On Friday night I went downtown with a friend for a women’s night out. We ate fries and were about to order drinks when I confessed I felt sick and thought we should postpone. She understood but refused my suggestion that I walk home alone. She insisted I call my boyfriend, and when he didn’t answer, drove me herself. The next night I received the e-mail from Rich Egley about the sexual assault on West Mineral Street. My heart almost stopped when I read the details; I would have walked right by that place, within 20 minutes of when they estimate the sexual assault occurred.

I am never walking home alone again.

A couple of years ago, there were incidents on campus late at night where a woman was grabbed by a stranger, but managed to twist away and call the police. Those incidents scared me into safety for a while, but as time passes it is easier to become lax for the sake of convenience. Sometimes I feel silly for insisting that someone walk with me, other times I feel rude asking if I can stay over at someone’s apartment. Often, I feel like I’m overreacting.

Some people insist that women are too frightened. There are men who complain that their girlfriends are too needy or demanding. Even shows like “Family Guy” make fun of such precautions, scoffing that society has made women think that every man is out to rape them. Everyone with those views is wrong.

It is easy for me and others to think, “Oh, I’ll be fine, just this once,” “I haven’t had that many drinks,” or “It’s Platteville; nothing bad happens in Platteville.” This is the most dangerous mindset a woman can possibly have. Is it likely that we will be sexually assaulted while walking a few blocks alone at night? Probably not. But as the horrifying incident on Friday night proves, it can happen.

It can happen just that once and it can happen in Platteville. And while being intoxicated certainly impairs your senses and leaves you more vulnerable, nothing says being sober is going to save you. For example, I am about 5’3” and weigh 100 pounds. There are men who literally weigh at least twice as much as I do. Being sober is not going to help me very much if I am alone on a dark street and one of them grabs my arm.

So I am directly addressing every person, especially women, and not only those who attend UW-P. I want to remind you that your safety should come before all else, and that in order to remain safe you often have to take a lot of precautions. Do not walk alone at night, for any reason. Drunk or sober, whether you are walking across town or just four blocks to the grocery store. Take a friend with you, take your boyfriend with you or take your German shepherd with you. Wait until morning, call someone and ask for a ride. Call a cab if you can. Always, always protect yourself, even from the most seemingly unlikely situations.

I have walked home alone before. Every time I have been fine. Every time, nothing bad has happened, no one scary has approached me. I became confident and unafraid. But it just takes that one time for all that to change.

My heart goes out to that poor woman who was assaulted on Friday night. I shudder when I think about the absolute pain and terror she must have felt, especially when I consider how very, very close that was to being me.