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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 9:11:06 GMT -5
I don't think I'd really be afraid to walk in my neighborhood at night. I've never had a reason to do so though. When I had dogs I walked them in the daytime.
Where I live, you really need a car to get around because everything is sprawled out and public transportation isn't that great. So I've never made a habit of walking to get to a destination. If you're hanging out downtown, you'll probably have to walk a bit from where ever you park. I don't hang out downtown by myself.
I don't like walking to/from my car in parking garages though. They're really creepy to me, even in the daytime. I'd rather park farther away on the street if I can, than park in a parking garage.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 9:30:06 GMT -5
One time I was in New Orleans hanging out on Bourbon Street. I got so mad at the person I was with, I just wanted to leave and go back to my hotel room, which was within walking distance but it wasn't a short walk. I wasn't drunk but I'd been drinking and I didn't think wandering through downtown New Orleans by myself late at night was a good idea. I didn't do it because I was skeert.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 9:36:51 GMT -5
I can't imagine living somewhere that I was afraid to walk around at night. That would just suck.
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haapai
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Post by haapai on Mar 23, 2015 9:45:25 GMT -5
Sometimes. I've been known to turn back from a stretch that gives me a bad vibe. I also avoid having to walk a particular route alone at night on a regular basis. In other words, occasionally walking a mile to work alone at ten o'clock at night doesn't bother me in the least but having to make that same walk five nights a week would make me uneasy.
I've also been feeling a bit more vulnerable since I started losing hearing ten years ago. I'm not sure that this makes me that much more vulnerable to other humans but it vastly increases the odds that I will surprise a skunk.
But here's the real story. I grew up in places where women and girls never got to go anywhere alone, even during the daylight, and it pissed me off. Having to find someone to go places with you is incredibly limiting. Acceding to this imperative also gives your companions in any excursion power over you via the threat of abandonment. I refuse to be jerked around like this.
If you want to dissuade me from walking somewhere alone at night, talk about the wildlife, the terrain, random bullets, bad drivers, unrestrained public servants, or inclement weather. If you truly love me, do not mention my slight stature or double-x nature. Mentioning either of them only enrages me.
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milee
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Post by milee on Mar 23, 2015 9:48:06 GMT -5
One time I was in New Orleans hanging out on Bourbon Street. I got so mad at the person I was with, I just wanted to leave and go back to my hotel room, which was within walking distance but it wasn't a short walk. I wasn't drunk but I'd been drinking and I didn't think wandering through downtown New Orleans by myself late at night was a good idea. I didn't do it because I was skeert.No, you didn't do it because you were SMART. New Orleans is not a safe place for anyone to wander around, much less if you've had a little to drink and are a lone woman.
I'm not afraid to walk alone at night in most places. I actually prefer to run in the dark since it's much cooler then. But I do stay aware of my surroundings and also what type of area I'm in and adjust plans accordingly. If I have to walk somewhere at night that I feel isn't safe, I'm not embarrassed to do things like walk down the center of the street or stop, put my hands on my hips and glare at people approaching. Looks dumb but I'd rather look dumb and up my odds of not being picked off.
The only times I was actually chased or got into trouble walking alone was when I worked in downtown Phoenix and the long hours we all worked meant we had to be alone downtown and in the surrounding areas at weird hours.
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midjd
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Post by midjd on Mar 23, 2015 9:59:01 GMT -5
I'm generally not afraid of walking in the dark as long as there are other people around. We lived in a not-great area of Brooklyn for 3 years and I never had a problem -- even if I walked to the bodega at 2am there were dozens of people out and around so I wasn't worried about being isolated or picked off. There were a few times in college (very small town) where I felt uneasy walking the several blocks back to my dorm from the parking garage late at night -- but one of our campus security officers was a really shady guy who was dating a student, so I figured I'd take my chances alone on a dimly-lit street rather than request Creepy Kyle as an escort. There have also been a few times I've been driving around a large city late at night and have ended up in a part of town where there is NO ONE outside... always seems like a bad sign. I was in a situation like MJ2.0 described in the east end of Louisville and ended up running straight through a red light to get away from the guy. I don't usually break traffic laws but I would have been ecstatic to have a cop pull up right then
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 10:06:23 GMT -5
I can't imagine living somewhere that I was afraid to walk around at night. That would just suck. I'd be even more afraid to walk around a rural area at night. Even if it's my property lol. Rural dark is different from city dark. And critters and animals come out at night. Eek! Now that's scary!
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MJ2.0
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Post by MJ2.0 on Mar 23, 2015 10:24:20 GMT -5
Yay, now I can add "elevator ride alone with suspicious people" to my fears!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 23, 2015 10:26:12 GMT -5
I can't imagine living somewhere that I was afraid to walk around at night. That would just suck. I'd be even more afraid to walk around a rural area at night. Even if it's my property lol. Rural dark is different from city dark. And critters and animals come out at night. Eek! Now that's scary! We don't have any dangerous animals around here either. Occasionally you here of a mountain lion or black bear, but not often. Deer, coyotes, racoons and possums. Nothing that's going to attack a person.
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alabamagal
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Post by alabamagal on Mar 23, 2015 10:35:14 GMT -5
I went to a university located in a large city that was in a bad neighborhood. One of the dorms had the same name of the housing projects that were right next to it (housing projects have since been moved).
They always cautioned the women not to walk alone at night, but the guys were the ones getting mugged. (guys made up 80% of the school population though). So I never thought the guy thing would help that much.
I was just always aware of my surroundings. Since I am pretty tall, I never thought I would be much of a target, and never was.
