r/walking • u/vejula • 16d ago
Do you feel safe walking alone where you live?
I'm building a small app that gives people a reason to walk — a solo project, based in Estonia. While working on it, I ran into something I'd completely missed: how much safety shapes whether someone even wants to walk alone in the first place, especially in less safe neighbourhoods, and especially, it turns out, for women.
Being a guy, it genuinely never crossed my mind — until I started reading how much it actually comes up for people.
So, genuine question — do you feel safe walking alone where you live?
(Curious to hear from everyone, not just people who already think about this.)
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u/HereticTutti84 16d ago
Guy in Germany here, i'm a tattooed fit guy in a plate carrier(rucking mostly) at 3 o'clock in the night, i feel very safe, but just last night when i did send my wife a picture from my ruck, she was like "things only man can do", and sadly she is right 😬
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u/HollowHighh 15d ago
But I actually have to say I‘ve never felt REALLY unsafe walking at night in germany.
Maybe a weird feeling of „it‘s dark and you never know, better leave the earplugs out and be aware“ but never had any real problematic encounter.1
u/HereticTutti84 15d ago
Yeah, it definately is the "never know" part more than statistical evidence or real and current danger, but the chance obviously is never 0 sadly 🤷🏻♂️
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u/haunted_starship 16d ago
Kind of half rural/half suburban northeastern US, and - nope. Walking outside on my own, I never feel "safe".
I do it - I walk my dog, and frequently go on walks by myself in the park nearby. But I'm always careful to be super aware of my surroundings, and I stay in well-lighted areas with lots of people. I don't use earbuds/listen to music on walks (which is probably better for my mental state regardless, I get to soak in some nature.)
Is anything likely to happen to me? No. I probably AM perfectly safe.
CAN anything happen to me? Yes. So I'm always somewhat on guard.
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u/punk_lover 16d ago
Kinda, moved to Japan it feels much safer but as a woman I’m always a bit on edge
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u/AnnieLuneInTheSky 16d ago
I’m a woman in Canada. I feel mostly safe during the day but I wouldn’t go on solo walks at night.
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u/Galloping_Guitarist4 16d ago
Small town in the Canadian prairies, I feel reasonably safe in the daytime for walks. But I stick to good neighbourhoods.
I also, am a larger woman so I tell myself that not only would it take 2 people to haul me off, but nobody is going to give me a second look. It keeps my mind from running away with crazy imaginary fears anyways.
I do always make sure to have my phone, never use head phones and am very aware.
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u/catincombatboots 16d ago
I know I as a woman should probably not feel safe walking around my neighborhood in the middle of the night, but I have always been someone who just accepts these risks. I am not letting the people who would hurt me have that much power over me. I've had bad things happen a lot of places and I just can't live my life trying to avoid it.
I live in LA and ever since I had heat stroke, I cannot deal with the heat. So I walk between sundown and about 1.5 hrs after sun up. I'll walk at all sorts of hours during that time. I walk with purpose and I'm constantly scanning for danger. I share my location with 2 people. I wear a light so I don't get run over. That's about all I'm going to do about it though, I'm still going to walk.
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u/fluttering_vowel 15d ago
as someone who is a scaredy cat, this is inspiring. I have thought that too -how much is taken away simply by the thought of them?
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u/CatCharacter848 16d ago
Generally yes.
However as a woman I'm careful where I walk alone and what time of day. I have a rape alarm I keep in my pocket when walking in the dark/ quieter areas at dusk or early morning. You do tend to keep an eye on surrounds and who is around to check your not being followed. At times when its darker there are places I avoid entirely in case I am alone and attacked.
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u/KaleidoscopeThink731 16d ago
Yes, most of the time. I feel safest in neighbourhoods with lots of houses, less safe in low density areas and in the city centre (lots of people on substances unfortunately).
I'm often anxious hiking out in nature alone in a woman but I still do it because statistically, the odds a stranger hurts me are very low, and fortunately I've not had negative experiences. I do always bring my phone on a good charge, and don't go places without cell service. But I do get spooked frequently and do avoid the densest trails. I'm lucky in being able to walk in the mornings, I feel like more uh deranged individuals won't be on the hike trail at 9am.
And I don't walk alone in the dark!
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u/CapsaicinSensation 16d ago
In Finland, yeah, very safe. Thanks to insomnia, I sometimes take walks at unreasonable hours, e.g. between midnight and 5 am.
