Feelings about people of different sexes

[Cheees]

In a recent discussion with an aquaintance, the topic of nervousness around men came up. Not severe, life-limiting nervousness that stops you from doing stuff, but in situations where you find yourself alone with a stranger, for example in a lift, you find yourself alone in a tube carriage or if you hear someone coming up behind you when walking at night.

If you are a woman, does the sex of the stranger make a difference to how you feel?

So AIBU: the sex of the person has no effect on how unsafe I feel
Or AINBU: yes I feel more unsafe (even if only marginally) if the stranger is male

I don't fear strange men.. From my experience and statistically overall they are lower risk than man I know may be.
Just their presence is not threatening to me personally, unless they say something dodgy.
I do wonder if growing up outside of UK made the difference? Not sure

That said, I think it did make difference because while the men there weren't perfect by far, men in UK behave way worse and very much see women as lesser. Like drink spiking. What the actual fuck. Shouting oerverty things at 12 year old school girls, publicly.

I often feel much more intimidated by other women than I do men.

I know I mentioned scenarios above but actually lifts and toilets don't bother me. It's only out and about with no "witnesses" as such.

The three times I have been followed by a lone man were twice when living in France, and once in Rome!