Yes, it was nice that I could wear tight workout pants and not worry about old men staring at my butt. Also, since I was only 16 (and a very tiny 16-year-old I was too), and was attending the gym all by myself before the sun was even up, it felt a lot safer. Probably the only reason my parents let me go! It made everyone feel a lot more secure, and less self-concious. Plus they only had to have one set of showers and locker rooms.
And I met some really sweet older ladies there too! I remember seeing them outside the gym once and doing that "OMG WHERE DO I KNOW THEM FROM" freakout. It's hard to recognize people out of their workout clothes.
And yeesh, the biker-creepers. When biking to and from work along a busy highway, I constantly had creepy dudes pulling over in their pickups to offer me a ride. I always politely declined, saying I was "almost there," whether I was 3 minutes or 3 miles from home. What was really weird was the people who would pull up in little compact cars and offer me a ride... like I'm just going to abandon my bike on this lonely country road and hop in? Then of course there was the whole schoolbus fiasco, which is a whole 'nother story.
Which brings up a good point! For both males and females, if you're going to be jogging/biking in a secluded area or after dark, don't go alone. Bring your protective dog or a jogging buddy! Not just because of spooky people, but if you fall and twist an ankle, it's always good to have a friend to lean on. At the very least, bring a cellphone.