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cael
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Post by cael on Mar 23, 2015 11:39:24 GMT -5
I looooove being outside at night. I'm not afraid of walking alone at night, but then again I don't walk in rough areas at night. Even downtown (most areas) in my city isn't so rough that I wouldn't walk alone at night. I'm in the more rural burbs of my city now so no safety concerns for me at all.
I'd walk around Boston at night, but the areas I would probably be aren't particularly rough. My friends and I walked around Manhattan through midnight when we visited in october, but obviously midtown/Times Square is hopping and jam packed with people mostly all night. I'm in rough neighborhoods at work frequently but it's during the day, so it isn't really bad. Wouldn't go there at night alone though.
I'm very comfortable alone and not super paranoid of people... that can be a good and probably sometimes a bad thing.
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weltschmerz
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Post by weltschmerz on Mar 23, 2015 11:46:38 GMT -5
Not afraid per se in any of the listed cases. Uneasy at times or a bit uncomfortable, yes! Walking at night, in a strange or foreign place would make me a bit uneasy but I never had any reason to be afraid. I lived briefly in Silver Springs/DC area and didn't have any problems. Living in Montreal was like being in the "Safe Kingdom" of sorts. If you are seating on a bench in the park at 2 o clock in the morning passers by might stop to ask you if you are alright and then bidd you "Good Night".
I always try to be aware of my surroundings, kind a mapping the way forward and return if necessary but that is more or less a habit. The only place that I am absolutely uncomfortable are the roller coasters. I hate the damned things! I know, eh? I came across a group of dangerous-looking inner-city youth late at night not too long ago. They helped push my car out of the ice and then bid me a "Bon Soir, Madam".
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quince
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Post by quince on Mar 23, 2015 13:25:58 GMT -5
Generally speaking, no.
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toomuchreality
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Post by toomuchreality on Mar 26, 2015 6:40:50 GMT -5
I was deemed "Not able to make good, sound decisions" once, when I admitted myself to the hospital. I couldn't figure out why, for the longest time. Then it hit me. There was a nurse who didn't think women should go out alone, after dark, at all. Ever. I disagreed. Saying that as long as reasonable precautions were taken, there is no reason I shouldn't be able to go out (to the store, or where ever). She tried to convince me I was wrong. I thought she was up in the night, but didn't tell her that. Yep. That's what my lack of sound judgement etc. was based on. That one little piece of a conversation and one persons opinion. Ugh!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 7:46:36 GMT -5
I walk every night after younger son goes to bed (older son is there). It's one of the few times I can get my steps in and it's so peaceful at night. I sort of live inside my head most of the time, but walking at night I can really let everything go and reflect on life. We're on a ridge-top with unobstructed view of the sky for miles and miles and there is very little light pollution by us, so the stars are super bright.
Rarely is there a car, but I can see them coming for miles, so it's kind of hard for anyone to sneak up on me.
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wyouser
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Post by wyouser on Mar 26, 2015 12:07:43 GMT -5
I have absolutely no fear of people around here. Time of day no matter.....but....from say 2:30 to 4;00 am I do have concerns about running into one of those long tailed felines with the 8 inch diameter paws who are known for wandering about our streets and parks. (and, NO, this is not a big enough dog to take with you)
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Tennesseer
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Post by Tennesseer on Mar 26, 2015 12:11:12 GMT -5
Know the neighborhood you may or may not walk around and you will be okay.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 26, 2015 12:29:04 GMT -5
We do have the occasional mountain lion roaming around here too, (deliberately did not use the word cougar) but I've never heard of them hurting anything but livestock.
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movingforward
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Post by movingforward on Mar 26, 2015 12:45:14 GMT -5
I have walked alone at night in my neighborhood. There are a lot of people still out walking their dogs after dark, etc. As long as there are lots of people around I generally feel okay about it. People talk about not walking alone in the city after dark all the time but honestly it is the being out in the middle of nowhere alone that scares the hell out of me. I don't want to be out in some dark area where no one can hear me scream. Perhaps I have watched to many horror movies and 48 hrs Of course, this also is all dependent upon the neighborhood. I felt completely safe walking the streets of NYC when I was there but then again I was never in an area that appeared to be shady. Same with the city I live in. Not saying nothing could happen in my neighborhood because it definitely could but I feel okay walking there but there are many areas of the city I would never feel safe walking alone (day or night!). In general, a person needs to be aware of their surroundings... I have a friend who had a man following her around a strip mall in the middle of the day. It scared the hell out of her. She ended up calling the police who came and asked the man to leave the premisses. They then walked her to her car and followed her home. Now that is some scary stalker crap which had zero to do with walking alone at night. Statistically most people are killed by someone they know so really we should be more concerned about friends and family, right? As a side note: I saw a snow leopard for the first time ever at the Central Park Zoo last week while I was in NYC. Absolutely beautiful animal!
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wyouser
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Post by wyouser on Mar 26, 2015 14:22:43 GMT -5
I have absolutely no fear of people around here. Time of day no matter.....but....from say 2:30 to 4;00 am I do have concerns about running into one of those long tailed felines with the 8 inch diameter paws who are known for wandering about our streets and parks. (and, NO, this is not a big enough dog to take with you) Virgil's snow leopards live in your neighborhood? Or is a euphemism I'm not getting. I'm confused No snow leopards, Wyoming is not in Siberia...but we have the Mountain Lion" or Cougar, or puma whichever name you prefer. They do wander about town in the wee hours. They also like the smorgasboard of small dogs or cats that communities offer. Ours also contains a large population of mule deer. So appetizer and main course are readily available. They also come with natural blend into the surroundings cloaking devices. Tripping over one in the dark might not make one's day?
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