Scared walking to work in early hours of morning

Guest101

Raspberry_Queen wrote: »

His nationality was relevant actually, because he thought that a woman walking alone at 6am meant she was a prostitute. Maybe women don't do that in his country unless they're working girls, or maybe he thinks that's what happens in the UK. Either way, it shows there are people around who could mistake her for a prostitute.

It was an innocent and relevant description (far more relevant than any of your tellings off). It's disgusting that certain forum members have decided to get on their high horses, and start berating the OP over her failure to perfectly self-police her wording and appeal to the tippy-toe everything is racist brigade.

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Back on topic, it is risky for a lone woman to be walking around at 6am, I wouldn't want to do it. In addition to the suggestions of carry alarms, and a bright torch (to blind any attackers). Could you make it known at work that you would like a lift? Someone else might be able to do it.

Have you looked up the crime statistics for this particular street? This would show how likely your fears are. Also how rough is the area you work in?

Are there any alternative routes you can take? Do you walk on the right side of the road, so that traffic coming up behind you is the opposite side of the road?

Hold on a second. Had this person been black and the OP described him as such there'd be questions, and conversely had she said a man, no one would be asking what nationality. It's typical xenophobia of Eastern Europeans.

Do you seriously think that Romania, Estonia, wherever only have prostitutes out at 6am?? Get a grip.

It's not any more risky for a woman to be out alone than a man- in fact statistics would dictate a man is far more likely to be a victim of a violent crime.

Savvy_Sue

Tammykitty wrote: »

How many people saying the OP it is safe would be happy with their own daughters doing it?

I don't have daughters, but actually young men are at more risk of assault than young women.

Moving on: if that area is known for kerb-crawling, or the OP feels that it is going on there, then a call to 101 to log occurrences will probably mean the police increase their presence, at least for a while.

And what I said earlier,

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

Partly it's attitude: if you let the fear get to you, you can be crippled by it. Fear of walking past the wood when there are houses on one side could increase to walking past houses when the streets are very quiet and so on.

I was once 'grabbed' as I walked home from the station. I was in my late teens, and the walk took me up a steep hill with open parkland on one side, and a fenced in park on the other. Fortunately I used some tips from a class I'd been to a while before - don't fight too hard for too long, go limp and you may be able to slip out of their grasp - and got away.

So I had some choices: never go out after dark again; come home early enough that I could ask Dad to come and meet me from the station; use my bike more. For a while Dad met me when using my bike wasn't feasible, but I had to choose whether or not to let that fear of being grabbed again rule my life.

I'm no longer a teenager, and nor are my boys - they occasionally ran into 'trouble' locally, through no fault of their own. There were some places they went that I didn't like them walking home, but the choice was theirs - if they didn't tell me that's where they were going, I couldn't insist on meeting them!

There are some places I don't like walking locally - actually the walk to our local station is very similar to the OP's - open ground and trees one side, houses set well back from the road on the other. But I dress sensible, wear sensible shoes, keep my keys in my hand and stride out!

Rowan_moon

It's interesting that some posters are more offended by the op mentioning a man's country of origin than the fact he thought it was alright to proposition a woman for sex as she walked to work.

Always trust your own intuition. If something feels unsafe and it still feels unsafe after doing everything within your power then listen to your own wisdom.
If that means looking for a different job then do that.

bugslet

lincroft1710 wrote: »

They'll be getting the vote soon!!

Step too far I tell you:eek::D

paddyrg

Tiddlywinks wrote: »

Careful there... someone will pounce and ask why that descriptor is relevant. Tut tut.

Only relevant insofar as that's who stole it! We were doing a gig and Sisi was a guest, meaning his shambles of a presidential guard unit did security sweeps of the stadium stealing stuff left, right and centre. Really dangerous stuff, like sunglasses, torches, cigarettes, etc., that could threaten a president, yet couldn't be bothered to check behind a ton and a half of boxes of water I had in the office.

