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?

I have walked across open fields during daylight and also walked through wooded areas. Sometimes alone, other times with my dogs.

Your friend telling you that it isn't safe for a woman to walk alone across fields does have a point. But where is it ever 100% safe for a woman to walk alone?

Every time women go out there is a risk of unwanted attention or actions, which are very scary and threatening. It's such a shame life is like this.

Who wants to live their life having to do continual risk assessments every time they leave the house...

Oh to wander wherever we like, without a care of being attacked or having unwanted attention directed at us.

I don't do the field or wood walks anymore but can remember the immense sense of relief I had that nobody had approached me, in a bad way, each time I got through the fields or woods without incident.

With walking in fields, it's true, you can see a long way ahead. But what would you do if you saw a lone male, in the distance, walking towards you with nobody else around? Would you continue walking, or walk/run back? Also, when walking in a field, all may be ok ahead, but you may need to be aware of anyone approaching you from behind.

How I wish things were different.

Yes I do. With my dog

No, I wouldn't. But I have been followed before (in a dark car park) - I had to run away, and when the Police found the guy, he had a knife. I've had a man try to get into my car (thankfully it was locked), and I've been assaulted before, when I was on holiday.

A few months ago, me and DH decided to do a new walk with the dogs. It was very remote, and then we found ourselves walking adjacent to a thick forest. Along the way we passed two lone men (not together), who didn't seem to have any reason for being there - they weren't walking - just standing very still in the middle of the trees - very strange, and I was SO pleased that I had my very large DH with me. Had I been alone, I would have absolutely crapped myself. I do believe that men (sometimes), lay in wait for a lone female to come along.

As for people saying that they walk alone, through fields in the dark - why would you do this? Would you be happy for your 16 year old daughter to do that, after a night out?

Sure, we should be able to, but that doesn't mean that we should take avoidable risks. You can argue all you like "tell men not to rape", but sadly, rapists really don't care what you want or think - they want to rape, and they will unless they are caught.

I hope you're wrong 😨. Hedges and ditches (jump over to safety) are my escape routes.

Wow some of you are afraid of your own shadow!

of course go through it. I walk on mountains alone, quarries and. On common land. If I didn’t id rarely go out.

Yes. I grew up walking across fields and in large open spaces, often alone. However, even though I am pretty fearlessI wouldn’t do it in the evening or at night. There are some utter nutcases out there - that poor PCSO whose killer was sentenced just this past week as only one instance.

Oh god yes they can jump!

see from 5 min onwards

Yes. I walk across fields, in woods, on fells, along rivers. I walk with my dog anywhere. Head up, with purpose, and off I go.

Cows can definitely jump 😂 And just because some PPs know some fairly docile herds doesn't mean other posters aren't right to be cautious. Lots of cattle are lovely - I've handled loads who were sweet tempered over the years - but it's always wise to be wary of loose cattle, especially when they have calves at foot or if you have a dog with you.

As for what I'd do if I saw a man in the distance while I was walking across a field, I'd just carry on and say "good morning" as I passed. I certainly wouldn't run away. In the statistically unlikely event he did turn out to be a murderer, I guess I'd have to accept I'm headed for Valhalla... Almost everything we do in life incurs some risk of death, after all.

TortugaRumcakequeen - your post is really off. Why would a woman walk through a wood in the dark? Well I like to. I do miles at night. I go through fields, woods and along roads. Generally it’s the paths along roads that make me wary.

You don’t really have a problem with taking avoidable risks - I could chose not to get in cars, live in cities with poor air quality, never eat saturated fats all things that carry risk. You just mean why would a woman take a risk you don’t approve of and implicit within that is some victim blaming for if she did experience harm. Hurt in a city centre - poor you, but in a wood, more of a - what did you expect.

Yes, I do this every day with my dog. Obviously wouldnt do it in the dark though

Yes. I walk the dog in fields and woods every day. I feel more vulnerable in the woods so only go at busy times of day when there are other dog walkers. But an open field would be fine.

What?! I go hiking alone in the mountains where I live on a regular basis, for hours at a time, in total solitude.
Statistically speaking, the person most likely to harm you is the man that you live with.
Live your lives ladies!

Perhaps you would like to link to some. I often read these threads and there’s never one opinion that women shouldn’t walk across fields alone. There are always a decent number of posters saying they regularly do just that.

As for people saying that they walk alone, through fields in the dark - why would you do this? Would you be happy for your 16 year old daughter to do that, after a night out?

Sure, we should be able to, but that doesn't mean that we should take avoidable risks. You can argue all you like "tell men not to rape", but sadly, rapists really don't care what you want or think - they want to rape, and they will unless they are caught.

Walking home after a night out doesn’t usually involve crossing fields. I’ve never been drinking or wearing heels on my rural walks.

What do you think the size of the risk is that you are going to be raped on your way home through a field actually is? For me, the benefit of being out walking to my mental health easily offsets the tiny, tiny, tiny risk that I will be harmed.

Why obviously?

What do you do in winter?

Your friend is being ridiculous. Does he have a list of other things that are not safe for women to do e.g. work, go to pubs, have a bank account?

As for people saying that they walk alone, through fields in the dark - why would you do this?

Why wouldn't you do it? I've been out in fields in the dark all my adult life (more than 20 years) and I have not once - NOT ONCE - encountered anything untoward. I'm also regularly around farms and yards alone in the dark and again, not once has there been a problem. Actually, that's not quite true, I was once locking up and turned round to find a man behind me. He'd come to tell me there that something was on fire, so I let him off for making me jump.

On the flip side, I've been followed in car parks or walking down the road, been stuck on a train with someone threatening other passengers and goodness knows what else. All in supposedly 'safe' urban areas. I'll stay out in the fields, thanks.

At the woods and fields near me the real danger is swans.

Ferocious and aggressive buggers. .

Walk it in daylight. There’s no pleasure for anyone walking a dog in the dark.

Walking home after a night out doesn’t usually involve crossing fields. I’ve never been drinking or wearing heels on my rural walks.

My sister once went out in town out pubbing and clubbing got drunk, missed a lift, so walked home across the fields. Arriving home, couldn't find her keys, but didn't want to wake Mum & Dad, so went to the garden shed, git a ladder, climbed in through the bathroom window, went downstairs, then put the ladder back, and went to bed. Parents were unimpressed the next morning...

Depends on the field. Near me I use the boring one often but I avoid the ones used by druggies / commuters

Commuters?!

This is actually the most surreal thread I've ever read!

Yeah I’m thinking of two fields there: one near the station that some commuters cut through after work - there’s been a problem with muggers waiting there to rob the commuters, obvs I don’t want to meet the muggers - and another one that’s inbetween the town and a quarry, people who commute to the quarry on foot cut through that field and some of them were eyeing me up and looked rather scary, I won’t return there.