Reclaiming our streets: why let fear decide our route home?
July 9, 2026
Collage created by Finn Souter. Building at night, photograph by Bob Williams at Pixabay
Lola Davidson shares the walk home she’ll never forget and makes the case for change
It’s 10 o’clock at night and cold. I exit the bus stop by the corner shop near my house. Across the road I see two men. One on a lime bike, the other one standing still. I was only a few minutes away from home but what followed was one of the most frightening experiences of my life. I turned the corner and began to walk down my road, my pace increasing after each step, along with my heartbeat.
I took my AirPods out and focused on just making it to my front door safely. About a third of the way down the road, I checked behind me. The men were there. One was riding the bike on the road; the other was speed walking towards me.
At that point I ran faster than I ever have before, my eyes fixed only on what was ahead of me. When I reached my house, I started desperately banging on the front door, shouting for my mum. Once I’d set foot inside the safety of my house, I felt so relieved, but I just couldn’t relax. What if my parents hadn’t been there to open the door? What if I hadn’t made it home at all?
The problem isn’t just personal
My experience isn’t unusual. When I spoke to my friends, many shared stories of feeling uncomfortable or unsafe while walking alone, especially after dark. Many girls avoid certain streets, walk with their phone ready in their hands, or text someone when they get home safely. These habits have become so normal that we rarely stop to question why we feel the need to do them.
According to the Office for National Statistics, one in five 16-19 experienced at least one form of sexual harassment in the year ending December 2023. These experiences can have a long-lasting effect, causing young women to think twice before going out alone.
In my area, poor street lighting only adds to these concerns. Several routes are connected by narrow alleyways that become dark and isolated at night. When I was in secondary school, my friends and I had to walk down an alleyway that felt endless and was very poorly lit. It was our only route home, and what should have been ordinary quickly became intimidating.
Raising awareness
An ongoing issue is that many girls often feel unsafe and don’t know where to look for support. I was one of those girls and if I didn’t know it existed, many other young women probably don’t either. Strut Safe is a free phone line: 0333 335 0026, where somebody stays on a call with you until you get home safely. Clear signposting to organisations like this should be placed where they are most needed: on at bus stops, train stations, schools, libraries and alleyways. Awareness should also be raised in school assemblies. Smaller discussion groups should be available, in breaks or as part of the regular school curriculum. Young girls could share their experiences, worries and fears as well as support each other, so they won’t feel so alone.
The goal is not to teach girls how to avoid danger; it is to make sure they know support exists while society should actively works to remove the danger itself.
If I could recommend you do anything after reading this piece, save the Strut Safe number and share it with any young women that could also benefit from the support. Safety shouldn’t be a privilege.
