Back in the day I lived in the outskirts of the city where buses would run rarely. Many times when I arrived home late a woman would also drop off. They mostly reacted in the same way as OP describes.

I tried to imagine having to be afraid like that all the time and it's horrifying. The planet is populated by animals larger and stronger than you who might, or might not behave violently without provocation.

So everyone here is saying fuck anon and I agree, but I agree because they are aware of it and intentionally doing things on purpose to exacerbate the situation.

But like, if you're a physically larger dude (maybe even cursed with a hint of melanin), and you've got to walk behind a woman at 2am.. it's just a shitty situation for both people, where both of you feel like you have to do something you shouldn't have to do (women feeling the need to run, defend themselves, or cry for help, and men feeling the need to change their route, stand around and wait until she leaves, or do something awkward and potentially more scary like announce their presence).

I'm definitely not advocating for women to be less cautious on the streets at night or anything like that at all, it's an unfortunate reality that they need to stay vigilant and aware to remain safe. It just really sucks that the way it comes across a lot of the time does little to protect anyone from any actual harm, and just makes normal people feel like shit for making someone feel like they're about to get raped.

As a tall man who likes to walk at night, I have long understood that women alone at night do not wish to encounter me. So when I happen to find myself following a woman down the street, I will either slow down, cross the street, or stop and look at a sign or something for a minute to give her some space.

In a dangerous and shitty world, a person has to find subtle and quiet ways to express care, compassion, and solidarity. It costs me nothing to make a woman feel safer.