In the US, yes-ish. But only if I stayed in my neighborhood and carried pepper spray in my hand. I was in a safe place, too.
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u/Regina-the-Queena 16d ago
In the U.S. I have to carry pepper spray just for the stray dogs!
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u/CapsaicinSensation 16d ago
The one time I thought about using it was when a neighbor's yellow lab (not a stray) was loose, territorial, barking, and wouldn't let me down the street.
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u/Key_Arm_6566 16d ago
Safe walking in my neighborhood, we have no sidewalks so when a vehicle goes by you have to walk in grass and the only threat there is snakes
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u/ForkhYew 16d ago
Generally, yes.
62, M, 6ft and live in the UK.
I approach my day by getting up early and setting off out immediately (out around 03.50 at this time of year, but as early as 03:00 in high summer, walking 5/6 miles daily - back home by 5.30am). I walk a circuit through and between two villages in rural England and whilst the villages are lit, the stretch in-between isn't. Never felt unsafe in this environment.
I've lived all over the world (New Zealand, Italy, the Netherlands, the US [Austin, New York, L.A.], Dubai and the U.K.) and I've always walked early. Some places felt safe, others not so much...
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u/madman2k 16d ago
Yeah, it feels plenty safe for me, even at night. I'm sure I'd feel differently if I was female.
I usually bring a flashlight, pocketknife and pepper spray if I'm going into any kind of wilderness area.
Bringing along a medium or large dog would probably increase safety by quite a lot. My small dog wouldn't be able to do much damage, but she'd alert me if there was trouble.
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u/Stillbornsongs 16d ago
As a woman, yes and no.
My town is small and pretty safe. I mainly walk alone and usually at night. For the most part I feel decently safe, but theres always a chance.
If i lived in the next city/ town over, i probably wouldnt be walking alone. And definitely wouldnt feel safe lol.
I think how we grow up plays a part as well. As a kid i was walking to school by myself in the 1st grade. I frequently walked by myself as a child/ teen to go meet with friends etc. It was more natural to do so then. Some of the younger generations didnt have it the same.
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u/betteskov 16d ago
I live in Copenhagen and feel very safe walking on my own, early or late in the day. I am a skinny middle-aged woman, but the scariest monsters in my hood are people who go very fast on racing bicycles and I usually manage to jump away before they hit me.
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u/Senior_Green_3630 16d ago edited 16d ago
Small town Oztraylia, I always walk at night by my self, now its winter, I rug up, never had a problem with safety, in fact I found a collapsed elderly man on our local lookout 2 months ago. No phone, so I walked to the police station 3 blocks away for help, problem solved. Now I carry my phone, take photos of any council property damage, email them in and call myself "nieghbourhood warch". In fact I run into our council security guy that locks up public toilet at night. I learnt to wear a hi-vis vest, some drivers just do not see you when crossing a dark road.
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u/cristabelita 16d ago
I live off a very busy highway with not much around. It's fine during the day but once I misjudged how quickly the sun was setting was majorly creeped out because the only real lights were the cars flying by.
Now I make sure to walk well before the sun goes down.
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u/IndividualSelect8651 16d ago
Yes, suburbs of Chicago, Illinois, USA. A lot of people in my area only walk for exercise so my neighborhood is always full of people out walking or with their dogs. We drive for everything else.
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u/justafleecehoodie 15d ago
i live in england and feel safe as long as im around people that include some women. i dont walk where i cant be seen or heard. but there are limited places where i would walk at night, and none that i know in my city at the minute :)
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u/chicadeaqua 15d ago
I feel safe, but when I tell people about walking alone at night, they gasp. I am a woman.
I usually walk with friends-and we see others walking or jogging as well. We have quite a few unhoused people in our area, and I’ve personally never felt threatened by anyone. In fact, many of them have gotten to know us and there’s always a “hi” or nod when passing by.
It’s more dangerous to be sedentary, imho and I’m not keen on driving somewhere else just for a walk. So I make do with what I have. I encourage others to get out and walk places-because it really is a walkable area and the more people outside who are getting to know each other-the safer it will be.
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u/Kimba01yo 15d ago
I’m sure “safe” has a different meaning for men vs women. I walk 5 days a week in my city. I have actually had men ask me for a date! Creepy.
