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 never do.

I probably don’t much now because I would tend to use the car. When I was younger, at university when I didn’t have a car, or if I was out having a drink-yes, I would all the time. DD is at university now and would tend to ring someone to talk to whilst walking home if it was dark.

I’m a bit envious of the Londoners. I’ve always felt safe walking in London at night because there are always people about. I live in a town which is absolutely dead by 9.30/10.00pm in winter so walking alone at night feels less safe. I sometimes walk right down the middle of the road because it’s much better lit than the pavement. (Because there’s no traffic, and if there is, I can hear/see it coming from a way off).

I'm the same. Fine to walk alone at night. The only thing I do is not wear headphones in this situation, as I like to hear if someone is walking behind me. I am always alert walking alone at night, but would hate to feel I couldn't do it. I value my freedom and independence.

Ditto. Otherwise I would never be able to go anywhere.

I do.
Worth remembering we're at considerably less risk of violent crime than men.

I’m the opposite.

Have no problems walking alone in an unlit rural area but definitely would be more anxious in an urban/city environment.

Yes but I live in London and there isn’t a culture of driving so much. Public transport is easier and quicker.

I do but I’m not sure that counts for much, seeing as that’s generally taking the dogs for a late night walk on our farm. You’d have to be an incredibly optimistic attacker to loiter on the coastal footpaths at 10 or 11 at night, on the off chance I might come stomping that way in my jammies and wellies with the five dogs in tow! Plus you’d then have to put up with the yappy fluffies and the somewhat more scary huntaways… the latter much more likely to scare off any would-be attacker than the former. Also happy on deserted country roads and around the local villages but honestly there’s very little risk factor there!!
As for walking at night in a city or built up area, I don’t think I’ve ever done it. I’ve always been with someone else I think. I don’t think I’d choose to walk alone but if I had to then I guess I would.

After a couple of very worrying encounters with strangers (men) I’d rather poke my own eye out than walk on my own at night. They terrified me.

I always have. I wouldn't walk through a park or deserted alleyway late at night but certainly normal streets. But I grew up in a city and live in one now so it's just par for the course. I'm always alert and aware of my surroundings in general, and never walk back wasted or uncoordinated. I definitely prefer late night walking in urban areas than very quiet rural ones - more people around, safer I feel.

Depends on the time really. Walk in the dark up to 7pm as there's lots of people around.

Having been mugged 2 times after 9pm,I'm very alert IF I have to walk around these times....😔

I'm in Lisbon for a short break on my own and I walked home at midnight last night and at 10pm last night.

It’s hard to avoid if you live and work in Scotland and use public transport.
it gets dark from 15.30 onwards in the winter

With care, yes. Lit, not isolated etc. I walked back from work by roads/shops/people, rather than cut through (much quicker) a quiet backstreet where nobody was.

It depends in the area and for how long but yes, I have walked home alone at night. I do tend to avoid very quiet, dodgy areas.

I was staying with a relative recently in a Kent seaside town and one evening I'd been for a walk, walked a bit far and it was getting dark and I got nervous and also another evening was in a town I didn't know well, got a bus to another part and then got a taxi home to relative's house. I think if it's areas you don't know well, where you have no idea of what could happen (easier to mug, attack etc on country/remote road) then you need to take more care. The other time I was out there, I drove!

Similar story when I went to stay with relatives in Bath, got park and ride bus into the city with friends, friends came back early, I stayed on, forgot that the wifi near relatives is awful (so no Google maps!) and the bus where it dropped me wasn't near the village so I ended up on a country main road and then on a private housing estate. All the while I was thinking (panicking obviously) if I'd seen anything in local papers/news about attackers. Now, I'd definitely research routes better/get taxi numbers. Far better for my sanity!

I work evenings a fair bit so yes . Even if I walk with a colleague there's still a good chuck I have to walk alone where we part ways.

I also don't always feel safer in a taxi so its not like I have much choice anyway.

I also wear headphones and listen to music on the way which is probably a big no but I dont see why I should restrict what I do. Cant say it doesn't worry me though naturally there's sometimes a little bit of fear but I push through.

That's really interesting because I do the opposite!! We live rurally and so for me rural areas mean that the crime rates are lower, there's less likely to be anyone I'd need to worry about and more likely to be farmers still working, people out shooting who would all be quite handy in an emergency situation. The added bonus is that I'd know quite a lot of the people I'm likely to stumble across in the dark.

Walking back to the train station in our local city though makes me uncomfortable after dark. There are a lot more people about but everyone tends to ignore each other. I've been hassled for a light or spare change or by someone claiming they needed to use a phone to call their Uncle, followed into the train station by a chap who just made me really uncomfortable and so will either arrange to walk with friends or will call DH and stay on the phone to him until I'm through the barriers.

I'll take my dogs out on my own at midnight across the fields behind our house though, or through the woods in the village without a thought.

Unless it's a particularly dodgy area I'd happily walk. I'd be more worried about my partner tbh as blokes looking for a fight always go for other blokes and that's the majority of street/stranger violence (although I don't really worry about that much either tbh).

Depends on the situation. 9pm around my well lit relatively safe estate yes.

After a night out no, not if I can avoid it.

I used to live very rurally and walked when I was young through lack of choice and it was scary. I had been followed on occasions too.

I always try and offer lifts to those who would like them as it's not a nice situation to be in if you feel uncomfortable and I would not like the idea of my daughter walking about.

We shouldn't have to feel like this and should have that freedom but sadly I don't like to take the risk.

Depends on the location.

I'm in Newcastle and always have and will. I feel safe.

Manchester/London never. I never feel safe there.

I don’t do it. However, I did as a foolish teenager when I was coming home late from work, and more than once I was followed by a man.

I do and always have. There is always a miniscule chance you will run into some opportunistic criminal but in almost 50 years, the odds have been with me!

Not anymore, as I have no reason to.

When I lived in London, I regularly walked home alone after getting off the night bus, but I knew the area well and it was well lit, running along a main road. I wouldn’t walk on my own in the dark in places I wasn’t familiar with, dh wouldn’t either.