Walking alone in forests?

[Vemjs]

I was just wondering if most women are happy to walk through a Forest / big fields / nature reserves on their own for a dog walk? Or do you view this as dangerous?

Sorry it's probably not under right topic!

[MrsMaizel]

This thread was the first thing that came to mind with the death of the PCSO in Kent the other day . How sad .

[maggiethecat]

I just saw this in the news and thought of this thread
www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-kent-56925294

[Xenia]

My sons have basically spent 12 months in the woods opposite our house and know them like the back of their hand, day and night. It is quite interesting. They also almost grew up in those woods from birth. In lockdown (we are in outer London) there have been more people than usual in them (and much more litter- I would like those dropping litter to be hung drawn and quartered but that is another topic).

They have seen a few weird people. One man followed them into the woods one night but we think that was because 2 young men (my sons) having a walk at midnight looked suspicious and he was probably a local resident playing policeman.

My daughter did years ago have the bottom of her trousers in those woods by a dog from one of those awful dog walkers with 7 dogs doing a job and unable to control them - it bit so hard it bit holes in her knickers. As it was on her bottom I am afraid we all had a good laugh but even so the owners should be paying for new clothes when that happens or take their dogs elsewhere or even better not have dogs. I hate dogs.

I think they are fairly safe woods. It just depends where you go. I usually feel safer in woods than city streets.

[poppycat10]

I go running on my own in more lonely places than I used to (although to be fair in lockdown, everywhere has been a bit busier - the canal towpath used to be very lonely but now it isn't). I am always quite alert though, and am not entirely happy about it. There are definitely places I'd rather go with someone else. I also agree with Xenia that sometimes woodland feels safer than city streets. I went out for a walk one evening just after the pubs opened at 6pm in my local area and there were groups of young men out, obviously going from pub to pub. I gave them a wide berth and changed my route.

I am not even sure having a dog with you protects you - see Megan and Lin Russell - and then at the moment people are stealing dogs, so they might knock you over to steal the dog!

But I am more scared of off-lead dogs than possible attack by a man.

[maggiethecat]

@Xenia
"It just depends where you go"

The PCSO was walking on bridlepath near her home and I would expect felt very safe doing so.

[Roonerspismed]

That case is so so sad. I would imagine a Jack Russel would try to protect its owner.

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

@MereDintofPandiculation apparently they eat human brains 😬
Well that's what James Herbert says anyway 😂

[drinkingwineoutofamug]

Oh just bought a book on ghosts and it mentions Epping forest no Brain eating rats though.
It mentions dick Turpin haunts the forest leading walkers off the paths till they are lost, horses and carriages which aren't there, Boudica hid in Epping forest and that there's a pond there drawing people to their deaths.
Sod that!

Yes extremely sad about the lady killed near her home on a walk.
My condolences to the family

[Xenia]

Maggie - most women are more likely to be hurt by someone with whom they live however but that does not mean we throw out our family members. I think going into UK woods is safe as most surveys and statistics will show.

[maggiethecat]

@xenia
I don't dispute that statistically woods are safe in this country but "It just depends where you go" seems to suggest that some woods are safer than others.

I wonder how unsafe PCSO Julia James' woods are considered?

[ferryblue]

Just read about what has happened in Kent. Poor poor woman

Women can’t even go for a dog walk in broad daylight, jesus wept.

[SchrodingersImmigrant]

I think as well as acknowledging there is an issue, we also must acknowledge that there are millions of trips to larks, forests etc daily by women when nothing happens at all.

It's good to be aware of surroundings, bit I also believe it's not good for anyone's mind to be really scared and not go somewhere where thousands of others go normally every day iyswim

[Gothichouse40]

It's ridiculous you cannot walk home, walk your dog. It's really very worrying. There seem to be so many weirdos now and strangely enough I did wonder if the end of Lockdown would bring incidents of some sort. I walk with my head on a swivel now, no matter where I am. If a community police officer isn't safe, who is? Im assuming the lady would have underwent some sort of self-defence training? I feel so sorry this happened.

[Xenia]

A dog walker's dog has found a new born baby in woods - the hospital are naming the baby George and he is fit and well. Some nice news from woods I suppose. I have never felt unsafe in woods but if we can scare loads of people off going into them then may be I will get them even more often entirely to myself (and the lurking killers up every tree)

[NerrSnerr]

To be fair I don't think anyone has been arrested in connection with the death of the lady in Kent so we can't be sure she wasn't known to the attacker.

[Confusedmeanderings]

Think I've told this story before. On a residential trip with a group of Y6s, I went out into the forest on my own to lay a trail for them to follow. The idea was I had a 40 minute head start, they had to follow the trail and catch me. As I was walking along, I was passed by a cyclist who said good evening .... And then I was passed by him again 5 minutes later. This happened 3 or 4 times and I was beginning to get a bit worried, worrying whether he was weird. Then I heard the children in the distance, so I leapt into a bush to hide ... just as the cyclist went by again. I had a bit of a grin to myself, thinking that he probably thought that it was me that was weird. Then I realised that the children were heading off in the wrong direction, so I leapt out of the bush and ran down the track shouting 'Yoo hoo! Its Mrs Meanderings, come and chase me!' And just at that moment the cyclist went by again, so then I knew the cyclist thought I was weird.

[Weeedonkey]

@Confusedmeanderings

Think I've told this story before. On a residential trip with a group of Y6s, I went out into the forest on my own to lay a trail for them to follow. The idea was I had a 40 minute head start, they had to follow the trail and catch me. As I was walking along, I was passed by a cyclist who said good evening .... And then I was passed by him again 5 minutes later. This happened 3 or 4 times and I was beginning to get a bit worried, worrying whether he was weird. Then I heard the children in the distance, so I leapt into a bush to hide ... just as the cyclist went by again. I had a bit of a grin to myself, thinking that he probably thought that it was me that was weird. Then I realised that the children were heading off in the wrong direction, so I leapt out of the bush and ran down the track shouting 'Yoo hoo! Its Mrs Meanderings, come and chase me!' And just at that moment the cyclist went by again, so then I knew the cyclist thought I was weird.

That’s still weird, a cyclist shouldn’t accidentally pass you so many times. Unless he’s just riding up and down the same shirt route but who does that?

[CrispyDorothy]

Possibly with a biggish dog, absolutely no way on my own. And I live in a relatively 'safe' rural area.