I will get downvoted for this, but note that many of these locations are... a bit rugged. Probably best to avoid this tour at night unless you have a large party and to be careful using your phones.
I mention in the guide that you should do it during the day for best results, so in general I'm with you on that (and the guide backtracks after Macy's to avoid 3rd, on purpose). But I will say that I've been walking all around downtown / ID / Pioneer Square / Belltown for a number of years now, and I've never felt unsafe, though there are plenty of unpleasantries (yelling, drug use, people walking erratically, etc.) I even walked through 12th and Jackson today, and it's not great, but I didn't feel unsafe, either.
> for a number of years now, and I've never felt unsafe,
do you happen to be a male? it's hard to think about how a female would feel in a situation if that is true. it wasn't something that I fully considered until much later in life. having a daughter will suddenly slap you in the face with those kinds of realizations