to walk in a country park at 8:30-10pm on my own?

[danniegrace]

dh annoyed at this suggestion by me and said he will be really annoyed if i do it as he will worry the whole time. we have a pretty high energy dog and the best time for his longer walk is simply in the evening time, dog is with me all day but i am a carer for a relative so with them all day, dh does take dog out in the morning but he needs another walk again in the evening and i just prefer somewhere than a pavement walk or small park... i am a fully grown woman in my late 20s. i know this sounds weird but there has been absolutely no crimes there that have come up in any sort of news, at all, not even over a decade ago, its a rather open country park vs very woodlandy. would you do it?

I used to do it without a second thought, but I had a huge gobshite of a malamute that loved intimidating people and I would go ‘tooled up’ with a carpet knife aswell because I’m from that kind of neighbourhood. The scariest thing we ever encountered were badgers and deer ( they look creepy as hell in the bushes at night).

People are literally telling you about murders of women out alone, but all cases have basically not even been at night! There's always a risk, no matter the time of day and all these one off murders, are literally never even at night... it's not like oh yes, they're very rare but they do all have the link of being at night, they literally don't... 4pm, 7pm. Basically, we just shouldn't go out alone at all, according to that!

Should be ok…but there’s always a risk, man or woman.

unpleasantness aside (and probably too late for now), it’s well worth getting a head torch - you’d be amazed how much wildlife you’ll see, although it’s also disconcerting how many hedgerows and bushes seemingly have eyes.

I walk in the woods alone no dog. I cannot imagine men lying in wait for me. I think it’s incredibly rare so don’t worry about it. Have done the same walk a few nights a week for decades and never seen another soul…

You have been incredibly lucky especially if you walk at the same time each time you go for a walk at the same location.

It's not just a 'low risk' of the catastrophic consequences, though - it's a miniscule, almost vanishingly low risk. People occasionally freak out about the fact I regularly run in the dark, either late or night or very early morning but I'm making myself much safer overall by doing it. There's a reason that murders by strangers make headlines but deaths from heart disease from being inactive don't.

I'm less likely to have bother in places like OP is suggesting, than trying to walk through the city centre in the middle of the day and dodging aggressive drunks and drug users.

I think this is it really. I have never once, in my small Irish town, ever had anyone hassle me day or night. This is in 10 years since I moved here. After reading a thread here about the same thing as this thread I googled 'my town rape sexual assault' and 'my town murder' and nothing at all came up except one thing mentioning a murder in the 1800s. The chances of something happening are so slim that to me I feel that I absolutely can leave my house after dark. I couldn't live my life in fear like some people do, it isn't how I want to live and I wouldn't let my husband dictate that I should either. I understand that people who perhaps live in high crime areas or areas where they have recieved hassle/abuse before might not feel comfortable doing that but I feel the risk where I live is so tiny that I'm fine with it. In all my times walking here after dark I have never once felt at risk.

I wouldn't alone. I wish the world was different but sadly it isn't and just not worth the risk imo

I wish I was brave enough to do this, but I’m not. I would be too spooked and not enjoy it.

I HATE that women are under such threat or perceived threat from men. I hate it.

@Vettrianofan oh come on, you think you have to be lucky to not have been raped or murdered for walking at the same time/place in the dark?

For me, it’s the lack of other people about that’s the risk factor. If you’re walking somewhere where there are other people within shouting distance, you’re more likely to be able to get help in the event of any sort of incident or accident.

Only read the first page, but staggered by the answers you are getting. Whether or not other people would do it, you are an adult and it is entirely up to you. Why are women not asked to make their own risk assessments? If my partner tried to stop me from doing something like this he would get very short shrift from me.
I honestly think that the fear so many women feel is completely out of proportion with the actual level of risk.
When there is a terrorist attack the standard response is to refuse to be cowed and to carry on with our lives as otherwise the terrorist had won. Yet in the case of violence against women, the same attitude is seen as reckless and irresponsible and others seem to think that it is their place to police our actions. In sick to fucking death of being infantilised in this way.

I’m in my 20s and live in a city. Whilst I’m fine being out and about by myself at that time, I don’t think I’d routinely go for a daily late night solo walk. Honestly that time of the night is when I’d consider getting a taxi/lift home instead of walking, let alone purposefully going out for a walk. It’s not that I’m scared of being raped or murdered specifically, but that time of night just tends to bring out weirdos and I just want peace. It’s completely your choice. I have been out and about during those times during lockdown and whilst it’s fun when nothing happens, it does make your blood run cold if you do think someone has noticed you or is following you.

I would do it without a second thought. Especially with the dog. Just don't wear headphones.

I do this, I carry my phone with me, I dont wear headphones and am watchful of what I am doing.

I also change my route daily, and my dog is aggressive (which is why we walk him weird hours)

I have had a few occasions when I have been followed and it really knocks my confidence, but also I dont think I should restrict my life because men can be violent arseholes.

You can see that it depends on the park though right? As far as google tells me nothing of note has ever happened in the park nearest to me. Not in the day, not at night, not ever. I walk there at least once a day for years and the dodgiest character i have ever seen there was a Mum that was letting her kids throw all of their picnic rubbish on the ground and just left it there. To say it is a 'huge risk' to walk in my local park at night would be ridiculous.

In all my times walking here after dark I have never once felt at risk.

But that’s the thing, isn’t it? On the one occasion I was on my own in the woods I love my skin crawled with anxiety. My gut was telling me it wasn’t safe. I’ll happily walk around the small town I live in after dark but not in woods miles from anywhere.

I wouldnt at all. I'd keep to the lit streets.

Well I would with my dogs.

I'd actually feel a lot safer than I do walking alone through the city centre at that time. Statistically I'm at much greater risk there.

I’ve always done stuff like this.

I really don’t think rapists are hanging about in large country parks, in the dark and chill, just waiting for a lone woman to walk by.
In a smaller, city park, with drunks and drug users hanging about it would be riskier.

You’ll be fine.

There’s a park that I used to live near that had theft, attacks, general anti social behaviour but there’s nothing on google about it.

I'd genuinely feel more at risk in a lit up street, if it was very late. Much more likely for someone to be watching... it's definitely riskier to be walking home alone late, through local parks, towns, streets, even if lit up... hence when there is a rare case of rape or murder, it's usually from those, than a large bloody country park

I’m sure no rapists hang out in country parks on the off chance. The worry is that somebody there for other reasons (getting stoned, walking their own dog, whatever) sees a lone woman in the dark, nobody else about, and decides you’re easy pickings.

The person who raped me was actually out mugging people at knifepoint - raping me was just opportunistic, he hadn’t gone out planning to do it.

I'd do it, no worries. I'm not convinced that places like country parks are more dangerous in the dark. I would take a torch, though. Just to avoid constantly falling over tree roots.

I wouldn't but wish I didn't feel this way.