Would you walk across a field alone?

[Summerloverr]

I do quite a lot of walking around my town, and one route involves walking across a field for 5-10 minutes.

I only do this during daylight and while it's usually quiet with no one around, there is the occasional dog walker etc.

But my friend thinks I am putting my line on the line by doing this, and says I am putting myself in danger. He said it's not safe for a lone woman to walk alone across fields.

I know there are news stories about horrible and unfortunate events, but they make the news because it's rare. AIBU to walk across quiet fields alone?

You can't seriously believe such rot, can you?

Yes I do this all the time in a country park. I walk into the park, it's huge and Then I veer off to the fields so I can let my dogs off.

Occasionally I go at 6am and just walk through the park. If it's dark I take a torch. I wouldn't go in the fields when it's dark as the ground is too uneven.

There are a few other dog walkers some male, some female.

@Johnnysgirl - it's not rot, it's an uncomfortable truth. Women are at most risk of violence from the men they live with.

Yes I would do this (and did when I lived in the countryside) during the day, but not after dark (I wouldn't go out anywhere alone after dark though, to be fair).

Yes often
I live in a rural area and most of my walks are a mixture of country lanes, bridle paths and public footpaths across fields
DS is only other adult at home and he hates walking so if I didn’t go alone I would never be able to go for a walk

Yanbu.

I walk alone in the woods, through our local nature reserve and all sorts of places. I would hate it if I never got to spend time in nature alone. For me the benefits outweigh the risks.

It blows my mind that anyone would think this perfectly normal activity was particularly risky. It's so good for your mental health.

What are women supposed o do? Live in fear and never go anywhere without a chaperone?

But it's true. Unarguably so. Statistically women are at far greater risk from a partner than a stranger.

Unfortunately I am the same.

I would if the situation called for it (and have done) - but I'd feel vulnerable.

Unless I had a dog I wouldn't choose to do the same isolated area regularly for fear that a weirdo would eventually clock my movements.

Yes, I run long distance and generally train alone and am happy running across fields, paths, woods etc and feel perfectly safe. Generally in day light but sometimes as the sun is coming up with a head torch. My husband sometimes tells me to ‘be careful’ but can never really articulate what I should be being careful of.

Yes I always do. Just me and my dog, often, sometimes with my son, through the woods. Not in the dark anymore though as last time we got lost in the woods and it took an hour to get back home as we came out of the wrong exit into a completely different road to the one we thought we were

I know, I know, I know! The point is we always know what we would do in a particular situation but then it happens and we're like a helpless little kid.
I'd just moved to the UK and I couldn't remember it. I didn't know whether it was the same or not and whether I should call the police or just keep to myself because I couldn't really see anything out the window. So instead of helping I found myself debating whether to do sth or nothing at all or what to do.
It was ridiculous really. I felt like such an helpless idiot then and there. There's no need for you to rub it in!
It was a sunday and it wasn't even that late to be honest as I hadn't put on my PJs yet. I went home many times at 4 am when people were asleep and those streets were deserted... I wouldn't trust other people to come and rescue me. My safety starts with me.

It has never occurred to me not to walk across fields, day or night. Fields are there and sometimes they need to be crossed. The only things that would stop me are the lack of a public right of way or lurking cattle.

The only dodgy thing I've ever encountered in a field was a horse who decided to chase me and I had to dive over a wall. I think the notion that weirdos are just laid in wait in random fields hoping for someone to come along is ridiculous.

@FabulousKilljoys you'd probably find it's not quite so ridiculous if you have been attacked in an isolated place.
It annoys me when people don't stop to think that just because reports of these attacks are rare ( and notice I say reports) it's quite legitimate to be fearful given the potential outcomes.
It's also unpleasant to feel there's a lack of understanding and dismissive attitude towards women with ptsd resulting from having been attacked.
I know everyone thinks it won't happen to them, and if they do they'll run/ fight/ be OK. But it can, and does happen.

I thoroughly agree, @FindingMeno .

it’s all very well people baying that women have a right to walk anywhere etc etc. Of course they bloody do - it goes without saying. BUT weirdos and ne’er-do-wells simply haven’t received the memo. And if you have the misfortune to encounter one all the rights in the world can’t overcome a strong, deranged male.

So the solution is that women don't go out?

I regularly walk down the field to the rear of our cul de sac down to the park, sometimes there are cows in the field. I only hesitate if the cows are there and there is a dog walker with a dog off the lead as that could lead to trouble. Never considered there being any danger from other people.

Is there a list of activities that are safe for women to participate in?

Women not go out? Yeah, extrapolate that from what I wrote. No, it just pays to be mindful and, as I said, to know that weirdos very much exist. Would you let your teenage dd, if you had one, walk in lonely fields and woods by herself?

who knows, as well, maybe attacks are rare because there are so few potential victims…. Child abduction was more frequent when children had more freedom. Perpetrators need opportunity.

Would you let your teenage dd, if you had one, walk in lonely fields and woods by herself?

Of course I would.

I can’t imagine anyone - weird or otherwise - being remotely interested in my movements.

I mean, your teenage son would probably be at greater risk.

Well, I would not.

walking with friends is of course fine. But alone in an isolated spot you are very vulnerable.

YANBU
Statistically your male friend is far more likely to rape and murder you than some random stranger you meet in a field! What does he think about that?! 🙄

I've walked thousands of miles on my own, many on rural footpaths, and the only time I've felt unsafe is when there's been livestock there. It's a bit different if it's on the edge of a dodgy area, but otherwise what does he think is going to happen.