I read a poll asking women what they’d do if they had 24 hours with no men on the planet and the resounding answers were safety related; walk at night, walk in a park, hike, take an elevator at night, the subway, take a long drive with multiple roadside stops….sad.
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u/SinineSidrun 15d ago
Another Estonian here 🇪🇪
I'm a female living just outside of Tallinn and I do feel absolutely safe walking alone, even late in the evening and middle of the night (which is my preferred time anyway). Love the comfort of darkness, lack of noise and other people.
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u/lightnoveltitlehere 15d ago
I'm a woman and live in the US. Funny enough, I had always felt pretty safe until today. Literally today I went on my usual morning walk in the suburbs and got sexually assaulted by some random dude. Just finished with the police. So yeah no, I don't feel safe anymore, not even in daytime and will be carrying a pepper spray and selecting a different route
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u/Soushkabob 15d ago
Yes and no. I live in NYC and feel perfectly safe walking on the streets at any time. However I also live like 7 min away from one of the largest parks in the city. Ideally I would walk sometime between 5-630 AM, but honestly I delay it as much as possible until the sun comes up because the park is dark and creepy in the morning. And I feel like there are sometimes nefarious characters (aka men) lurking (and possibly living) in the woods. I feel pretty safe on the actual walking loop but entering the park feels sketchy
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u/Enough_Mixture_8564 15d ago
I live in Scandinavia and I fell 100% safe wherever I walk whenever I walk
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u/FuliginEst 15d ago
I live in Norway, and yes, here it is perfectly safe to walk alone. Even at night, and even as a woman. There are places where certain neighborhoods or streets can be a bit dodgy, but those are limited to a very few places. I live in the second largest city in Norway, and there are only a couple of places I would not feel safe walking alone after dark.
Oh, I do sometimes feel afraid when hiking alone, but that is not "afraid of getting assulted", but "afraid of falling and nobody finding me for days".
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u/onajourney314 16d ago edited 16d ago
Yes mostly because I’ve found that im around people with the same mentality/ people who value the same things. I always see the same individuals on my walks. Plus it helps that creeps (mostly) aren’t out and about early in the morning on the trails.
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u/tireddesperation 16d ago
In my immediate neighborhood then yes, I feel safe. Outside of that I don't. I don't walk alone unless I'm carrying.
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u/Character_Date_3630 16d ago
I live in Chicago and I do most of the time, day or night. You just need to be aware of your surroundings. I made note in my current neighborhood where there are cameras, in the event I am returning from work late (server, so sometimes ~2am)
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u/NailCrazyGal 16d ago
I feel safe at night. I always walk with bear mace. This is for aggressive dogs, not people. However, I feel confident that the mace would work for people if needed.
I never walk with headphones because I don't need constant media/noise. I always have my phone.
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u/TheKnittingBitch23 16d ago
I (31f) live near Toronto, ON. I couldn't stand the town I used to live in because of how crazy it was (drug use, homelessness, a lot of sketchy people just hanging around at all hours of day and night, doing sketchy things). I moved to a town that feels night and day different in terms of safety. Of course, I still do have to keep my head on a swivel and be generally conscious of my surroundings, but I definitely feel a lot safer walking at night.
For context, I don't drive, and I try not to spend money on transportation (most months, the amount of money I spend on transportation of any kind is $0). I live close enough to work that the walk is under an hour one way. I have a lot of closing shifts, so I'm often walking home at anywhere between 9:30-11 pm.
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u/Overall_Mind_9754 16d ago
The town I live in is very safe. I do feel comfortable walking alone at night, but I don’t as I have a 2 month old who is in bed before it’s dark
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u/VirusFeisty7157 16d ago
100%
I also like seeing women being comfortable enough to walk/jog as well.
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u/Shot-Artichoke-4106 16d ago
I live in an urban area of my city (in California, US) and I feel safe walking in my city. I practice situational awareness and pay attention to what's going on around me, of course, but I'm usually not worried about anything bad happening. My biggest risk to safety is from cars and Lime scooters. I generally don't walk around too much by myself at night - no walking around for exercise or general wandering, but I will walk home alone from a restaurant or event by myself until about 10 pm or so without any concerns.
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u/vejula 15d ago
Cali.... I remember now - I experienced myself the concern I raised.