If you want a real security sweep, you do it London style - a secret number of marked balls are hidden in the stadium in all kinds of difficult places, air ducts, behind panels, everywhere. The sweep team have to announce how many balls they found. If it's wrong, they have to do it again, so the incentive to check *everywhere* properly is enormous. Very smart way to do things, playing off ingenuity of the hiders and seekers, and the true "answer" being a secret so you cannot get complacent once you've found them all, as you never know there aren't more.

Slinky

Silvertabby wrote: »

Forget the rape alarm - anyone who hears it will just 'tut' at the noise and ignore it. Instead, keep screaming 'Fire!' That'll get people moving in case it's their property that's ablaze. Hopefully, it would also confuse the hell out of your attacker. May also help - not just for your walk to walk - to attend a self-defence/assertiveness course

The point of a rape alarm is not just to attract the attention of others, it's to scare off the attacker. I have one supplied by an employer years ago. It's deafening, and not something you'd want to remain close to.

TyreLever

Guest101 wrote: »

Hold on a second. Had this person been black and the OP described him as such there'd be questions, and conversely had she said a man, no one would be asking what nationality. It's typical xenophobia of Eastern Europeans.

Do you seriously think that Romania, Estonia, wherever only have prostitutes out at 6am?? Get a grip.

It's not any more risky for a woman to be out alone than a man- in fact statistics would dictate a man is far more likely to be a victim of a violent crime.

Maybe the xenophobia is genuine? Like how some people may be frightened of flying because of plane crashes and terrorists. A lot of planes dont crash, but when they do.................
Xenophobia isnt a crime anyway. Would you berate the OP for some other phobia, such as that of spiders or dogs? Its only when it comes to types of people that many get so arsy about it.

Guest101

TyreLever wrote: »

Maybe the xenophobia is genuine? Like how some people may be frightened of flying because of plane crashes and terrorists. A lot of planes dont crash, but when they do.................
Xenophobia isnt a crime anyway. Would you berate the OP for some other phobia, such as that of spiders or dogs? Its only when it comes to types of people that many get so arsy about it.

Sexism isn't a crime. But it's morally repugnant.


I can choose to challenge or ignore.

dcouponzzzz

Guest101 wrote: »

Sexism isn't a crime. But it's morally repugnant.


I can choose to challenge or ignore.

Sexism should always be challenged as by definition, in your fictional scenario, someone has been actively sexist.

What we're actually talking about is someone who described a man by the features that were known to them, drawing no specific negative connotation to the mentioning of their ethnic origin. To challenge this is to label the OP as either ignorant or racist, neither of which are true.

You are entitled to your opinion, and if you choose to believe racism or xenophobia was intended as the message, then continue to do so. You have your right to free speech, and you can voice your opinion if you choose. Just know that it makes you appear ignorant, and compliant to the political correctness brigade, which exists to block freedom of expression without prejudice based on the content of your communication, not the intention or the reason.

Basically, bring back Baa Baa Black Sheep and Blackboards. Anyone who thinks they promote racism or have any relationship to how we subconsciously categorize other ethnic groups is officially off their rocker. :rotfl:

Guest101

dcouponzzzz wrote: »

Sexism should always be challenged as by definition, in your fictional scenario, someone has been actively sexist. - And in this case someone has been in my opinion. Since most discrimination is subjective you cant really judge.

What we're actually talking about is someone who described a man by the features that were known to them - features? What white with an accent? , drawing no specific negative connotation to the mentioning of their ethnic origin - so it was a positive aspect of the description?. To challenge this is to label the OP as either ignorant or racist, neither of which are true. - in your opinion.

You are entitled to your opinion, and if you choose to believe racism or xenophobia was intended as the message, then continue to do so. You have your right to free speech, and you can voice your opinion if you choose. Just know that it makes you appear ignorant, and compliant to the political correctness brigade - i'm probably more right wing than most, so I'm not part of the PC brigade, rather practical, in this case the meaning is clear. , which exists to block freedom of expression without prejudice - oh please. based on the content of your communication, not the intention or the reason.

Basically, bring back Baa Baa Black Sheep and Blackboards. Anyone who thinks they promote racism or have any relationship to how we subconsciously categorize other ethnic groups is officially off their rocker. :rotfl:

Trust me I agree with you, but there was no reason to mention this online. To the police sure, but on a forum....