I hike alone most of the time and have never had a problem. One night I did camp (by accident) close to a road and a group of unruly drunk locals came in and set up camp below me in a campsite close to the road. I just stayed where I was until they pulled out in the a.m. and everything was O.K. Trust your instinct, stay smart, and let the trail take care of you! You will find the most amazing people are actually on the trail.