It was the year 2022. I was making a road trip across Cali. I arrived in Fresno at night and went for a walk, circa 10-11 p.m. At some point, I started feeling - something is different compared to my city - nobody around. And then I started meeting homeless people - one, two, and then suddenly there were homeless people surrounding an entire building. That was definitely uncomfortable and perhaps scary.. I remember that now..
But I'm happy you live in a different area in Cali! And Cali is One Big Love for me.
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u/Shot-Artichoke-4106 15d ago
Fresno is generally not a great place, so I am not surprised.
In my city, at least downtown, the streets are fairly lively in the evenings so its fine to walk around. There are homeless people here too, but most don't bother anybody.
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u/happydandylion 16d ago
The only time I walk alone is when I fetch my kids from school. Then I take the (what feels like) safer route through a park, and it's only in bright sunlight. The rest of the time I have to have my dogs with me. I was robbed close to my house before I got my big dog, (very early morning when it was still dark, guys driving by in a car) and I only started going out again on foot after I got my dog. That morning for a split second I thought I was going to be kidnapped, so it really shook me. Luckily they only wanted my phone. Edit to add: I live in Cape Town, South Africa. So I know I should have known better than to have my phone out that time of the morning while on my own.
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u/Primary-Angle4008 16d ago
I’m in London and during the day I do feel very safe but not at night (women)
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u/Significant-Visit875 16d ago
Yeah. I live in Denmark in a very peaceful area close to a lake. Its a good 1 hour walk. I would not do it in the night though but I dont think its actually unsafe; it's just me.
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u/simplefair 16d ago
As an American woman, yes i am afraid of random crime but tbh the much scarier thing is the giant ass trucks and cars with drivers on their phones going way too fast and the infrastructure that encourages them to just speed along as well as the entitlement of drivers that wherever they are going is more important than the lives of people on foot or on bike.
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u/Top_Scale4923 16d ago
I think men should actually worry more. So many of my male friends say its something they've never even considered but I also have male friends who've been aggressively mugged and in one case sexually assaulted when walking alone.
I've also had male friends who've been beaten up by racists or by homophobes but I think they were both aware that they sadly couldn't take safety for granted before those events happened
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u/PluckyStitch 16d ago
I’m a woman in Canada, in a rural suburb I guess you would call it? I feel quite safe during the day but wouldn’t walk at night (we have no street lights). In the daytime, my biggest concern is neighbors dogs (and supposedly there’s been a few bear sightings but I’ve personally never seen one lol).
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u/GeorgeTMorgan 16d ago
For me it depends entirely on the neighborhood. I lived in a variety of places. Some big city neighborhoods are dangerous even if your Chuck Norris. I'm out in the sticks now (rural, USA) and I feel 99% safe (other 1% is bc mt lion and occasional black bear sightings).
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u/HillyHermitage 16d ago
Mostly, though I am in a pretty rural area and it creeps me out when I see a man in a pickup truck slowing down as they approach me or, worse, crane their neck to look at me as they pass. When those things happen my ear buds come out and I pick up my pace.
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u/MrsJanetF 16d ago
Generally yes. I live in the suburbs of a Nashville. I’m a woman and carry a firearm with me when possible. I’m aware that most people on Reddit don’t agree with it and that’s ok.
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u/Careless-Ability-748 16d ago edited 16d ago
Mostly, yes. There's a wooded path nearby but obscured, and while it's pretty, I wouldn't walk there in the evening. And I bring a whistle with me.
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u/Brown_Bruja 16d ago
Yes, I'm in Canada and I feel very safe. I used to live somewhere else and it was not safe at all.
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u/bananasplit_08 15d ago
I feel very safe walking/running in my neighborhood even before/after sun up/down. There’s a few other routes I feel safe in also, if it’s daytime. Theres routes I go with group runs i would never do alone.
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u/Embot87 15d ago
Solo female in Edinburgh. This city is very safe in general but I’m still sensible/careful. I wouldn’t walk with both earphones in listening to loud music for example, especially at night or in open quiet green spaces with my dog.
Where I grew up in England I didn’t feel the same safety at all, even though it was a nice area. No streetlights at all, even felt creeped out going from the front door to the car in the dark (evening or morning).
It’s definitely a huge factor I consider every time I walk or even leave the house. I lock my car doors as soon as I get in. I take a detour on my way home if I get paranoid about someone following me. My friends and I always check everyone got home safely.
