The world through different eyes
Night walking is one of my favorite things to do. It's cool, quiet, and there's an element of uneasiness that inherently comes with the dark. I personally love it, and it gives me a way to see the world at a slower pace than what it typically is during the day when other people are around.
The best hours seem to be after 1am and before 5am when dawn begins to break. Everything seems to be at its quietest then so I can go at my own pace and really take it all in. The air is cool and refreshing and rarely does it ever feel "cold". I've even gone walking around in just a tee-shirt in the winter, and running feels even better.
However, night walking comes with a few precautions that one should be mindful of. I've narrowed it down to a number of things that help keep you safe, which I'll talk about a little below.
It's important to stay safe
I'm lucky because I live in a good suburban area. The median house income is quite high, and property values are high. It isn't too dense and there are plenty of walkways and parks. I can only speak from experience walking around in this area, and I do not recommend being out at night in more dangerous areas. There isn't alot of crime in my area so I generally feel very safe, although that is no excuse to get lazy with personal safety.
The first thing I avoid doing is wear headphones and listen to music. Your eyes and ears are your main two senses whilst roaming about at night, and your eyes are only able to look forwards. You need your hearing to listen out for what's behind you, particularly for the sounds of cars, footsteps or voices.
I always have an exit plan ready in case I need to make a quick on-foot escape. I have very good running skills and alot of stamina, so I can outrun most others on foot alone. However, when cars are involved it becomes a different matter. If you suddenly find yourself being pursued by a vehicle, what are your best chances? Obviously going places that are inaccessible by car. Sidepaths are great for that, and I always look for the nearest one when entering a street. I also look for properties with fences I could potentially jump over to create distance, as well as assessing how much time it would take for a pursuer to access them either by driving their car around on the streets or stopping it and getting out.
Your next option is to find places that are good for hiding. For example, if I see the headlights for a car around a corner or I see one approaching from the far-off distance, I like to have a means of hiding ready that I can get into within a few seconds. Bushland is good for this as you can dive into the bushes and wait behind a tree. Walls and fences are also particularly good, especially as drivers won't be looking to their left or right as they pass by.