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 do. In familiar or busy parts of the city, usually down residential streets. Never where I don't know where I'm going, nor across parks etc. and I will often make a subtle U-turn or take the longer route around for safety reasons.

I'd still give my adult daughter or niece etc. money for a taxi, or a lift, or if not possible, make sure she knew the safest route and the safety tips.

I've had self-defence training which also comprised a lot about making oneself aware and relatively less 'attractive' as a potential victim (I don't mean physically attractive btw). This can never remove risk, only reduce it a bit. I never wear ear buds, or chat on the phone (except at times where having or pretending to make a call seems safer) and always have my wits about me and shoes I can run in (when I'm wearing "going out" clothes, I take a taxi). I always tell someone where I am walking and when I am expected, when it's very late or I am otherwise concerned such as when the bus terminates early or someone is on my radar in a way that I don't like the feel of, or what have you. And I can get to my phone in my pocket or bra, to dial 999, no faffing about in a bag. I carry money and a spare card in my bra too. Really.

It's cheeky to take the money and not take the safer option it was provided for, I wouldn't stand for that. I'd still say take the money so you've got it if you need it, though, after explaining the sheer cheek of her.

In the middle of the night (after midnight), when there's no one around - no (unless it's an unavoidable short walk, like from the bus stop home)

After dark (ie 4pm in Scotland) - of course I walk, otherwise I'd be stuck inside for months

Hell no! After dark is when the animals hunt. I'm not going to take the chance of stumbling into a bear, cougar, pack of wolves or even a raccoon.

Nothing more alarming than seeing a pair of yellow-green eyes illuminated in the beam from your torch.

Anyone walking round with a hammer who isn't a stone cold killer is greatly increasing the chances of themselves getting beaten to death with a hammer.

Unfortunately making women so paranoid and anxious that they’re afraid to walk at night regardless of the area they’re in isn’t actually going to make them any safer as most attacks in women are from men they know.
so I for one am going to keep walking, obvs taking into account the circumstances, and I will be encouraging my kids to do the same when they’re adults. I’m not going to put the fear of god into them because they want to do something absolutely normal.

There was one poster with a hammer in a pram - I pointed it out alongside a whole bunch of more everyday strategies. You seem to be clinging to thins and ignoring much of what else I have to say, are you sure you are listening when you are talking to other women about this topic or do you just bulldoze through clinging to a snippet?

I wouldn't ever in a town I don't know.
I don't if I can avoid it in the town I live in.

It's not about being paranoid and anxious, its about having sense. I walk everywhere, night and day. But I do it sensibly.

It's about assessing risk properly and looking after yourself, while continuing to life your life.

I have been wary going home late at night, but you sort of get used to it as a woman. I was just reflecting that the people I know who have been attacked have all been young men. 2 beaten up, one ended up in hospital. One mugged, 2 sexually assaulted. I don't know if women take more precautions or if men are actually more likely to be attacked. I tend to think a young man is more likely to be attacked walking home alone at night, but if it happens to a woman the outcome can be much worse.

I walked home in the dark just yesterday from town.

I have always felt safe.

Yes, but I certainty wouldn't walk through deserted short cuts with overgrown greenery

Now that's a different risk assessment. Round here, I might meet a gang of rebellious badgers 😂

I am not being offensive by replying to "but it happens" with another example of something what happens🤷🏻

If you look at numbers you can see that it is not just individual basis. The risk of being raped, snatched, murdered by a stranger while walking alone after dark is so small, yet some people here act like they have 75% chance of it happening at any given moment. That's unhealthy and anxiety feeding.

We can be realistic about risk and cautiousness. It's nkt offensive to be realistic (it is offensive to call someone idiot because they say it's ludicrous to claim eomen carry weapons in prams like it's a normal thing to do)

This. I live along. I have a job and a social life and I don't want to be stuck in my house. London so no car. Not about to spend all my money on cabs which add to congestion and put you alone with one man anyway.

I'm proper peed off that I do t feel safe in broad daylight walking in deserted country areas even with a dog

Yes, I walk alone at night without a second thought. Statistically you are far, far far more likely to experience male violence from a partner or an ex (if you date men!) than from a stranger.

Tbh even I would probably stay in in that case😂

Another one here who prefers to walk than be in a taxi on my own, don't go out after dark so much these days but would still walk home from the station on my own at 11pm if I did.

Agree.

As far as I can tell, you can keep whatever you like by your door inside your house. When and if it is reasonable to actually use it (e.g. when being attacked or at imminent and real threat thereof), whether it was by your door or elsewhere in your home, is the relevant question. Having it by the door ready might not be helpful in a case where it was being deemed as inappropriate or excessive force. Up to you. (Am prepared to be corrected, if given a reliable source to refer to.)

Carrying a weapon whose primary purpose is as a weapon, when in public, is a different matter.

Security guards carry large and heavy torches for a reason... (double as truncheons).

Nope I don't nor do any women I know. I got grabbed in broad daylight. I hate having to walk places by myself because of that horrible bastard.

Unfortunately I have been the victim of two street attacks at night by men. One was caught and went to prison and one was never caught.

My mum was also attacked and robbed. Left unconscious (completely different place and time from my attacks btw) it was actually day time for her.

So no. In my world it’s neither over cautious or paranoid to avoid walking alone in isolated places, especially at night. It’s just sensible precautions.

’”The risk of being raped, snatched, murdered by a stranger while walking alone after dark is so small”

There is so much more that men do to women that doesn’t go as far as rape / murder or kidnap though. I think the majority of women, especially young women living in cities have experienced countless times when men have behaved aggressively, sexually inappropriately or harassingly and this forms the basis of their fear.

People always quote the ‘tiny statistics’ on these threads but the vast majority of these instances go unreported. Women aren’t hysterical or paranoid, they are aware of the risks based on lived experiences that vary from woman to woman.

I live in London. I walk home late from the tube (10 minute walk) and I'm always hyper vigilant. Sad we don't feel safe.

I tend to get Ubers when possible.

It's not that small though.

You truly DON'T understand any of this. It's always about individual risk assesment, overall numbers don't help much with that.
Overall, as a woman, Ij am ten times more likely to be killed by my own partner than a stranger. But for me personally, I have approaching zero risk of being killed by my partner. So for personally, stranger risk is by far the bigger danger. That doesn't mean that it is a big danger, but again that depends on lots of factors, such as where I live.

It is offensive to suggest, on a thread where many women have actually mentioned being attacked in the street or raped in taxis, that they are abnormally anxious and imply they are silly to worry about such things. It's deeply offensive and you should be ashamed of yourself.