For most women on campus, walking at night is a daunting task no matter the destination; it’s in the forefront of my mind nearly all the time. I decided to interview a number of people, some women and some men to see if they, too, share similar thoughts.
For Women
My best friend and roommate Natalie Craig, a UW freshman from Oshkosh, Wisconsin was able to offer me another girl perspective other than my own. Abby Shiff, another UW freshman from Minneapolis suburbs — like myself — was able to do the same, too.
Time and strategy
Craig recalled that the lastest she’s ever walked home alone was 11 p.m., from the Law School Library. Shiff, on the other hand, said that latest she has walked home alone was around 9:30 p.m. They both found themselves on high alert at all times as they walked home. Whereas Shiff called her mom to look busy and feel more comfortable during her walk, Craig strapped her backpack to her body in case she needs to run quickly.
Concerns
The potential of being attacked, grabbed or assaulted are the main thing on their minds during that walk. For that reason, Craig has asked friends to walk home with her; her friends have also done the same. After Thanksgiving break, a mutual friend of me and Craig asked for the two of us to pick her up at the bus stop at 11:30 p.m because she didn’t feel okay walking back to the dorm alone in the dark. Shiff too, said that past around 7 p.m., she always asks around and waits until everyone in her company is ready to leave; no one walks back alone. The two both emphasized how society needs to better instill in men the idea that assault is not okay.
Walking alone at UW-Madison vs. at home
Craig said she feels safer at school than she thought she would, but still not anywhere near safe enough. “There’s a higher likelihood of something bad happening here than in Oshkosh, but there’s also more precautions here— not that they always work,” Craig said.
Shiff, on the other hand, said she feels safer in her hometown than in Madison, although not a single fiber of her being would ever be willing to walk home alone in either city.
For Men
Concerns
I asked some men the exact same questions and yielded varying answers. I talked to Kevin Burg, freshman at University of Minnesota; Burg seems to recognize the dangers women face on campus daily. He, however, doesn’t seem to face the same dangers. He recalled walking home alone late without a care. The campus doesn’t seem daunting to him at all, and he mentioned that, up until recently, he didn’t realize how important it was to girls to walk home with at least one other person. Burg is from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he said walking home alone felt no different there than here.
Thaddeus Guy, a UW freshman from Chicago, was the second guy friend I grilled about the topic. I assumed that Guy — being from a big, busy city and all — would realize how unsafe walking home alone at night would be. However, Guy didn’t bat an eye to any of my inquiries; instead, he said he walks home alone wearing his headphones all the time, both here and in Chicago. My jaw dropped, “really?” I asked.
Although many men are aware of the reasons women feel concerned about their safety at night, most don’t have the same concerns for themselves. Walking alone at night shouldn’t seem like a death sentence; but for a lot of women, it can feel like one.