04 October,2026 07:48 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Representation pic
File pic for representation/Satej Shinde
When was the last time you saw a tipsy woman walking home alone? Probably never. It's not so much about whether a place is poorly-lit or secluded or in a "bad area". Even in the swanky party precinct of Bandra West, you'll rarely see a woman walking home alone when drunk. Never have I been able to exit a bar all by myself and just stand by the roadside - whether to make a call, wait for an auto, or just get a few minutes of fresh air - without some creep sliding close or halting their car to ask if I'd like to "accompany them somewhere else". Eww⦠And that's why you'll find scores of women huddled together outside Bandra bars every Saturday night, so no one has to wait for their cab alone.
I always take the skywalk when going home. From Mira Road station, it leads me straight to the road home. It feels more convenient than dodging rickshaws and bikes, not to mention dogs on the road. My sister, however, is not a big fan. Most of the lights don't work, which leaves you at the mercy of the streetlights below. Then there are the men: dishevelled, often drunk, cursing, and fighting with each other. A cousin of ours once mentioned how she never uses the skywalk unless she sees other women passing through. For women at night, the skywalk poses an eerie, but simple choice: men or dogs. You can always trust the dogs.
Ulwe is a red flag for women who live there. Whether it's the highway connecting Belapur to Ulwe, or the approach road to the Navi Mumbai airport - which is being touted as the next best thing in Mumbai connectivity infrastructure - the roads are poorly lit and desolate. I would never advise any woman to travel to the airport alone at night; better to have a friend pick up or drop you.â¨This is especially crucialâ¨if you are not familiar with the roads, which most of the people catching flights here aren't. It can get confusing, and there is no police presence all the way up to the airport parking. Unfamiliarity with the lay of the land is always a strategic disadvantage for women.
South Mumbai is supposed to be safe to walk through, right? Well, not in Lower Parel. I've made the mistake of walking alone from Phoenix Palladium to the Railway Colony after a movie at 12 am. What I saw belongs in a BBC documentary. On one hand, I saw multiple fat rats squirming under the foggy moonlight. On the other hand, I saw men lying on footpaths with their private parts out - that's if their pants weren't entirely missing. I'd rather have my route riddled with rats who stick to their trash than have men ogle at me. There were absolutely no police cars driving around. The walk from the mall to my home should, in fact, be a pleasant one. Instead, I have to take an expensive cab ride home.
I've always been told by friends to not go to Versova beach alone. Living in Mumbai can be very liberating because of how much you can move around as a woman, but no city is without its faults. This beach is one of them. Versova is one of my favourite places to hang out for a fun evening, and it almost always ends in a visit to the beach - Juhu's too crowded. Versova beach, on the other hand, is barely lit and has a general nefarious vibe. If you go a little further, you wouldn't be shocked to spot a man peeing. Since it's so rocky, you might end up falling and getting hurt too. I would
say, if you're alone, avoid the spot at night.
