If its late at night and a woman is walking in front of you, lower your speed. Let them get some extra distance. Then its not so awkward for you going the same way either.
I’m going to disagree because then it seems like you are following them. Changing your behavior because they are present is paying a lot of attention to them.
Acknowledging them, maybe stating where you are going without asking where they are going, and passing at the same speed has been very successful in my experience. The worst reaction I ever received was “I don’t care where you are going” which means they were comfortable giving me grief. The best reaction, which has happened a few times over the years, was a response that they were going the same way and asking to walk with me.
Is that paying a lot of attention? I can gage someones speed in less than half a second, then I just slightly lower mine. I don’t even have to look directly at a person. Saying that it is a lot of attention seems kinda strange to me.
I can’t see many situations in which talking to a strange woman alone at night in the dark would make things better than keeping a good distance, minding my own business and letting them be.
How this is percieved as following I don’t get. Care to elaborate? Are you thinking that increasing or maintaining the speed allows for a pass, then I won’t be behind and not “following” anymore? I have thought that was uncomfortable as well, some stranger passing you at night.
I would at least argue that talking to a strange woman alone at night is more unfortunate and uncomfortable. And also paying a lot more attention to someone than simply slowing your speed slightly. I would assume most women simply want to walk at a decent pace home without being bothered or approached by men they don’t know.
I should mention that we might be imagining different situations here. I am talking about situations in which there is already a decent distance either in front or behind, maybe 8-10m mimimum.
This might also be a cultural difference. In Norway we don’t talk to strangers most of the time, doing so already breaks social cues. So doing that at night is even more unfortunate
I’m going to disagree because then it seems like you are following them. Changing your behavior because they are present is paying a lot of attention to them.
Acknowledging them, maybe stating where you are going without asking where they are going, and passing at the same speed has been very successful in my experience. The worst reaction I ever received was “I don’t care where you are going” which means they were comfortable giving me grief. The best reaction, which has happened a few times over the years, was a response that they were going the same way and asking to walk with me.
Is that paying a lot of attention? I can gage someones speed in less than half a second, then I just slightly lower mine. I don’t even have to look directly at a person. Saying that it is a lot of attention seems kinda strange to me.
I can’t see many situations in which talking to a strange woman alone at night in the dark would make things better than keeping a good distance, minding my own business and letting them be.
How this is percieved as following I don’t get. Care to elaborate? Are you thinking that increasing or maintaining the speed allows for a pass, then I won’t be behind and not “following” anymore? I have thought that was uncomfortable as well, some stranger passing you at night.
I would at least argue that talking to a strange woman alone at night is more unfortunate and uncomfortable. And also paying a lot more attention to someone than simply slowing your speed slightly. I would assume most women simply want to walk at a decent pace home without being bothered or approached by men they don’t know.
I should mention that we might be imagining different situations here. I am talking about situations in which there is already a decent distance either in front or behind, maybe 8-10m mimimum.
This might also be a cultural difference. In Norway we don’t talk to strangers most of the time, doing so already breaks social cues. So doing that at night is even more unfortunate