The Student Room Group

Walking home alone

I used to do this quite a bit at uni, some times I had no choice, but now I'm thinking what was I thinking, that was really unsafe. Nothing ever happened, but I once did get lost in an unfamiliar area after which I said I'd never do that again. I did do it again after uni even, but now I'm thinking stop, it only takes one bad trip.

It's at earlier hours than at uni, and it wasn't completely dark when setting off but still. I don't bring my phone out (although in some cases I need to do a route check) or listen to music and am hyper-aware of my surroundings and I keep moving. Thing is this last time I was perfectly capable of getting a cab, had the money and the phone, but I was only travelling 30 minutes. Now I'm mentally debating what I should have done. Was student me a genius and young adult me overreacting?

Is it ever safe to walk home or should you always get a cab. I know if I had kids I'd tell them, if it's dark/almost dark get a cab so perhaps I should follow my own advice. What's your opinion?

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Original post by mine turtle
I used to do this quite a bit at uni, some times I had no choice, but now I'm thinking what was I thinking, that was really unsafe. Nothing ever happened, but I once did get lost in an unfamiliar area after which I said I'd never do that again. I did do it again after uni even, but now I'm thinking stop, it only takes one bad trip.

It's at earlier hours than at uni, and it wasn't completely dark when setting off but still. I don't bring my phone out (although in some cases I need to do a route check) or listen to music and am hyper-aware of my surroundings and I keep moving. Thing is this last time I was perfectly capable of getting a cab, had the money and the phone, but I was only travelling 30 minutes. Now I'm mentally debating what I should have done. Was student me a genius and young adult me overreacting?

Is it ever safe to walk home or should you always get a cab. I know if I had kids I'd tell them, if it's dark/almost dark get a cab so perhaps I should follow my own advice. What's hour opinion?


If I look back at the stuff I did in my teens and early 20s I realise how lucky I was to stay safe. So many of my friends did not have the same experience.

I think getting older makes you more aware of your own mortality and you have the life experience to have witnessed more 'issues'. The joy of youth is that you're a bit invincible and naiive to a lot of crazy stuff that goes on
Original post by Friffinghell
If I look back at the stuff I did in my teens and early 20s I realise how lucky I was to stay safe. So many of my friends did not have the same experience.

I think getting older makes you more aware of your own mortality and you have the life experience to have witnessed more 'issues'. The joy of youth is that you're a bit invincible and naiive to a lot of crazy stuff that goes on


It was my brother (who's older than me) who made me rethink. Thinking back to the most recent one (which was just last night), none of what I did that entire evening was exactly safe. Now I can't stop thinking about the what-ifs and how dumb it was and the action I should have taken. The what-ifs don't seem to enter my mind until after I've taken action
Original post by Friffinghell
If I look back at the stuff I did in my teens and early 20s I realise how lucky I was to stay safe. So many of my friends did not have the same experience.

I think getting older makes you more aware of your own mortality and you have the life experience to have witnessed more 'issues'. The joy of youth is that you're a bit invincible and naiive to a lot of crazy stuff that goes on



Am young and I don't really think much about it, maybe when I grow older.
Original post by mine turtle
It was my brother (who's older than me) who made me rethink. Thinking back to the most recent one (which was just last night), none of what I did that entire evening was exactly safe. Now I can't stop thinking about the what-ifs and how dumb it was and the action I should have taken. The what-ifs don't seem to enter my mind until after I've taken action


Ah well, we can't dwell on the 'what-ifs' too much. But we can learn from our errors!
I'm male. I only care, because it was brought to my attention, otherwise this thread wouldn't exist
Most guys on here qualify as pansies. :s-smilie:
(edited 6 years ago)
I walk home alone a lot.
When I think of the risks I used to take when I was younger it makes me shudder. Living in London, which was unfamiliar to me, aged 16, accepting lifts off complete strangers, not knowing for sure exactly where they were driving me to. I would never, ever do these things now, but back then it just never occurred to me that I might be in any kind of danger. I suppose naiively I thought everyone thought and had the same sort of mentality as myself. There was one incident which was a wake up call for me though. I was actually 24 at the time, so not exactly a kid either. In the Manchester Evening News a professional artist was looking for female models to draw. We spoke on the phone and he sounded dead on. We arranged to meet in the centre of Manchester a couple of days later in a cafe in the afternoon, and we swapped details. He showed me his portfolio of drawings and I showed him my portfolio of photographs. We discussed terms and what he was looking for etc. The following week, he had given me the address of where to go. I thought it was going to be a studio, so I was surprised it was a flat in West Didsbury. No worries. Inside the flat he completely changed. He told me he had never met anyone like me before, had never met a professional dancer and that he was in love with me. Major, major alarm bells , right there. He locked the flat door and put the key in his pocket. He said if I just stayed with him in his flat for long enough he was convinced I would eventually start to feel the same way about him. I knew by this stage he wasn't right in the head. I kept calm throughout and kept trying to reason with him. Just because I was an ex Paris Showgirl didn't mean anything and it wasn't real, that my job was in reality an illusion. I was trying to make him understand I was just an ordinary woman from a council estate, who picked her nose and farted like everyone else, etc. He was having none of it. He kept trying to move nearer to me to kiss me. I did try and lift the phone to call the police at one point while he went into the kitchen, but he came back in too quickly. Then I heard someone come into the flat downstairs and slam their door so knew I had to take the chance. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Bless his heart, the man downstairs flew up the stairs and banged on his door until he had to open it. I told then man this man was pretending to be a professional artist and he had effectively kept me prisoner in his flat with him for hours. He asked me if I wanted him to phone the police and I said no, I just wanted to go home. It was about 9.30 at night and I had been out for hours. The weirdo man was all upset and apologetic and insisted on walking me to the bus stop. Just as we got to the bus he grabbed me by the arm and said he wasn't going to let me go as he thought he was in love with me. I screamed again and the bus driver let me on, locked the bus doors and notified the bus security people back at headquarters. They messaged the driver asking if I wanted them to call the police. I said no. I just wanted to get home. Besides, apart from keeping me prisoner for hours, he never harmed me, and I would imagine the police telling me how stupid I had been to go to a virtual strangers flat in the first place. The whole incident freaked me out though and I never, ever did anything similar again. But on first meeting him he seemed great and perfectly normal, and I thought I had done all the right things in being cautious. You just never know.
(edited 6 years ago)
I hear even the foxes hunt in packs these days :holmes:
Big time.
Reply 11
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I get if you’re a girl but if you’re a guy in a decent area not much to worry about.