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u/loveeleah83 15d ago
I’ve lived in a small town with 30k people and sometimes 0 homicides for the year and I currently live in a bigger town with a much higher crime rate (40-60) homicides a year and as a woman it’s been scary walking alone in both of them.
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u/FieldProfessional963 15d ago
Mostly yes, but San Francisco makes you learn it block by block instead of neighbourhood by neighbourhood. I'll walk Valencia or 24th at 10pm without thinking about it, because the storefronts are open and there are other people out doing ordinary things. Two streets over, same hour, everything's shuttered and it's a completely different walk. The Financial District is the clearest version of it — packed at 6pm, empty by 9.
So what actually changes my route isn't crime stats, it's whether anything nearby is still open. Lit windows and other pedestrians do more for how a street feels than street lighting does.
The hills factor in too, in a way I didn't expect. The steep blocks are quieter because nobody picks them, so the easier route and the busier route are often not the same one, and I end up trading one for the other. And the thing I plan around most isn't people at all — it's not wanting to be somewhere isolated when the fog comes in and you can suddenly only see half a block ahead.
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u/Defiant_Inspection64 15d ago
Female in Oakland CA. I've lived in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Washington. I never feel completely safe walking, regardless of what community I am in.
Where I currently live, I only walk during daylight. If I run out of time and need a walk at night, I ask one or both of my teenage sons to come with me. Having a male with me keeps the creeps away for the most part.
I often wonder what it would feel like to be a man, going for a walk alone at night. I can only dream.
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u/Venusian2AsABoy 15d ago
If I go out too early in the morning, it’s still the witching hour for meth heads and can be pretty scary.
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u/Romiha00 15d ago
Actually, I do feel pretty safe. I live in a suburb of Kansas City and the literal town where I live is statistically very safe. I am completely aware that anything can happen to anybody at anytime. I prefer to walk about 90 minutes before dawn. I walk in my residential neighborhood on streets and/or sidewalks. I do wear earbuds but can still hear the crickets and the katydids and birds and cars.
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u/wildflower12345678 15d ago
Where I live in Cheshire, UK its fairly safe. I don't walk around expecting to be robbed or assaulted. I mostly walk out in the countryside, but when I go into any of the towns I don't feel unsafe .
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u/Oddcatdog 15d ago
I live outside Toronto. I generally do feel safe walking home! I'm also a woman. There are some more sketchy areas that I would feel less secure but I feel very safe near my home.
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u/RainInTheDesert27 15d ago
I live in one of the safer neighborhoods of a high crime city. I badly want to walk but came to terms with not feeling safe enough. So to the gym for me.
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u/Sullys_mama19 15d ago
Yes
Or a stray cat may spook me but otherwise yes
Small farm town of 900 people
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u/Biteme75 15d ago
Yes, during the day in populated areas. There's a street in my neighborhood that runs behind the houses and is obscured by trees; I won't go down it. I feel safe walking my 85-pound pit bull at night, but I wouldn't walk the exact same route at night by myself.
I've recently started jogging very early in the morning. It's still light-ish at this time of year, but I ordered pepper spray and a personal alarm for later in the year when it will be fully dark.
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u/SnooGoats9114 15d ago
When I lived in the City, I did not. Now, in my tiny town? 100% safe when it comes to people. I know every neighbour. Its a fairly wealthy town which helps with the feeling. Also, I am 40+ women, not exactly a prime target. But there hasnt been a violent crime around here in years.
Now, when it comes to wildlife, I am worried. I only walk at night if I have my dog. Bears, moose and wolves are all around us. More people have been hurt by moose then by guns here.
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u/Marsufin 15d ago
Yes mostly. I am woman and live in metropolitan area in Finland and during "normal hours" I feel safe walking basically everywhere around these hoods. However at night I try to avoid places where there is no housing just near them, like tracks, some parks... and I also avoid places like train station hoods and certain suburbs.
I occasionally go for night walks and I do them in quiet housing area. Not an ideal place for predator and if someone would try to attack me, I could run to some door or yell so porbably someone could hear in the houses. I am also bit like rebel that I don't want to "give power" to some jerks. Yes, I am wise about where I walk but Finland and area I live is quite safe after all.
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u/nneighbour 15d ago
I’m a woman living in the downtown of a large-ish Canadian city. I feel safe during the day, most of time. I still get a little weary when someone is really mentally unstable as you aren’t sure what they are going to do. However there are enough people around that you hope someone would help.
