This summer I plan on doing a bit of solo travelling, as a single, young female this has been met with a lot of anxiety from some of my friends and I was quite shocked.
Firstly, I don't plan on working street corners or going into seedy, drug-filled, basement raves so I didn't really get the concern for my well being. And then it was followed by 'aren't you scared of you know... rape'. Now this had me thinking. I mean, my mum says it to me quite regularly, oh don't wear that and do that. But mothers worry so she can be forgiven, doesn't make me any less angry. Here is a list I've compiled as to why:
- Being a woman and being alone should not make me an identity-less rape target. It is like any other form of crime but if preventing myself from being a victim means living in fear, never going anywhere alone and covering MY BODY to hide anything that may excite or entice a male onlooker is frankly no way to live.
- What I wear in actual fact probably has little weight on the matter, if a man goes out with the intention of raping a young lady, if an individual is sick enough to want to commit this crime, then I doubt he is going to go 'Oh look at her respectable knee length skirt, she is clearly not an ideal victim for my disgusting lack of humanity'.
- Women's outfits are actually a walking weapon factory, we are warriors when we go out. And Dorothy for one is not afraid to inflict a little damage if anyone gets too touchy in a club. Rings like knuckle dusters, spikes and studs on clutches and ankle breaker heels are all in our arsenal. The amount of damage a stiletto can inflict is impressive, not to mention being kicked by a girl wearing wedges hurts like a bitch.
I agree with what you are saying, these are depressing reasons that people dissuade travelling alone. But at the same time not everyone is as noble as we want them to be. If you get into a 'sticky situation' you will have no on-the-ground support. The thing that I'm worried about is your trusting nature.
We shouldn't have to live in the world where being trusting is a crime. I want to be able to live and say that I have taken risks and at the end of the day RAPE IS NEVER MY FAULT, I shouldn't have to be fearful of doing anything to encourage such a heinous crime.
Yeah, we shouldn't. But the fact is that we do. This isn't just about rape, its about of potential situations that when alone would be very uncomfortable.
Those situations apply to men too though, and men travelling alone is encouraged because it is 'character building' and they 'find themselves'. I'm sick of feeling like a walking target or a ticking time bomb waiting for the inevitable rape or lucky escape. It happens to one in three women so I'm just as likely travelling as I am on an unlucky night out in my home town. At least I am getting out there and living a little bit when taking the dangerous risks of being a woman...
That's what I'm saying, the rape issue is just as risky at home, but I would advise a potential traveler female or male to take a co-traveller As a precaution. You will be a vulnerable person, especially when people realize your alone. But at the same time, it will be amazingly character building, it's you call to take that choice however.Your a very sociable person, I'm not really, in the same way.
The point of travelling alone is that it forces you to be more sociable. Staying in hostels you meet like-minded solo travellers with similar interests and experiences to share, hostels are relatively safe places nowadays and security is pretty excellent, so the real threat is the sort of stuff I do at home anyway. I don't intend on running around and latching on to strangers, I just fancy a bit of self reflection.
Wherever you go in the world there will be bad and good people. Personally, I would just like to have someone by my side that I could definitely rely on if push comes to shove. I just think that travelling alone would definitely decrease your personal security. Just make sure your carrying hairspray at all times, it's just as good as pepper spray.
Dorothy
I'll bear that in mind!
Daphne
We shouldn't have to live in the world where being trusting is a crime. I want to be able to live and say that I have taken risks and at the end of the day RAPE IS NEVER MY FAULT, I shouldn't have to be fearful of doing anything to encourage such a heinous crime.
Yeah, we shouldn't. But the fact is that we do. This isn't just about rape, its about of potential situations that when alone would be very uncomfortable.
Those situations apply to men too though, and men travelling alone is encouraged because it is 'character building' and they 'find themselves'. I'm sick of feeling like a walking target or a ticking time bomb waiting for the inevitable rape or lucky escape. It happens to one in three women so I'm just as likely travelling as I am on an unlucky night out in my home town. At least I am getting out there and living a little bit when taking the dangerous risks of being a woman...
That's what I'm saying, the rape issue is just as risky at home, but I would advise a potential traveler female or male to take a co-traveller As a precaution. You will be a vulnerable person, especially when people realize your alone. But at the same time, it will be amazingly character building, it's you call to take that choice however.Your a very sociable person, I'm not really, in the same way.
The point of travelling alone is that it forces you to be more sociable. Staying in hostels you meet like-minded solo travellers with similar interests and experiences to share, hostels are relatively safe places nowadays and security is pretty excellent, so the real threat is the sort of stuff I do at home anyway. I don't intend on running around and latching on to strangers, I just fancy a bit of self reflection.
Wherever you go in the world there will be bad and good people. Personally, I would just like to have someone by my side that I could definitely rely on if push comes to shove. I just think that travelling alone would definitely decrease your personal security. Just make sure your carrying hairspray at all times, it's just as good as pepper spray.
Dorothy
I'll bear that in mind!
Daphne
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