Safety After Hours

[Kevin]

Shoot no. I live in downtown Oklahoma City across the street from the county jail. Never had a problem.

[Proverbs31]

In my city most people rely on public transportation. So usually in the evening if I need to take the train or bus, there are dozens of other people from my school, or tourists waiting at the stop with me, so I feel pretty safe. But if it's after 10 o'clock, I'll usually just take a cab.

This past winter I had a random encounter with a homeless man that got pissed when I told him I didn't have any money to give away. He decided that he'd follow me for a bit and shout. Since then, I've been taking a cab more often at night.

[PhoenixAzul]

If I had any of those restrictions, I would never get anything done. I've lived in the city (not the 'burbs, aside from college) most of my life. Public transport, going out at night...it's part of life.

I went to grad school in Glasgow, Scotland. And undergrad I lived in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Not exactly Suburbia USA. I regularly went running early in the morning and late at night because, well, I needed to. I had to take public transport for my dissertation because I wasn't licensed to drive in the UK (yet). I was doing field research both in undergrad and postgrad. It's just not feasible to have a buddy at all times. Overall, I just acted like I knew what I was doing, and that I belonged there.

Generally, I just have contingency plans...when running I have my cell phone on me. I call my husband before I go out and give him a general idea of the plan for the run (i.e. if I'm only doing a 3 mile run and I'm not back within 45 min, I get a call). I choose run routes/walking routes that are well lit and busy at night (creepy dark tunnels in the park at night= asking for a run in with the homeless that camp out there). I don't generally carry a purse after business hours, and if I'm out at night I only take as much money as a taxi fare would cost should I need it (I keep 20 pound or so hidden away in my pants, and I've got spare bus fare/taxi fare hidden in my purse or back pack).

Fear is healthy, fear keeps you alive...but it can also be crippling. There's no reason to take unnecessary risks, but there's also no reason to stop living life because of fear. Adjust the route, have a contingency plan, have an alternative way home, let someone know your plan, have a cell phone (and/or change for a pay phone!), and own it...if you act like you belong there, you do.