DU Men; Do you feel safe walking around after dark?

[zanne]

I know that, as a woman, I don't feel free to walk in my neighborhood after dark. I'd like to know how men see it. Could it be that you don't have any reservations about walking around after the sun goes down?

[SPKrazy]

1. For the most part I do

maybe foolishly so

of course there are places I wouldn't walk. I think it is terrible that we have a society where women feel afraid to walk around any time. I believe that is not an uncommon thing to hear.

[taterguy]

2. It depends on where I'm walking

I feel generally safe walking around my neighborhood. I don't feel safe walking in areas where I know that I might be robbed.

[flvegan]

3. For the most part, yes.

Probably wouldn't go strolling through a particularly violent neighborhood, but otherwise yeah, I feel pretty safe.

I think that there's a big difference, genderwise, mostly because I don't think that men, in general have to worry about a percentage of the opposite gender that would take no issue with overpowering them and beating/raping them. There are far too many stupid ass violent predatory men, and it sucks that women have some fear in the back of their minds at times because of it.

[Guava Jelly]

4. It depends if i am walking in a republican neighborhood

Normally i am ok

[Danger Mouse]

5. When I lived in Baltimore, it was foolish to walk ANYWHERE alone at night, man or woman.

a drug addict with a gun doesn't give a shit about your gender.
i'd say women are more at risk, though.

[mzteris]

24. the other thing, though

is most men would only have to worry about being robbed. Small price to pay in comparison.

[Danger Mouse]

30. meh, in baltimore you had more to worry about than that...

but the fear of rape is a terrible thing for women to endure...
and it's sick that there are scum out there waiting to prey on them.

[rockymountaindem]

6. Depends where I'm walking

I mean, some places are safer than others. Living where I've lived, though, no I haven't had any problems going out at night.

[tjwmason]

7. Yes.

I often walk around after dark. In the village there are no street lights, so one is lit by the moon and the security lights on folk's houses.

In a town...probably not.

[zanne]

9. Oooooooooooh. A village.

Sounds great. Where do you live?

[Seabiscuit]

22. Always. And I've lived in many cities and towns around the world.

But I do fear the zombies running our government are making life miserable for a lot of people.

[Wcross]

8. I feel safe walking at night in my neighborhood.

The only concern I would have is possibly crossing paths with a coyote or a skunk. I love living in the country!

[DarkTirade]

10. Not particularly.

Back when I didn't have a car and I had to walk home from work at 1 to 3 in the morning, I used to carry around a small non-lethal self defense weapon. I'm not a big fan of guns, but if it'll just knock somebody out then I'm fine with it.

I also had a small knife with me most of the time, but that wasn't for self defense, that was for opening boxes at work. :) I didn't even keep it sharp enough to cut skin, just tape and cardboard.

[zanne]

11. I have a Swiss Army knife in my purse...

But if I had to use it in a hurry I'd probably pull out the tweezers or the screwdriver.

[DarkTirade]

12. Yeah, not the best self-defense weapon there. Great if you're out hiking though.

Unless you run into a bear... then you'd best hope that the tweezers scare him off real quick.

Heck, if I was that hairy tweezers would scare me. :)

[Wcross]

15. Can you carry pepper spray in New Hampshire?

It really is effective. It will even work on mean dogs.

[zanne]

18. Pepper spray is legal here...

But I once sprayed myself in the eyes with spray varnish, so I'm not very confident about the pepper spray.

[Wcross]

19. I have a "dumb-ass" friend.......

He camps a lot and bought some bear spray. So, he is in the store parking lot and is a "not so nice" part of town. He locks the vehicles doors so as not to be assaulted. He then gets to tinkering with the trigger of the bear spray "to see how sensitive it is". It goes off filling the car with the most potent pepper spray available for civilian use (or so the can says). He can not see well enough to find the door lock but finally manages to get out of the vehicle. I had to go pick him up and then drive him back to get his car after the effects wore off.

[zanne]

20. Perfect!

We could be cousins or something. I bet you never, ever let him forget it.

[Wcross]

23. Naw, I ain't like that.

I think he suffered enough with me showing up laughing my ass off and exclaiming what a dumbass he was. Besides, he has things on me he could bring up if I brought that up again.

[Roon]

38. I sprayed myself with my Mother's pepper spray

I was really curious about what it does. I thought at the time, "How bad could it be?" After spraying myself, I was very sorry that I did.

[Xipe Totec]

32. A couple of half dollars saved my brother's life

He was approached on a dark street by several guys who surrounded him and asked "for a light".

My brother reached into his pocket, grabbed the coins and pressed them together with index finger between them. He then pulled his finger away, snapping the coins together and making a loud snapping sound; the sound of a switch blade.

He said "I have it here, come get it".

The guy in front of him said never mind, and they backed away.

[Wcross]

37. I wouldn't want to rely on that tactic!

I am glad it worked out for him.

