How dangerous is Natick to walk alone as a young woman? (Specifically the area near the West Natick T station)

Submitted by wothrowmeawaybaebae t3_zyl988 in massachusetts

I’m originally from a tiny town with almost zero crime so I’ve never needed to worry about walking alone. Ill be in that area for something and want to walk to a place about a mile away but I’m not aware of the crime/risk of there, the road it’s telling me to take, the looks on street view gives me creepy vibes so I wanted to check with the locals what that general area is like for safety especially for alone young women.

For details I’m mildly obese and I’d say not the cutest girl there is. On the day I’m going, I’d be going in the morning time (between 9-12 maybe) so it would be light out. Should I make myself uglier? Not worth the risk? Or is it generally a safe place to walk alone? I’d try to stick to main roads but still would like to check.

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amish_hacker473 t1_j26gflf wrote

Generally a safe area. Have situational awareness and you'll be fine.

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leeann0923 t1_j26guz3 wrote

Natick resident here. I wouldn’t be concerned one bit about walking around in Natick, at any time of day really. Basic normal behavior is all I would recommend: don’t have large values of cash hanging out of your back pocket, be aware of your surroundings, and don’t walk out in front of oncoming traffic and you’ll be fine.

It’s one of the blandest places I’ve lived. People complaining when someone steals something from their unlocked car is the most excitement that happens on a regular basis.

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Slackimus t1_j26jskl wrote

Natick may be safe, but you just let a lot of people who don't live in Natick know your routine. Please be safe.

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jp_jellyroll t1_j26tcwp wrote

Natick is quite safe.

One thing you can do if you're totally unfamiliar with a given area is check the local police logs. You can get a sense of how active the cops are, what types of crimes are most common, where they're happening, etc.

I live in one of the safest towns, statistically speaking, in MA. Out of curiosity, I checked the police logs when we moved here and there were literally entries like, "Homeowner called to report a suspicious fox on edge of property. Officer responded. Did not find the fox," and my recent favorite, "Local resident reporting they were victim of an internet scam involving an XBox."

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wintersicyblast t1_j26yzsk wrote

Natick is great. Very family friendly. You shouldn't have any issues.

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Alarmed-Nothing6013 t1_j27svk0 wrote

It's not dangerous.. BUT if you see anyone walk toward or behind you - cross the street before you brush shoulders with them and if they yell at you, just run away. If you don't let people within arm's reach, they can't push you down or draw a weapon and extort you. That is how most attacks happen - because the victim was nice and let the random person close to them while passing by.

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Past-Adhesiveness150 t1_j28pfag wrote

Get some pepper spray, & look into getting a licence to carry. Natick is a nice place, but the world & country as a whole can be unpredictable. Too many nut bags & whack-a-doodles out there. Imo, if you're walking in Natick, you're probably walking everywhere else too. Better to be prepared for the worst & hope for the best.

My wife had a friend who took the T from school downtown to work in Cambridge to home at night. She'd wrap herself in a scarf under her hood & carried a rock in a sock in her hand at all times.

My grandfather, back in the day, would go to the dog track..... a lot. He always carried a cattle prod. ( looked like a big mag-lite & just as heavy, but could also zap you )

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DearChaseUtley t1_j28xdjq wrote

Replying to wothrowmeawaybaebae (#1,164,049)

Boden Lane used to feature a one way car bridge to get over the tracks. That bridge was damaged and now is only open to pedestrians to cross. It’s not at all creepy and the first thing you will pass other than residences is a Chabad house and then town fields and Rec center.

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therapeutic-distance t1_j28xub9 wrote

Agree with the pepper spray. Also, carry a loud whistle or a pocket alarm on your key chain. You can get these things on Amazon.

Don't make yourself ugly. But don't be provocative either.

Perverts don't care if you are attractive, recently there was a sexual assault on an elderly woman at the Quincy T-stop.

If anyone approaches you, keep your distance and ignore them.

Eta: Don't know anything specifically about Natick. But bad things can happen anywhere. Stay in well lighted areas and where there are other people walking around.

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weareeverywhereee t1_j290lj2 wrote

This post is more dangerous than the walk…probably delete it. Natick is safe, random people on the internet knowing your routine isn’t

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therapeutic-distance t1_j29a9am wrote

OP: Obviously you are not street smart. It's not about the town or city. The same safety rules apply everywhere.

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detective_bigfoot t1_j2am8z8 wrote

I would say you shouldn’t be any more concerned than your baseline level of awareness. Natick is a really safe town. Just watch out for the police. Only tape I’ve ever heard of in Natick was committed by an officer.

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Sufficient-Opposite3 t1_j2aui41 wrote

Replying to Past-Adhesiveness150 (#1,183,909)

My privilege? Whatever the hell that means. Can you say Uvalde? Or the Walmart in El Paso? Or any number of other times where having a gun did no good? Or maybe I should quote gun death stats to you, including intentional, accidental and suicide. Pepper spray? Sure. Gun? No

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SplendidSpoon t1_j2b06ar wrote

Just make sure you are visible to cars at night speeding down any roads if you are walking along a road. It can get dark. Listen for cars coming. You are more likely to get hit by a car than mugged in Natick.

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