4 ms·

I moved from a semi rural area about 30 miles outside of Medford OR to an apartment in a reasonably nice area inside the city about 2 years ago while I am devel

I moved from a semi rural area about 30 miles outside of Medford OR to an apartment in a reasonably nice area inside the city about 2 years ago while I am developing and building a house on a piece of property. Compared to the area that I moved from and will be moving back to the level of random violence and crime in this area is much worse and completely offsets any other benefits such as being close to work, city infrastructure (water sewer power and fast internet) and easier access to shopping and dining. Crime and violence thrives in densely populated areas because there is more opportunities for such per square mile. So yeah people think this because unless you live in a dream world that’s reality.

cortesoft 5y ago
This is strange to me. I have lived in big cities for my adult life (San Francisco and Los Angeles), and I have never experienced any crime.
- bombcar 5y ago
  The thing to look for is evidence of protections against crime - barred windows and high walls, locked garages vs street parking, hotels and businesses with security vs everything just open, having to get a key for the bathroom vs it just being there, etc. It’s like COVID-19- there’s no use in pretending it doesn’t exist because I nor anyone I know well has had it.
  - HarryHirsch 5y ago
    You do wonder about all these walled communities in places like Richardson and Plano, TX. What are they defending against? When you walk around the area there was no evidence of crime or disorderly behaviour, yet they still had that strange architecture. So what are they defending against?
    - bombcar 5y ago
      Outsiders. They don’t want anyone wandering around.
  - micromacrofoot 5y ago
    The way people prioritize the perceived risk of crime is incredibly overblown, largely due to politics and how the Republican/Democrat rural/urban divide is so heavily propagandized. Wyoming's homicide rate is 4.4 per 100,000... NYC's homicide rate is 5.5 per 100,000... Los Angeles' homicide rate is 6.2 per 100,000... Mississippi's homicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000... Chicago's homicide rate is 18.26 per 100,000... There are differences... but it's not as clearly urban/rural as it's made out to be. Economic factors seem more relevant as far as I can tell. Of course there are also other types of crime to consider, but homicide is the common fear. Meanwhile... National rate of death from car accidents is 11 per 100,000... Death rate from obesity-related cancers is 54.9 per 100,000... Yet very few people seem to advocate for more walkable rural towns or reducing the amount they drive.
- truncj 5y ago
  Not saying either side's sweeping statement is correct, but "if it hasn't happened to me, its not a problem" mentality is less than productive.
  - cortesoft 5y ago
    Sure, but the person I responded to was giving an anecdote, so I responded with one.
squeaky-clean 5y ago
> the level of random violence and crime in this area is much worse Have you actually experienced any of this random violence and crime? Or does the city just have more news coverage.
- roamerz 5y ago
  Yes. Aside from what I consider nuisance encounters I was walking my dog by my apartment one evening and I had a very close encounter with someone who was vandalizing a neighbors vehicle. I was able to get enough video evidence of the act in progress to assist the Police with identifying and charge the perp. I had to testify in Grand Jury for my troubles.
dwighttk 5y ago
Yeah I’ve lived in a few neighborhoods where e.g. I heard gunfire from time to time, had my car broken into. Living there was gentrification and leaving was flight… kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place.

cortesoft 5y ago

This is strange to me. I have lived in big cities for my adult life (San Francisco and Los Angeles), and I have never experienced any crime.

bombcar 5y ago
The thing to look for is evidence of protections against crime - barred windows and high walls, locked garages vs street parking, hotels and businesses with security vs everything just open, having to get a key for the bathroom vs it just being there, etc. It’s like COVID-19- there’s no use in pretending it doesn’t exist because I nor anyone I know well has had it.
- HarryHirsch 5y ago
  You do wonder about all these walled communities in places like Richardson and Plano, TX. What are they defending against? When you walk around the area there was no evidence of crime or disorderly behaviour, yet they still had that strange architecture. So what are they defending against?
  - bombcar 5y ago
    Outsiders. They don’t want anyone wandering around.
- micromacrofoot 5y ago
  The way people prioritize the perceived risk of crime is incredibly overblown, largely due to politics and how the Republican/Democrat rural/urban divide is so heavily propagandized. Wyoming's homicide rate is 4.4 per 100,000... NYC's homicide rate is 5.5 per 100,000... Los Angeles' homicide rate is 6.2 per 100,000... Mississippi's homicide rate is 11.2 per 100,000... Chicago's homicide rate is 18.26 per 100,000... There are differences... but it's not as clearly urban/rural as it's made out to be. Economic factors seem more relevant as far as I can tell. Of course there are also other types of crime to consider, but homicide is the common fear. Meanwhile... National rate of death from car accidents is 11 per 100,000... Death rate from obesity-related cancers is 54.9 per 100,000... Yet very few people seem to advocate for more walkable rural towns or reducing the amount they drive.
truncj 5y ago
Not saying either side's sweeping statement is correct, but "if it hasn't happened to me, its not a problem" mentality is less than productive.
- cortesoft 5y ago
  Sure, but the person I responded to was giving an anecdote, so I responded with one.

squeaky-clean 5y ago

> the level of random violence and crime in this area is much worse Have you actually experienced any of this random violence and crime? Or does the city just have more news coverage.

roamerz 5y ago
Yes. Aside from what I consider nuisance encounters I was walking my dog by my apartment one evening and I had a very close encounter with someone who was vandalizing a neighbors vehicle. I was able to get enough video evidence of the act in progress to assist the Police with identifying and charge the perp. I had to testify in Grand Jury for my troubles.

dwighttk 5y ago

Yeah I’ve lived in a few neighborhoods where e.g. I heard gunfire from time to time, had my car broken into. Living there was gentrification and leaving was flight… kinda stuck between a rock and a hard place.