Sarah, aged 37, Friday 15th August 2025
I was walking home alone from a friend’s house when a car pulled up beside me on East Park Drive. The driver honked the horn, but when I didn’t respond, they quickly sped off. This isn’t the first time something like this has happened to me — I’ve had very similar experiences when walking alone at night, especially when I was younger. For that reason, I don’t believe it was a case of mistaken identity. To me, it felt deliberate, intended to intimidate and exert power. I also can’t help but wonder about the motive and whether it had the potential to escalate further if I had engaged. I acted quickly by pulling out my phone and lighting up the screen, so it looked as if I was talking to someone. This helped me feel more in control of the situation and may have deterred the driver from continuing. Even though the incident was brief, it was unsettling and jarring. There was no one else around at the time, so who knows what could have happened. I felt angry the next day, because when does it ever end? Behaviours like this can leave women feeling unsafe and targeted, and they reinforce the sense that we can’t walk home alone without fear of harassment. I won’t let it stop me from walking where I want, when I want — that is our right — but I’m sharing this so others in the area are aware and know to be vigilant.