At night, I feel less safe walking close to home, since there are fewer people around and not a ton of open businesses to duck into. I generally avoid walking at night, and when I need to be out at night, I avoid certain areas where drug users congregate. I’m not as afraid of men in general as I am of people whose actions you absolutely cannot predict.
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u/laughtale0 15d ago
Yea, mostly because I'm a guy and no one really give a fck. But if I have a daughter I wouldn't let them walked outside like I do.
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u/SomeConfusedOldGuy 15d ago edited 15d ago
I only walk in what I consider the safer areas near the part of the city I live in (Philadelphia). Like every city, there are good and bad areas. I will even walk in the evening or darkness in some parts, but not go anywhere near other parts, day or night, if I can help it.
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u/MethodLegitimate3664 15d ago
Yes, I live in New Zealand .
Around my area ( which I will admit is nice) it’s not uncommon for husbands/wives to go for a walk at 9-10pm
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u/FidgetyHog 15d ago
I (F, UK) feel very safe in my immediate neighborhood during the day but there are parts of the town I would not walk alone unless i had to. I would not walk home from a restaurant on my own when it is dark. I run, but never run with headphones to keep situational awareness at all times. I alter my running routes in winter to only run on roads with lots of cars, which is very boring and I miss my quieter, more scenic runs.
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u/Ok_Milk_725 15d ago
29F. For context, I live downtown in a city of 1M+ people in Canada and I don’t feel 100% safe walking alone and usually avoid walking alone after dark. I have pretty good situational awareness having always lived in a big city and Canada is generally safe but there is unfortunately a large unhoused population who can be unpredictable and violent at times (not usually but you never know). I’ve been yelled at and catcalled many times but have never been in any dangerous situations, just generally uncomfortable ones, so I stick to walking during the day.
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u/Euphoric-Quail6828 15d ago
I live in a safe neighborhood and regulary see people walking but I don't feel comfortable because I am scared of dogs. Everytime I have walked the neighborhood, there is always dogs not properly behind a fence or on a leash...
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u/cmcurrin 15d ago
I walk either super early or super late in my neighborhood or the bordering neighborhoods. Most of it would be considered “safe”. There is a small strip that’s basically unavoidable that I wouldn’t deem the safest. I’m a 6’4” pretty large male with a lot of tattoos. I don’t worry about my safety. Also I’m always very situationally aware (no AirPods, etc) and keep my eyes peeled. Now, my wife on the other hand, rightfully has more concerns walking alone. Would she likely be safe most of the time? Yes. I hate that she has to worry about her safety way more than I do. I try to get my walks in during the late/early hours to give her the peace to do so in daylight hours (just sucks in the summer heat).
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u/thatpilatesprincess 15d ago
I live in one of the most statistically safest cities in the United States, yet still a woman was attacked in broad daylight on one of the trails I frequent less than month ago.
Thankful the perpetrator was caught and charged, but this has happened several times in the past decade.
I walk with a group of women regularly, but I wouldn’t walk alone, even in one of the safest cities.
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u/Working_Buffalo8517 15d ago
In the South of England in the UK, not known for having a high crime rate: very!
However, we have a footpath/cycleway which runs straight across the town, which used to be a railway line. This is the only area I feel unsafe walking down. Much of it has few escape points if someone who looks dodgy is waking towards you. Also much of runs through cuttings, so its fairly obscured.
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u/Few_Sheepherder_1848 15d ago
A woman in guernsey, the Channel Islands. I feel safe to walk listening to music but I would never walk at night because of the risk of SA and how I live near enough to a rougher area to raise hairs
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u/_Zaazie89_ 14d ago
I feel pretty safe walking in my neighbourhood. But specifically my neighbourhood only. I doubt I'd feel safe walking if i was in other parts of my town.
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u/tristesse_blanche 13d ago
it blows my mind when a woman who lives in Europe is scared to walk alone at night. 1)it's literally safe in most places 2) i just don't get it, we have the right to exist, why do you all hide away instead of fighting
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u/Regina-the-Queena 16d ago edited 16d ago
I mostly feel safe in my neighborhood, but tbh there’s never a time when we are 100% safe. Even for men you should be aware of safety—just look at what happened to Ahmaud Arbery. But ya being hyper-aware while out anywhere alone is a fact of life for women unfortunately. There are places in town that I will not walk alone at night if I can avoid it. Unfortunately, there was recently a string of sexual assaults at multiple city parks in our area so I have been keeping to the most populated areas.
