Do women walk alone at night

[aDayattheLido]

Do you?
Do women you know?

DNiece is at university. She came to visit me the other weekend. Her train back to uni was going to arrive after dark. I gave her some money for a taxi from the station to her halls. She said "oh I'll just walk" (but still took the £20 🙂). She says she walks back from the library and her part time job.

Is this normal or do women walk in pairs/packs or get a taxi?

(btw This was discussed on another thread but before anyone cries "TAAT" I'm just interested in chatting about it further)

I don't think it's something you can always avoid

Personally I don't mind walking alone at night, but I know some of my friends wouldn't like it.

I regularly walk alone at night in London. I’m in my 40s now, and always have.

I avoid quieter or unlit streets, parks etc.
I do sometimes feel nervous if it’s quieter or a man is walking behind me.

I might be in the minority, but I don’t always feel safe in taxis! I prefer public transport or walking.

Well yes

I do.
I don't want to loose my freedom because of something that might happen.

But then I've been walking alone after dark from like age 14 so it just doesn't seem like a big deal to me

I would avoid it at all costs and I wouldn't be happy for my dd to do so.

I have done it and still occasionally do but don’t feel particularly safe doing so. I often take the dog for a quick 20 min trot at 9 or 10ish and feel a little bit safer with him, though I don’t actually think he’d be much use if I was attacked 😂

I always tell DD (aged 17) not to walk alone at night. I will always offer to pick her up or sort her out a taxi.

I try to avoid it if possible, but a taxi/lift isn’t always feasible and walking with friends even less feasible - none of my friends live nearby. I’m not generally worried about it but I take sensible precautions, like having my keys ready, not listening to music and letting someone know when I’m home safely.

I do. But I'm a keen amateur stargazer with a DH who likes his sleep.

In an urban area I don't give it a second thought.
Much more unlikely to walk alone in a rural or isolated area.

I don’t think taxis are necessarily safer.

Always have since my teens. I did a few self defense classes and when I used to walk home from work at night a lot I also had a keyring defense thing I'd hold (asked the local bobby about it and was told it was a grey area re. weapon or keyring depending on intended use...).

I have always walked where I need to go at any time of night, if it is a walkable route. Always have. So do all the women I know.

If I hadn’t walked from station to home after dark and late at night I would have had no job and no social life.

I have done in the past, and still would. I don’t particularly like it, especially if it’s very quiet. However, as others have said sometimes it is unavailable and really it shouldn’t be a problem.

I spent a lot of my teen years and early 20s absolutely petrified of walking alone a night. I didn’t have a particular reason why, other than the fear of ‘what if’.

I walk my dog alone at night (he's a little pansy and nobody would expect him to protect me ). I feel much safer doing it in our new area than I did in our old area.

I used to play loads of sports after school so would walk 2 miles homes most days around 6pm in the winter and it never phased me (only just over a decade ago) but I'm definitely getting warier as I get older.

I do (well technically I use an electric wheelchair)

I've been raped by a taxi driver - so that colours my experience of it being safer not to walk.

Well yes, I get home from work late and it’s dark. It’s dark when earlier in winter, obviously. I will not be scared to walk around my own bloody neighbourhood.

I do. Not going to love my life in fear. And I've had equally dodgy experiences in taxis.

I do. In my experience I've been safer walking alone than with someone (let's face it, a man) else.

I live in a major city centre, I walk. I stick to main lit roads, don't wear headphones, Aboud walking past rowdy groups
Just basic common sense stuff

Good point. It's dark by about 4.30pm in winter. No way am I going to give up walking around, IE my independence, just because it's dark.

I was walking back from a local friend’s in the evening recently and a man was behind me for a while. Felt really uneasy because I obviously didn’t want to keep turning round to look at him so ended up crossing the road. I felt irrationally annoyed because I thought he should have realised that walking behind a lone woman at night can make her feel unsafe, and he should have crossed over and walked on the other side! But then I have to remind myself that for a lot of men, this won’t be on their radar, so maybe need the women in their life to tell them! (I have told my husband and son to avoid walking behind lone women at night. Basically make it obvious you’re not a threat!)

I walk alone at night. I don’t see the big deal.

I walk alone at night frequently.