've had about 10-12 incidents like the one Fibilou described since I started my current position in 2002. I recently had one in daylight in a local park that was a bit isolated, too. No, nothing ever "came of it" but it is absolutely petrifying and the only reason it hasn't stopped me from walking in dark, lonely streets at night/through isolated places is because I have no choice.

I don't really give two stuffs about the feminist implications of it. It is really, really unpleasant when someone thinks it's funny to scare the bejaysus out of you and it makes me despair of humanity sometimes. I'd rather avoid all that, really.

TIY, I certainly didn't mean it to come over that I thought DH should have left work - there was no way he could have done as he was about to go into interview with a rape prisoner

And it being the first day after the clocks go back I hadn't realised just how early it would be dark - although the 8 hours being alone to get on with the housework fallout from 4 days away has been so nice that I wouldn't have gone any earlier anyway

Lol I guess you're right and I apologise if I sounded insensitive
was just thinking of you inside not wanting to go out and your dd out having to come home in the dark and cold albeit in the car... Sorry again

I was a bit brusque - she loves nursery, we have to pay for sessions even if we miss them and after 4 days away I had a ton of housework to do. Add to that that the 4 days away were a conference for 1000 for which I was on the organising committee as well as having the baby all weekend meant I really needed a baby-free day today !

err, why precisely the [hmmm] 2shoes, I suppose you think I am making it up, do you ? Mumsnet really is full of some delightful people

Belgo, if I'd had my mobile I would have rung at the time but 40 minutes afterwards with no description there is no point at all. I work for the police and know exactly what the result would be - a big waste of police time

Bloody hell Fibilou that sounds really horrible! I hope you are alright, I know that would have shaken me up, especially if I had had DS with me - hard to feel confident about getting into a fistfight with a baby strapped to you!

Could you consider a bike with a trailer and a seat too? Or a trailer big enough for toddler and baby (in a car seat?)

I always find cycling in the dark much less scary than walking as if there are horrible psychos I have a better chance of escape. Plus of course they are all too busy sniggering at my five bike lights & fluro vest to tell me off about my vagina.

Hopefully DH will be guilted into leaving you the car every day now and he can bike / bus / walk to work :)

He is very good at walking/cycling to work and was going to drop the car back to me this afternoon - I hadn't thought about the fact it was going to be dark and told him not to worry. Then when it got dark and I rang him to ask if he had time he couldn't drop it back. So no need for him to feel bad

Where I live in russia it is pretty much night all day long. And I sling my two year old. Hasn't occurred to me not to

Fib the way I read 2shoes was comment on the somewhat illogical post immediately preceding.

Glad you're both safe.

I should add that I have read the thread and sorry you were shaken up.

I suffered an awful attack (rape by stranger) when I studied in Russia and I am wary of being on my own on the streets at night. But that's night, not twilight. And the light really has nothing to do with it.