Rob wrote:
What may seem like a safe thing to do when it is busy might be a rather bad idea when things are slow.
THIS!!!!! is a major key point. A couple years ago when I stayed on Westland Mtn Rd, during high season, I would sometimes walk that lane at night, even very late at night, and there were often other residents walking too. But once low season came around, I was not on it after dark, no matter how early it was. Same thing with the lane I stay on now. Sometimes its a yes, and sometimes, its a no. Depends on lighting (which changes), height of the bush around it, how many other residents/visitors are in the neighborhood, etc. What you can do one year you may not be able to do the next, and vice versa. Things change.