Woman walking home alone at midnight in NYC rates how 'scary' she feels at each stop–it's stressing non-Americans out
Walking alone at night in a bustling city like New York can be an unnerving experience, especially for women, when navigating through secluded areas. In a TikTok video, 24-year-old Jessica McGirr (@jess.mcgirr) from Ireland shared her midnight walk home through New York City, rating her "scared level" at each stop along the way. McGirr explained in an interview with Newsweek that she started filming these walks as a response to the online discourse around subway safety, particularly for women traveling alone. McGirr captions the video, "Walk home alone with me at midnight in NYC."
At 12:08 AM, she’s already feeling uneasy, "I hate this blocked sidewalk tunnel of doom. Scared level: 7/10." She then moves on, reaching a crowded space and then updates, "12:10 a.m. Lots of people walking and driving around. No one sus about it so far. Scared level: 1/10." As she walks further, her fear intensifies again. "12:13 a.m. Descending into the hole. Not many people around. I am now on high alert, ready to use my Lulu bottle as a weapon if needed. Scared level: 5/10." "Coming from Ireland to New York, I had read and seen a lot of negative content about the subway and how unsafe it is," McGirr said, per the outlet.
Initially hesitant to use the subway due to online fears, she eventually realized the danger was less pervasive than portrayed. While acknowledging the risks, McGirr feels that the danger surrounding the subway is often "over-sensationalized." Despite feeling comfortable in the city overall, McGirr pointed out that certain moments during her commute heightened her sense of vulnerability. "When entering the subway, I never know what's waiting down the steps until I go down and can assess the situation." She also mentioned, "Anytime I was in a crowded area, I felt a lot safer." In the subway station, she saw fewer people minding their own business. It was "not that sketchy," but McGirr stood beside another woman, using her as her "guardian": "Scared level 4/10."
At 12:23 am, McGirr was in the metro, and with many people around her, she felt a bit safer. She rated the scare level "2/10." A few minutes later, she was at a bus stop, "Waiting for the bus, busy enough with seemingly normal people. An old woman came and waited beside me, so we had an alliance going. Scared level 5/10." The bus ride was fine for McGirr, with the scared level being "1/10," but as she started walking home from the bus stop, her "worst part of the journey" began. "The solo walk to the house...safe area, not so spooked, but still, you never know. Scared level 7/10."
For McGirr, the key to navigating these risks is not ignoring them but managing them. "While I know some people will never feel comfortable walking alone at midnight, I hope my videos show that not every subway ride ends in disaster," she concluded. Her video caught people's attention on the internet who were particularly struck by her experience. @misssales commented, "Living in a quiet city of Spain it was hard for me to watch this video… anyway, unfortunately, we girls are not safe at any place… hugs from Spain, lovely." @abi_b1101 shared, "I live in the UK and visited New York for the first time last month for my birthday. The ‘stand clear of the closing doors please’ was a little throwback. Beautiful city, but yes, can be scary at times."
@radiosusan said, "I couldn’t believe buses were running at 12:30 AM." @nicole.amiri shared, "This is literally me every time I go out here in Milan, but also back in Stockholm—basically everywhere. It sucks, but what to do? Better safe than sorry. Glad to see others being so aware!" @marian.andrew reflected, "You should have been alive in the ‘80s and ‘90s in New York to know what unsafe is. Since 1996, the city has been relatively safe." @gemmafrancesconnelly penned, "I always felt very safe walking alone in Manhattan as there are always people around."
You can follow Jessica McGirr (@jess.mcgirr) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.