Not to sidetrack this thread, but in all honesty your story sounds awfully bizarre. You’re in a rural area by yourself, get lost in the woods as nightfall approaches and you have no idea where you are? How would you know whose land you’re on in the first place and what direction the road was at? What were you doing in the rural woods by yourself in the first place? Do you normally just park your car in rural areas and walk into the woods without a clue as to where you are? You may be white, sophisticated & educated, but you better stay on the pavement from here on. You’re not making a good case for being sophisticated & educated. Let the farm boys & girls roam around in the woods at night. They will find their way home.
I had a house on the edge of a forest in a rural, mountainous area of the U.S. West. I hadn’t spent a great deal of time there and was not very familiar with the countryside. A heavy snow had fallen, and it had changed the landscape and covered the trails. I got lost. Night fell. I had a general idea of the direction of the nearest road. My sense of direction was correct. It was necessary to cross someone’s land. I didn’t know who the owner was. I had only met a few people in the vicinity and didn’t really know any of them. Yes, I was alone. I found my way home, though it was quite dark. I have spent considerable time hiking and camping in rural places, many times alone. I’m sure I will again. Don’t worry. My survival skills are keenly developed, as anyone can see from the previous narrative and advice. I’ve never had any trouble. I didn’t that time either.