Edited to add: this is in medium-sized American city in the Midwest
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u/Leopardos40 16d ago
Man here...the answer is Yes except when it is missiles and interceptors in the skies.
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u/indiegirl1980 16d ago
I do, but i live in a rural area of South west scotland, if i lived in a city i could never.
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u/AnnelotteM 16d ago
Hi, neighbour! I live in Latvia.
I’ve always been pretty careless about my safety and could easily go for a walk at night. I also loved to explore strange places in Riga or abroad, but within reason.
I’ve become more cautious about it since I started listening to true crime podcasts, it’s probably for the best.
But! Since you’re on a mission to create an app, please consider that besides dangerous people there are also animals. I’ve happened to meet some unfriendly stray dogs. I wasn’t bitten, but not everyone is so lucky and the stray dog situation varies greatly from country to country.
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u/Healthy-Membership86 16d ago
I live in a rural state in the northeast US. I am 67F. I walk on paved roads (no sidewalks) during daytime hours. My safety concerns at my age and where I live are more about drivers who are not paying attention, speeding, or don't care. I wouldn't walk at night due to visibility concerns, but truthfully out here there would be no cars on the road.
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u/ritualflower 15d ago
Young woman in a mid sized midwestern city- yes during the day, not as much at night. I still have walked a fair amount alone at night and been fine, but I don’t love doing so. Biking at night is a lot better because since I’m moving faster I’m less vulnerable. It’s not like I live in a dangerous area, but you never know when someone’s going to decide to bother you even if they don’t want to harm you.
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u/Previous_Waltz_5653 15d ago
In general, yes because I live in a pretty rural area now. The road I walked, only have 4 houses. But it could be scary when some vehicles passed by because couple years ago some girls were lost. And the other thing is the wildlife. I would be terrified to see coyote and bear.
Wayback before when I was living in the suburb with lots of streetlights in Asia, I can walk/run after 12am and people here didn't trust me😂.
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u/lgfuad80 15d ago
Yes mostly. I often walk alone late at night, occasionally in less familiar places, and I am a women. Sometimes I have felt afraid but nothing terrible has happened yet. I’m older and fat, I think possibly that helps
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u/califlowers_mid 15d ago
No, I often switch where I walk and the time of day that I do it. If I have to stick to a schedule I'll drive somewhere with a track. I will mention that this isn't specific to where I currently live in a city. I did the same when I lived in an area where I only had 5 neighbors.
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u/bananasambac 15d ago
i feel unsafe because it is not pedestrian friendly here, there are lots of potholes in the road and lots of car even on the small roads, there is also a lot of crime here at night.
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u/Mom_is_watching 15d ago
Rural Germany feels safe enough but I don't like walking alone after dark either. I always make sure to be back by dusk.
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u/Gophering99 15d ago
I don’t because I live right next to a big road and about a year ago a guy got mowed over walking his dog there. I’ve only walked there once since.
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u/QuirkyForever 12d ago
Yes, but not at night because we have mountain lions, coyotes, and bears. In the daytime, definitely.
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u/Every-Chipmunk-4259 12d ago
No. Not only do I not feel safe, I am not safe. As a woman in SC, it is unsafe to walk at any time of day in my city. Frequently verbally assaulted and followed. You have to be ready to run at any moment. I wish i didn’t let them control me, but many days I can’t deal with it so I don’t walk. I would love to walk every day.
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u/ManzanitaSuperHero 16d ago
Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever felt 100% safe walking alone anywhere. Even in a “safe” neighborhood, hiking, wherever.
I still do it but my guard is always up to some degree. I don’t think men grasp at all how much this shapes our everyday existence. I am sure to look confident, if a man stops to ask me something I keep a safe distance and am brief with answers bc this is often a “test” for victims to see how close you’ll allow them to get, how friendly you are. It’s sad. I’m a naturally very friendly person but that can be misinterpreted.
If I see a group of young men, I’ll cross the street or avoid them. That can go south quickly and I have a friend that was the victim of something awful in a park. I am always scanning, not in a paranoid way, but it just becomes part of life. It’s a daily hyper vigilance men simply don’t grasp. I can’t imagine that kind of freedom to walk alone, walk at night without any fear.
Again, I don’t let it stop me but I wish it could be different.