Search Results: approaching strangers

Men, I have a question for you (and ladies can join in too.) How do you feel when walking outside, mostly at night, that some people see you as a potential threat/danger? I'm not saying all men are a threat, but men do commit the majority of violent crimes, so there is always a small inherent risk with strangers.

I go for walks a lot at night. I always have. I did a lot of research on wireless ear phones recently, and I specifically chose some that are not noise-cancelling. I really don't like that feeling of sound isolation. It's very muffling and I really like to hear my environment around me.

Many guys seem to give a wide berth, or walk on the opposite side of the street or pathway when they see someone approaching. Probably for two Reasons. 1. Out of courtesy, like 'Hey, I'm not a threat to you', and 2. They prefer avoiding other people so they don't have to acknowledge them. (This happens more in densely populated cities than in rural areas. I've lived in both. There's less anonymity and more accountability with neighbours in smaller towns, but not cities. You get so little true alone time and privacy when you're out, people tend to want at least somewhat of a bubble around them when they're walking. Part of that is avoiding eye contact.)

But how do you feel about being considered a low-grade potential threat by some? Does it bother you?
Is it dependent on your size?
How do you feel, yourself, when other men are on your same pathway in the dark?

And then, if you want to, you can answer the title question in a broader context.

Maybe you also want to talk about that.