I do get scared of road men and chavs though otherwise I don’t see the issue.. if I was in London I’d be paranoid because of those acid attacks, you just can’t tell I wouldn’t feel safe
Original post by zayn008
I get if you’re a girl but if you’re a guy in a decent area not much to worry about.

I do get scared of road men and chavs though otherwise I don’t see the issue.. if I was in London I’d be paranoid because of those acid attacks, you just can’t tell I wouldn’t feel safe


These 'road men' and chavs are the biggest pussies of them all
Reply 13
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Original post by UnknownRoyalist
These 'road men' and chavs are the biggest pussies of them all


If you see them alone then definitely no worries but in groups they’re idiots and you can’t do much if you’re alone against a group.. and they always give dirty looks so it’s just uncomfortable but idk, I’m sure loads of people feel they’re a threat
Original post by zayn008
If you see them alone then definitely no worries but in groups they’re idiots and you can’t do much if you’re alone against a group.. and they always give dirty looks so it’s just uncomfortable but idk, I’m sure loads of people feel they’re a threat


You're right but they are still the biggest pussies in any situation, by a mile
Original post by zayn008
I get if you’re a girl but if you’re a guy in a decent area not much to worry about.

I do get scared of road men and chavs though otherwise I don’t see the issue.. if I was in London I’d be paranoid because of those acid attacks, you just can’t tell I wouldn’t feel safe


http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7777635.stm

Lets be clear. Being attacked randomly is rare. But attacks on males definitely happen though. From the list there's more male teenagers murdered than females.

Obv this is different statistics from assaults etc.

But for those who say guys are being wimps for being mindful of this sort of thing... y'all are idiots.
Reply 16
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Original post by Friffinghell
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7777635.stm

Lets be clear. Being attacked randomly is rare. But attacks on males definitely happen though. From the list there's more male teenagers murdered than females.

Obv this is different statistics from assaults etc.

But for those who say guys are being wimps for being mindful of this sort of thing... y'all are idiots.



No I’d agree, it’s right to be worried. My dad always tells me to get a taxi home if it’s really late so I’ll get the train/travel to where I’m comfortable then get a taxi because there’s a certain area by my area I don’t like going through.

Also males are more involved in “street life” like gangs and stuff so you’d expect the number of murders to be higher for them since they’re more involved in street violence than female teenagers.

Definitely nothing wrong with worrying, like I said if I felt uncomfortable in an area I would take a taxi. It’s not wimpy especially if you’re fearful for a reason
I can't always get a cab, it's a lot of money! I usually look down whilst i'm walking during the daytime but you can't do it when it gets dark. You gotta be aware of your surroundings. Just walk hella fast and idk. SPRINT as fast as you can and omg dont listen to music.. its bare dangerous at night. Mayne i gots to wear a mask in case someone throws something at me. It's not just humans you need to be careful of. Animals too! These rats that might come outta nowhere and bite your nose off.
Original post by mine turtle
I used to do this quite a bit at uni, some times I had no choice, but now I'm thinking what was I thinking, that was really unsafe. Nothing ever happened, but I once did get lost in an unfamiliar area after which I said I'd never do that again. I did do it again after uni even, but now I'm thinking stop, it only takes one bad trip.

It's at earlier hours than at uni, and it wasn't completely dark when setting off but still. I don't bring my phone out (although in some cases I need to do a route check) or listen to music and am hyper-aware of my surroundings and I keep moving. Thing is this last time I was perfectly capable of getting a cab, had the money and the phone, but I was only travelling 30 minutes. Now I'm mentally debating what I should have done. Was student me a genius and young adult me overreacting?

Is it ever safe to walk home or should you always get a cab. I know if I had kids I'd tell them, if it's dark/almost dark get a cab so perhaps I should follow my own advice. What's hour opinion?


Always get a cab. But even some taxi drivers can be dodgy so its best to use someone you know. :smile:
I think if you're out walking at night, male or female, always stick to a main road if you can. Do NOT take short cuts through parks and alleyways.

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