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