Asklemmy

Not just with women. I usually drag my feet to make some noise when coming from behind. Most times I’m walking faster than other people so I constantly have to overtake them but don’t want to surprise anyone.

Women specifically I try to avoid passing directly, if it’s not too inconvenient or I will look in another direction, on my phone or whatever to make it clear I’m not interested in them.

But if a creep approaches her, I do make sure to stand nearby and be openly aware.

I hate that women need to be so afraid.

Humming seems a bit odd. I wonder if those people are just humming to themselves.

I'll do things like scuffing my feet, jingling my keys, or pretending to talk on my phone. I am a large guy and I naturally walk very quietly. I have scared quite a few women, and honestly, it is unpleasant for both of us.

I certainly don't. I just act like they don't exist and mind my own business unless they make some effort to engage with me. I'm built like a goblin though so I don't think I'm particularly scary to most people.

Personally I just walk up behind them, cover their eyes with my hands and yell "guess who?"

But to each their own

As someone who gets mistaken for a man: Yes. I clear my throat, shuffle my feet, make some kind of noise. If it's a headphone wearer, I'm either going to slow down to make space or give them a wide berth if it can't be avoided.

Different people have different ways of trying to appear non-threatening. If I am ever behind a woman, I just start running behind them in a friendly chase fashion just to break the ice and make them realize that I am just a goofy harmless guy. Usually, they play along and run as well.

I have to do it just walking around the house. If I'm not in the room for a minute and suddenly appear my wife gets scared. I'm not intentionally quiet, but I walk gently most of the time. I've joked that I need to get a bell around my neck.

I do try to make some sort of noise, or i will shift what i am holding to what ever side i am passing a woman, or will cross the street to avoid having to cross paths… mainly because accusatory stares, or women clutching their children as i pass is too hard to bear

I go for walks for exercise. Sometimes I encounter lone women in the woods etc and I'll try and take another route to avoid walking behind them. I feel like announcing by whistling etc would just make things worse. It annoys me that we have to think about these things tbh. I'm gay for fucks sakes, ive got zero interest in women. Im just out and about minding my own damn business.

Yes! Another one is 'the sniff'.
There's been so many times when I walk past somebody and they do that weird outward sniff thing, like they want me to know they're there.

That must be a sign of the times.
That has never crossed my mind.

I mostly use my dog as a way to introduce that I am near and mean no harm to anyone not expecting someone following the same path (mostly rather long streched bike&pedestrian roads with no exit but with park benches and geen patches for dogs and so on).

Simply by saying "Dogs Name, are you coming sweety?".

Announces that I am nearby with a doggy and by no means any poser that wants to appear scary.

At dark day times I mostly have a flashlight with me to shine on my dog and whatever she is currently sniffing (or sneakingly trying to eat...). Which has the sideeffect of her being better visible to others. (She's a bigger dog with black fur - so some people would be scared of her anyhow. Especially in the dark if there is a barely visible big dog. Which is why I hope to make people not that uncomfortable by speaking softly and shining light on her. (And of couse because bicicle riders need to be able to see her, to not run her over))

One time I was out walking someplace and a woman was walking about 20 feet in front of me. I just took out my phone and called my wife and rather loudly announced where I was walking to, asked her about her day etc. The woman visible seemed to relax.

I've done similar things. I'll clear my throat or something if it seems like someone hasn't noticed my presence.

Nope but I sing and whistle when im alone walking my dog. Maybe if I have headphones and im going along with the song. Nothing to do with proximity of womenfolk though.

I'll 'walk heavy' in stores or stairwells whenever there is a blind corner

If I'm walking around its likely I'll be having a conversation with myself in my head which eventually ends up with me absent mindedly speaking to myself out loud so if I see someone in public I immediately try to shut myself up lest they think I'm truly mental.

Kind of the same reason you make noise while hiking in an area with bears. I'm never looking for an interaction so I make some one-off noises to let the other party know I'm there and I'm letting them decide how they want to handle that info.

I'll clear my throat, jingle my keys, make louder footsteps to make my presence known, especially at night or when turning a corner. It's not just for women, but for any person or animal to not be startled.

I think it's a combination of courtesy, habit from having worked in a restaurant kitchen, and camping in bear country.

I personally do this, especially now that I live in a rural area and enjoy taking night walks. If I encounter someone, but particularly a woman, I make some noise and slowly move away so they’re not caught off guard if they see me around doing my own stuff. In the city, I also move to the other side of the road and walk faster to give people space. Part of this behavior is influenced by my OCD and ADHD.

If I'm in an elevator alone with a woman or something I will usually just give a friendly nod and adopt a very relaxed posture, like leaning against the wall. The youtuber Contrapoints talked about this exact scenario in one of her videos (a black man whistling in the elevator so she wouldn't feel scared) and it made me more aware of it.

Yes.

I'm 6'5" and broad but the number of jump scares I cause is ludicrous. Most people (especially women) seem to have no situational awareness to the point where they miss gorillas approaching them.

If it's a stranger then I'll try to announce my approach from further away. If it's someone I know I'll see how high I can make them jump.

Edit: just saw you label some of these people creeps. They're not. This is a massive green light that they don't want to accidentally scare you.