Fiona from New York regularly shares videos of her global adventures on social media as she documents her travel. These feature experiences ranging from spa days in Budapest to snowy scenes in Alaska.
But a recent vlog she posted to her TikTok account, @findingfiona, saw her document her journey from Milan to Budapest, and sparked a dialogue about following one’s instincts as a female travelling alone in unfamiliar territory. The video, which has amassed over a million views since its upload in March – showed Fiona getting ready to leave her hotel in Milan to catch an early morning flight.
She was wisely concerned about catching public transport alone that early – around 4am – and she asked the hotel receptionist if it was safe to walk to Milan Central Station at that time. The clerk’s response was a clear shake of the head, before he promptly offering to call the her a taxi instead.
Fiona, then sat in the back of an Uber ride, stated, ‘I’m in the taxi, it’s pouring with rain,’ before she arrived safely at the bus station. Later, she added how she’s ‘thankful to that man and to the universe’ as the bus actually left 10 minutes earlier than expected – meaning if she had walked, she might’ve missed it altogether. But it was her transparent comments about feeling unsafe in Milan that caught people’s attention in the video’s comments.
Many connected with the hardships of having to remain diligent on the road while trying to experience travel in a foreign country. After a viewer questioned Fiona about safety during her stay in the Italian tourist city, she replied: “There were a lot of men loitering around the corners and it just felt weird walking past them, I did it when I landed and I had to speed walk.”
Fiona’s experience resonated with more than 800 female travellers – who flooded the comments with support and similar stories.
One previous visitor wrote: “When I went to Milan last year our tour guide told us not to walk around at night, so completely understandable he told you to take a cab.”
Another person advised: “Therapy and PTSD cost way more than a 12 euro car ride. Throw money at safety.” One viewer applauded the hotel’s actions and said: “I’m glad they called a taxi for you.
“Milan is definitely not safe, let alone at night/early morning,’ as a fourth added, ‘I will ALWAYS save extra $ for uber/taxi. That’s the one thing I don’t chance.”
And it wasn’t just tourists who commented, with someone claiming they were an Italian citizen writing: “As an Italian, taking the taxi was definitely the best decision ever. Milan became so dangerous lately. It’s hell for women.”
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