[raccoon]

51. Must've been a long time ago, I haven't seen a 50 cent piece since

Moses was a boy.

Anyway, glad it worked for him.

[Xipe Totec]

62. Very perceptive

Yes, it was a long time ago.

He was lucky; the reaction to the sound from the thugs means they were familiar with it, and that's never a good thing.

[NewJeffCT]

13. I've never been scared, and...

I'm a fairly normal-size white male who has been in many urban areas late at night when white men were very rare. I used to do some part time sports-writing on the side, so I've been in many inner-cities at night covering high school basketball, from northern New Jersey, Harlem, the Bronx, Boston, and Hartford/Bridgeport/New Haven in CT. I've had times where I was one of 4-5 white persons out of 400-500, too, though that was a bit extreme and rare.

However, I know other white guys that would not go with me out of fear.

[ghostsofgiants]

14. I'm usually carrying a skateboard when I do, so yes.

[Omphaloskepsis]

39. Have you ever been in a fight and tried to use a skateboard?

It doesn't work the way that you think it would.

*Don't grab one end and swing.. If it connects it will fuck someone up. But it is really slow and easy to avoid if you see it coming.

*Use one hand on each truck (grip tape facing out) and use it for defense. Use small quick jabs with the left or right if you need to hit someone.

And really, your skinny non-smoking ass should be able to outrun most people.

[ghostsofgiants]

42. Yeah, I figured as much.

My plan of attack would be grab a truck and jab with the nose/tail.

And I am indeed a swift one, so I can handle myself if I need to, haha.

[Bennyboy]

16. No problem really...

I am a big guy so I never feel threatened. Not in NOLA, NYC, or SF tenderloin districts. I also do not look like money so I figure there they do not take me as a mark.

[DarkTirade]

34. I've got the 'not looking like money' bit down too

which I'm sure helps.

[baby_mouse]

17. Totally. But then I live in Edinburgh. :-)

Which is, like, amazingly, amazingly safe and non-dangerous.

[Kutjara]

45. Unless you run into Rent Boy, Sick Boy and Begby :)

[baby_mouse]

49. Oh, they're total sweeties!

Sick Boy runs the local gay pub, Rent Boy's an MSP and Begby's a qualified aromatherapist.

[Arugula Latte]

21. I'm a woman. When I lived in DC I would walk home from the bus stop.

Usually there would be other women walking home (not during dark). I walk quickly, and when they heard me walking up behind them they'd quickly turn. I could sense their fear -- I've had that in spades as well. They'd see that I am a woman an instantly relax and give me a smile.

[Akoto]

25. I really don't, actually.

I'm not sure of why. Of course, I'm a bit of a beanpole for a guy, so I'm sure it'd be pretty easy to overpower me.

I don't go out at night on foot unless I'm walking the dogs, in which case I bring a flashlight and my walkabout phone. Otherwise, my nighttime ventures are limited to my driveway, where I'm quite illuminated and have my telescope. Closer to familiar terrain I am, the safer I feel, I guess. ;)

[Rosemary2205]

26. That's what they make glow in the dark condoms for.

let the magic glowing wand lead the way so he don't stub a toe on the dresser.

[TheFriendlyAnarchist]

27. Yea, but I'm usually the guy people are weary of. I wear a leather coat, black

knit cap, and black gloves.

However, I weigh 130, so if they did decide to mark me, I would probably be in trouble.

[HEyHEY]

28. I'm fine with it

[crispini]

29. I'm a woman, and I feel safe walking around my neighborhood in the dark.

Of course, there are a lot of streetlights and I know all my neighbors, so... :shrug:

[Scooter24]

31. My neighborhood is relatively safe and the streets are well lit...

and are patrolled often by police so I would say yes.

[fizzgig]

33. i'm a woman and feel safe in my neighborhood and city

but my city isn't terribly big yet and is still relatively crime free. if i'm in a big city alone, i feel safe if i'm in really busy areas but try to avoid being out alone just to be safe

i think it is so horrible that women, or men for that matter, should have to feel unsafe where they live

[JVS]

35. I try to avoid carrying much money with me after 2 AM, I stash it at the office.

There's no need to lose $40 and have to go through the hastle of replacing cards because someone wants to mug you.

[datasuspect]

36. i walk around with a heightened level of awareness

i scan my environment, pick out the hidey-holes, blindspots, and shadows, and generally expect anything to happen. wherever i am.

[anarch]

58. good advice for anybody, day or night

and wherever and whoever you are. you never know...

point taken from the original post, though, just the same. and the worst thing is hearing, after something horrible has happened to someone, "well she shouldn't have been walking around after dark..."

[Tektonik]

40. I walk around at night whenever and feel totally non-threatened

but then again, I'm 6'5" and live in a safe part of San Diego.

Although, I'm usually listening to my Ipod when I'm out that late, and in case every few minutes I'll look behind me or look at the shadows on the ground if they'd indicate someone were behind me.

