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 walk back in the dark in our local area but would probably avoid it in a busy city.

Like others, I walked after dark alone all through my teens, uni years and then as an adult in London.

I'd take all the sensible precuations already mentoned (avoid isolated areas, wear sensible shoes, keep awareness of surrounds etc) but I never had any trouble.

I don't now but that's more because my lifestyle no longer requires it. I'm normally in bed by 10pm .. (Unless you count walking the dog in the dark at 6am, but he's big and vocal so I pity anyone trying to approach us).

Yes I always have. Been robbed at knife point twice though.

I walk alone at nights, even after a night out in town. My friends do the same.

Of course. How would you live your life if you could only go anywhere in a group? I live in London and have done it all my life - as have both my DC (now 20 and 22).

I walk alone at night, even in unfamiliar places/countries. I'm always aware of my surroundings and sometimes I do feel nervous, but it doesn't stop me.

I refuse to have my freedom curtailed out of fear.

I do, all the time.

I always have. And I refuse to let that freedom (of choice) be taken from me. I refuse to live in fear.

I walk around London at night, doesn't occur to me not to as it's something I've always done & you do see other people/women walking along as well.
Where I live now, I don't really like walking around after about 8pm when it's dark as other people don't do it. Honestly I don't feel as safe as I did when I used to walk around London.
The council have done something to the street lights - made it a warmer light or something & I don't know if it's my imagination but it seems darker. Other friends have commented on it so I don't think it's just me.
Plus they switch them off completely between midnight - 5am so you really are walking home in the dark!

That's when you need a head torch. Under a tenner on Amazon, rechargeable and will change your night-walking life.

I do, I don't know anyone who doesn't.

I don’t. I used to, but I now live in a rural area with no public transport and nowhere within walking distance. Because I haven’t done it for so long, it somehow feels more risky? I used to run early morning in the summer (so it was light) it was lovely, around 6am, very quiet, but then we received notice from the local police that there was a flasher in the area……driving up to lone female runners and flashing!!! Bloody weirdo That put a stop to my running….I now run on the treadmill……

I do this a lot but I used to be a fast food delivery driver so I am used to being in dark, quiet locations on my own. I am always on high alert though.

I do. When I lived in London I got followed a lot. Once I went into my local corner shop and said I was being followed and the shopkeeper got someone to walk me home. The guy was waiting outside the shop it was v scary.

I've been followed before and turned around and said I feel like you're following me and the guy was really apologetic. He was following me he was from a gang that I'd just walked past.

Now I live in Bristol and I walk alone at night but it feels alot safer even tho it prob isn't

Yes, If you work and commute by public transport, it's unavoidable anyway.

I used to walk home through a town on my own at 3am as a student. That was 25 years ago though and I wouldn't feel safe doing it now and wouldn't want my DD to do it (if I had one). But I definitely would and do walk around in my village after dark. I keep to well lit areas. I do find that recent news reports make me more wary though. And if something happened would I be blamed for being out on my own after dark (appalling that anyone thinks this but it's obvious huge numbers of people do).

I do - did throughout university, did when living in city centres, still do when living now more rurally. I'm nearly 30 if that makes a difference 🤷🏻‍♀️

I walk alone at night quite a lot. At least, I did until lockdown, I've not got back into the habit again quite yet. Not because of fear but because I can't be arsed. In my experience there's nothing to worry about although I try to be aware of my surroundings so that if there is a potential threat like a drunk I can avoid them in advance. To be fair, that's something I do in the daytime or in a group too.

Plus they switch them off completely between midnight - 5am so you really are walking home in the dark!

They do that in my town apart from the lights on the main road, and they went off just as I was walking past a wooded area, on a foggy night, almost shit myself, felt like the start of a horror film 😂

I don't. That said I used to worry terribly about DD at Uni. One evening I was there dropping something off at 10:30 PM at night, I was absolutely stunned at how busy the streets were in student land, like Saturday afternoon on the high street.

I felt much better after that.

Yes I do and always have done. Women are most at risk of harm from the men in their homes than a random.

Me too.

I want to walk around in the dark to do whatever I want/need to get done but nope I very rarely do.

I always take my hair out of a ponytail if I do - makes you less easy to grab. I also ring DH and he tracks me on an app. I walk in the middle of the road if it’s poorly lit (which is now just about everywhere).

I would love the freedom not to have think about this shit.

When I was at uni I walked through some really dodgy places at night. Because I couldn't afford a taxi or because it was through a park. Never felt scared to be honest even though I was a dinky thing back then.
Conversely I was sexually assaulted in my own accommodation. Same with two friends (different unis).

I walk from places in Manchester to my tram alone, then home from the tram up to 11pm (last tram) and also run alone in the dark. I'm 34 and all my friends have always done this since we were teenagers. Honestly I'd find it quite strange if someone wouldn't walk at night . I don't run through the park at night (but do during the day). When I bought my house a key criteria was somewhere I felt safe at night. I basically bought the cheapest house in a safe area.

I understand and sympathise with people who have had awful things happen to them, but so many people live in fear of something with a vanishingly small risk. Unless you live somewhere dangerous, take reasonable precautions and get outside if you have somewhere to go! Saying this though, I'm quite a risk taking person, I enjoy dangerous sports (horse riding and skiing), went to South Africa on my own etc.