For what it's worth, I feel a bit uneasy about the advice to avoid walking the streets or using public transport alone at night. From one point of view it's obviously sensible, but shouldn't we be able to do this? Does it mean that someone like me, who doesn't own a car, can't go out after dark on my own?

I agree - I think it's odd advice. Particularly as night currently begins at about 4pm. How will I get home from work if I can't take public transport or walk home from the station?

Facetiousness aside, it smacks to me just a little of victim-blaming, or at least might give someone the ammunition to do so. If you're robbed, the person at fault ENTIRELY is the robber, not the person who took public transport or "walked the streets" (WTF?).

I'm a single female, who is regularly out and about on her own, and even when I'm meeting friends none of them live in FH so my journeys home and the walk from the station are always solo. So I'm never going to be able to follow that first advice, not without becoming a terrified hermit, and life's too short for that. No, I don't use my phone in public (not so much about crime reduction, more that I'm not keen on their use in public full stop, wretched things), and depending on the time of day I sometimes choose not wear my personal stereo (feels fine at 7pm, less so at 11pm) - but it's not my responsibility to avoid crime, it's criminals' responsibility not to do crime.

Interesting to see it is now classed as a street robbery and not a mugging.

I fell a little safer though as I actually saw two police on foot in Forest Hill on Monday night.

I have to travel very late at night ,I have to work till 10.30 and then make my way home from oxford street ! I'm finding it very scary as a lone female coming from forest hill station ,think it's a little silly saying not to travel alone ,most people don't have the choice ,some very undesirable people in forest hill at the moment ,

Poor show from Perry Vale SNT.

I have always felt safe coming home from Forest Hill station.[/align]

The fewer people who are out and about at night, the less safe the streets will be. Very ill-advised advice.

I use that alley regularly, on my own, and often in the dark (which as stated upthread now starts about 4.30pm).

That advice from the SNT is really poor. Why even highlight it was a "lone female" who was attacked? She is a person, her gender is irrelevant.

Most people, especially I am sure "lone females", don't choose to walk down alleys at night - we just need to get to where we need to go!

rshdunlop - completely agree, keeping residents off the streets at night does not make them safer, but rather the opposite. I usually feel safe walking home from HOP station even on the last few trains/overground BECAUSE there are lots of people getting off the train and walking home.

I think it is relevant when they are appealing for information. The police sometimes include descriptions of the criminals to help with such appeals for information. For example was the attack by one or more individuals and were the attacker(s) male, female, or other distinguishing characteristics. Apparently no such information has been included in this 'appeal'.

I Googled this particular advice and it does not seem to be common advice from the police. Instead the Met Police advise:

http://content.met.police.uk/Article/Kee...0010410680

Personally I would recommend that people think carefully before using some of the alleyways around Forest Hill late at night, but I believe the main roads, residential roads, and public transport are generally quite safe.

I think the advice is good. Presumably the police know that a fair few street robberies take place at night and often to people who are alone and/or in areas like alleyways that offer muggers quick escape routes. If you want to avoid being attacked then surely you need to be advised about those factors that increase your risk? No one is blaming the victims or suggesting that you can't walk home at night but simply issuing a warning.

There is a difference between not using alleyways and other risky routes, and not using 'public transport alone at night'. If we're not supposed to walk alone either, what exactly are we supposed to do? Fly? Teleport? And what constitutes night?

Don't use public transport alone I took to mean don't find yourself alone in a tube carriage or the upper deck of a bus on your own. Night I would assume is a proxy for when it is dark.

Why don't you have a go at doing something better and if it's good enough we can send to the police for future use (or enter it into a poetry competition if it's as good as I think it's going to be).

Hey, don't be dissing my doggerel just because I don't happen to agree with you.

No dissing intended. I think the police advice was good and struck a good balance between brevity and clarity. I've not seen any better ideas here, that's all..

I thought the majority of the advice was perfectly good. It's just that first line I don't like. I think it's brevity is the problem, because we have interpreted it in two different ways. Therefore its intention is not clear.

If it REALLY means 'stay close to other people when on public transport or walking after dark' (which I think is your interpretation), then that's what it should say, not don't do it 'alone'.

like Sharon I work on Oxford St, Finish work at 10.30pm and therefore have no option but to travel as a lone female on the overground and walk the dark route home from the tube to home.
My response is-I HAVE to work,I Cannot pick and chose the hours that I do work.
Put more police on the streets, but do not advise me to avoid doing something that I have no control over.
The streets in FH are poorly lit, that I have no control over.
This is something for the council to deal with.
That is what I pay my council tax for.

This post was last modified: 27-11-2014 12:09 AM by nottinghillbilly.

like Sharon I work on Oxford St, Finish work at 10.30pm and therefore have no option but to travel as a lone female on the overground and walk the dark route home from the tube to home.
My response is-I HAVE to work,I Cannot pick and chose the hours that I do work.
Put more police on the streets, but do not advise me to avoid doing something that I have no control over.
The streets in FH are poorly lit, there are many trees that also I have no control over.
The council presumably do.

I agree that the first line is too broad and not well thought out.

The more people that are out and about at night, the safer it will actually become.

'don't find yourself alone in a tube carriage or the upper deck of a bus on your own.'

Wouldn't that be safest of all? Unless of course you fancy mugging yourself.