Is it really that odd to go for a walk on your own!?

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Without a dog?

I think it happens in real hiking country but in the local country park?

DH and I have been making a point of going for a walk every weekend. It's been lovely, a chance to properly relax (rather than veg) and catch up. But he's away this weekend and it's a beautiful day so I decided I'd go on my own. Which was different to together but still lovely.

I did feel a bit conspicuous on my own without dogs or children though and this was confirmed when one man stopped to ask where my dog was. I think he assumed I must have lost it and was offering help.

Anyway we had a short conversation about how odd it is to be out in the woods on your own and how he, as a man, would feel everyone would be very wary.

Would you go for a walk on your own?

I do it, all the time but like you sometimes feel a little self conscious.

We don't have a dog and go for lots of walks. Dh often goes alone and no one seems to notice.
I sometines wonder if many of the people out walking only got a dog so they would have a reason to go out for a walk on their own.

How is this even a serious question??

Not at all odd imho

Are you in America? I had a friend who worked in America for a while, in one of the Southern states. He decided to walk to work on a sunny day and said several people in cars stopped to ask him if he was ok.
When he was explaining to one guy that he just fancied a walk, the guy's wife said, 'oh leave him honey, he's English'.

What a weird idea. I walk a lot, and probably over half of my miles are alone, both urban and rural.

What I do find odd is the idea of walking along attached to an animal by a bit of rope. I've never seen the appeal in that.

I walked on my own loads when I was pregnant and couldn’t go running any more! Used to just stick my headphones in and go for a good long walk in the afternoons.

In one of Bill Bryson's books her talks about going for walks as something that Americans don't really do whereas for Brits it's a national past time.

when I was pregnant and newly out of work, I used to go for a long walk every day. It was wonderful. Kept me sane Id say in a time of madness and discovered loads of places near to me that I would never have found otherwise

I used to, now the DC come with me. I look forward to the day I can go for walks alone again. They're good for my soul.

I wouldn't walk with headphones on, though. I like to be aware of cyclists, children, runners etc coming up behind. Or be able to hear traffic if I'm on a street.

He was weird. You are not odd.

Eh? I used to do it all the time (pre DC), and it never occurred to me there was anything odd about it. Actually I prefer it, but don't currently get the chance.

I do it all the time. In isolated places too. I reckon people who are minded to attack someone are not going to be trekking all the way to said isolated places to do it. I'd far rather walk through ten woods at night time than one dark alleyway in a dodgy area.

Friend of mine likes to walk but feels self-conscious about doing it on her own without a dog, so she carries a dog lead - now I know she is causing havoc by signalling that it's OK for other dogs to be off the leash!!
She says it makes her feel ever so slightly safer as she can pretend she has a massive dog which will come and bite any wannabe attackers

It really isn’t at all weird.

I’m the weird one though and if I see a totally lone walker when out with my dog, I do give them a wide berth! Irrational of me, but I always do it.

Anyway we had a short conversation about how odd it is to be out in the woods on your own and how he, as a man, would feel everyone would be very wary.

That conversation is odd but walking alone is perfectly normal.

It’s even perfectly normal in the Southern USA thesmall. Where I live in Texas no one would bat an eyelid at you walking in the woods or along the cycle paths alone. More urban, car centred towns might be different of course.

It can be very, very hot here of course so if he was walking, in Summer, during the hottest party of the day people might be concerned he needed help as it can be dangerous.

Where I live in the U.K. you see people walking alone all the time. Perfectly unremarkable.

Not odd at all OP, I think you were just unlucky.

I live between a beach and a National Park, ten minutes walk in either direction, so I regularly walk alone. Never had anyone look twice at me and loads of other people doing it.

You carry on!!

No its fine, but its far more fun with a doggy:)

Can't you borrow one or make friends with an old person who would appriciate someone to take their bow wow for a decent walkies?

Also you can talk to a dog tell it what you like very theraputic that is too;)

Justaboy that is a truly bonkers suggestion!

I liek walking on my own. I don't really like dogs. Why on earth should people who walk alone look for random dogs to take with them?

Are tou the man in the op

Not odd but I miss having a dog with me (my dogs too old now), it kind of feels weird walking on my own but I see loads of people doing it.

Not remotely odd. I’ve done it my whole adult life.

I can’t just go for a walk. I can walk to places or for a reason but feel weird just walking.

sounds like he was trying to scare you.

How?

My father was once stopped by the police for acting suspiciously when all he was doing was going for a walk. This was in the US.

The police decided he hadn't done anything wrong, and I imagine they just put it down to English eccentricity.