Are 5am walks safe?

**[OP or Mod marked this as the best answer](/r/AskUK/comments/1avch2w/are_5am_walks_safe/kraulwo/), given by u/OneRandomTeaDrinker** It’s not horrifically dangerous, but it’s not as safe as running in the middle of the day, or being a man and going running, would be. If you can, ask your mum/aunt/older sister what she thinks, mums tend to be a bit overprotective but for good reason, and she’ll know how safe she feels as a woman in your area. > >Realistically, the most likely person to harm you is someone you live with or someone you already know, or failing that, an opportunist. Opportunists are generally put off by witnesses. Issue is, if it’s 5am, there are fewer witnesses. > >You’re much more likely to be catcalled, sexually harassed, followed by a drunk weirdo yelling sex things at you, hit by a car, or mugged than you are to be raped, abducted or murdered, but they’re still not nice things to happen to you. I wouldn’t run on Saturday or Sunday mornings at the arse crack of dawn because you’ve got drunkards staggering home from the pub who are more likely to hassle you. Midweek, maybe wait until it’s light outside to start and to get familiar with your route, or take a headtorch and wear something high vis. > >Parks aren’t safe in the dark, the only people who go through parks at night are drunks, druggies, people up to no good, and the occasional person taking a shortcut. Someone in the comments will say “but I’m an insomniac who takes walks in the park at night!” good for you, but that’s not the majority of people. High-traffic streets with good pavements are probably your safest bet as long as you wear a flashing light. Personally I avoid streets with high walls on both sides eg along the side of factories, and streets flanked by woods. Basically, avoid anywhere without an escape route or places that are abandoned so no one would hear you scream. > >Vary your route and always have an alternative way home in mind, eg if there’s a group of dodgy people up ahead, know you can go another way. That’s why you should avoid places like canal tow paths, there are no other ways. > >Odds are, you’ll probably be safe from actual bodily harm, but there’s a chance you might face some harassment if you get unlucky. Keep your wits about you and be safe but don’t rule it out completely. --- [_^What ^is ^this?_](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskUK/comments/jjrte1/askuk_hits_200k_new_feature_mark_an_answer/)