[BlooInBloo]

41. It's never occurred to me to NOT feel safe....

... A year or so when I saw some woman, and I realized that I would be scared if I was as little and muscle-less as she was - then I started to grasp that I live in a very different world than the average woman.

[BreweryYardRat]

43. I feel pretty secure.

Mainly because I'm large, and not all that sane. The combination of "big guy" and "crazy guy" vibes that I apparently give off mean that the most I've ever had to deal with is the occasional panhandler.

Mind you, there are a few areas in this city I wouldn't walk through, but for the most part, I'm okay.

[The Straight Story]

44. In the hood I live I do

Everyone is fair game here.

[ProudToBeBlueInRhody]

46. It all depends

In my town, yes totally safe.

Certain parts of Providence, yes but I am aware at all times.

Once I walked around Boston all night, uncaring of the fact I could possibly get stabbed for the three dollars I had on me at the time because I was totally depressed at the time.

[krispos42]

47. Yeah

Except for the mosquitoes...


Small town, reasonably tall, heavyset white guy wearing dirty/greasy work clothes. I walk through an industrial area and a residential area. No bars or clubs or anything like that where a drunk ass might deside to pick a fight, either.

If I was concerned I would drive, but it's kinda silly to drive 0.7 miles without a good reason, like, say, rain.

If the shit hits the fan I have a pocket folding knife, a Swiss Army knife, and a Leatherman. And a small but surprisingly bright flashlight.

[mark414]

48. i don't think i've once thought twice about walking around after dark

[HughBeaumont]

50. Depends on the neighborhood.

Avon Lake, yes.

Downtown Lorain or the Collinwood section of Clevland . . . not so much.

[SacredCow]

52. In the past I have....

but my neighborhood has been having a LOT of armed robberies lately (I know of 7 in the past 2 weeks). I'm seriously considering getting my license to carry a concealed weapon.

[supernova]

53. It must be nice

not having to worry about the safety of your person everywhere you go, espeically of you have to do it at odd hours.

I wish sometimes that I could see what it feels like.

[AngryAmish]

54. I live in Uptown, so no way.

In a safer neighborhood I do.

[sakabatou]

55. If need be, I can rely on my martial art skills

[Throd]

56. Not any more

I used to live in a neighborhood where you could be killed for no reason at all. Now I live in an area where the only thing that scares me at night are skunks.

[unpossibles]

57. do I feel safe? Not necessarily, but I still do it

I'm a bit larger than average, generally look broke, and have been told by bigger guys that I look like I'm crazy. Also, even though I detest fighting, I've been doing it all my life - starting with necessity then later with martial arts.

Not a perfect defense, but it helps. I generally don't walk around as much as I used to, but when I do, I am always aware of my surroundings and if need be will start screaming irrationally at a random object like a bush or trashcan. Generally people want an easy mark, and messing with a crazy person doesn't fit that bill.

In my late teens and early 20's I was followed twice by guys bigger than I am. Sucks. The first time, I was pretty scared and kept moving (I did not want to go home because I did not want him to know where I live). The second time, I confronted the guy and threw his ass to the sidewalk when he threatened me. I made it a point not to hurt him and had even warned him earlier not to fuck with me, but it got the point across.

I think more guys should have that happen if for no other reason than to understand even slightly more what the average woman may feel like.

On the other hand, there's not much defense against a gun or worse, a desperate person with a gun, and it doesn't matter how big you are at that point. Sadly, in my immediate neighborhood, people are shot all the time and often over something really stupid, so it has changed my attitude about walking at night. Then again, some of those deaths have been carjackings, so....

[mwooldri]

59. AS others said, it depends where.

If round the place where I live - it's probably OK.

If it's in some sleazier part of town then definitely no.

This was a far cry from where I used to live in England - easy to walk out anywhere at night, plenty of CCTV cameras looking at you, and in the rural areas you can still ride a bike at night (provided you're properly "lit up") and not get run over.

Mark.

[mvd]

60. In my area, very safe

Of course, I would be more cautious even in places like Norristown or Pottstown. Phoenixville has more of a community closeness that keeps them safer.

[Tyrone Slothrop]

61. Not even remotely

And I'm surprised at all the men saying that they do.

Maybe it's just my particular corner of Brooklyn, but there's a fair amount of street crime and, by all accounts, it seems to be getting worse.

I was mugged about 6-8 months ago. My roommate was mugged (with knife to his throat) about 20 yards from our apartment a week ago. And our building was burgled about a month ago.

It's gotten to the point that I'm almost terrified out of my wits to leave the building after dark.

[Ivan Sputnik]

63. Not usually

I live in an urban neighborhood, but a family-oriented, working-class one. There are generally enough non-threatening people around on the streets so that I feel safe. I'm not usually out super late, though, and I stick to well-traveled streets.