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This. The cities are actually safer. The chief difference is that the segment of the media dedicated to keeping people fearful, particularly of their neighbors

This. The cities are actually safer. The chief difference is that the segment of the media dedicated to keeping people fearful, particularly of their neighbors, is enormous now. It was always the case that media liked stories of conflict, but this was moderated by a sense of propriety and responsibility to the community. Now, certain voices have enormous megaphones and no restraints and the paranoia and anger they are actively promoting against their own society has taken root generally.

a2tech 5y ago
My wife grew up in the city, and I grew up in the country (not the pretend 'doctors commute to the city and have 10 acres they pretend to farm and raise horses on' but 'white trash, holy shit there's no work' county) and my wife is HORRIFIED by how much violence and random crime there is where I come from. My family still asks how we can live in the city since its so dangerous while meth heads are stealing anhydrous ammonia from fertilizer tanks and will shoot you without blinking if you get in their way just down the street from them.
- boomboomsubban 5y ago
  If it's anything like my experience in a rural town, they'll bemoan the dangers of the cities while Tom's kid got into meth and conned/robbed ten people they know, Dick's kid goes to the bar every night then drives home drunk to beat his family, and Harry's kid was hiding that he had HIV to sleep with several women in town.
  - hef19898 5y ago
    The devil I know.
  - a2tech 5y ago
    Yup. My best friends dad would stop at the gas station every night after his shift (2nd shift at a foundry) to get a 6 pack of Labatt that he'd drink while driving home, get home and keep drinking. On a good night he'd smoke, drink more beer and eat warmed up dinner. On a bad night, he'd come home, keep drinking, and get into it with his wife and smack her around for awhile. As an adult I realize why they always wanted me to stay over was he wouldn't lay into them while I was there. He'd just leave and go to brothers house. Or as we found out later, his girlfriends.
- grapeskin 5y ago
  Yep. Born and raised in a picturesque small town. Went on to live in cities. I know more than a few people in my small town who got arrested for burglaries and robberies. I know a lot of victims too. Rape basically isn't reported because if the neighbor's boy gets in trouble, that'll ruin the relations between half the town. There are the town drunks who got pulled over more times than you can count and eventually killed someone in a car accident. You're passing by hundreds if not thousands of people in a few hours in a city. A methhead dancing naked on the street corner is going to catch your eye. The thousands of normal people won't. In a small town, you're not seeing anyone at all some days. Maybe you're just passing by 5 cars. The opportunity to witness anything is lower. Of course, plenty of small towns are nice and safe. But the ones that have any problems are proportionally going to be way worse, due to lower population.
DoneWithAllThat 5y ago
Safer than what? Suburbs with nice sidewalks and tree lined streets and friendly neighbors who know each other? Safer than rural areas where everyone knows everyone and there’s enough law enforcement to work on a 1:1 basis? I’m sorry but this just seems like an absolute nonsense claim.
- lovich 5y ago
  To reply to anecdata with anecdata my experiences with suburbs have been a complete lack of sidewalks in favor of cars and neighbors not talking to each other except in the form of HOA violation notices. For the country, where I grew up, everyone did know everyone else, but that was only a benefit if you were friends with the town sheriff. Good luck taking a walk anywhere when the local hooligans would charge at you with their lifted pickups or roll coal right next to you, and the sheriff threateningly asking you if you are starting a problem when you try and file a complaint
- tomjakubowski 5y ago
  The comment said cities are safer now than they were before, which is true. > Suburbs with nice sidewalks and tree lined streets and friendly neighbors who know each other? Safer than rural areas where everyone knows everyone and there’s enough law enforcement to work on a 1:1 basis? No, no real place can possibly be safer than a fantasy land.
  - trashtester 5y ago
    If so, I live in that fantasy land. Except, we never see any on-duty law enforcement, as it is virtually never needed. The neighbours that are police work in the city. I've been living here for 10 years, and I've seen 2 on-duty police cars so far, one was on the first day of school several years ago, when they stopped every car on the way to school/day-care to make sure seats were safe, and one was due to a traffic accident where an electric scooter had hit a car. My third grade daughter has been walking/cycling (depending on weather) the 2km trip to school for over a year, with a friend, but no adults. The benefits are considerable, both socially, physically and emotionally. 4km/day on top of normal playtime and sports is a nice exercise boost. Spending time away from adult supervision strengthens friendships and boosts self confidence and mental stamina. Sometimes I miss the city, but for the freedom of my kids, living where I do is night and day in terms of safety and health compared to where I lived before.
wolverine876 5y ago
> The chief difference is that the segment of the media dedicated to keeping people fearful Also, there is the Citizen app. I wonder if it's driving perception more than anything else. When I've talked to people in safe cities who nonetheless were ranting to me about crime, I've asked them if they have Citizen, and very many do. Not strong data, but I would love to see some research.
- dtjb 5y ago
  Citizen is going to get someone killed.
  - wolverine876 5y ago
    That's part of the goal, in a way. It used to be called Vigilante - no joke - and the goals remain similar. Look up the Fast Company article describing them.

a2tech 5y ago

My wife grew up in the city, and I grew up in the country (not the pretend 'doctors commute to the city and have 10 acres they pretend to farm and raise horses on' but 'white trash, holy shit there's no work' county) and my wife is HORRIFIED by how much violence and random crime there is where I come from. My family still asks how we can live in the city since its so dangerous while meth heads are stealing anhydrous ammonia from fertilizer tanks and will shoot you without blinking if you get in their way just down the street from them.

boomboomsubban 5y ago
If it's anything like my experience in a rural town, they'll bemoan the dangers of the cities while Tom's kid got into meth and conned/robbed ten people they know, Dick's kid goes to the bar every night then drives home drunk to beat his family, and Harry's kid was hiding that he had HIV to sleep with several women in town.
- hef19898 5y ago
  The devil I know.
- a2tech 5y ago
  Yup. My best friends dad would stop at the gas station every night after his shift (2nd shift at a foundry) to get a 6 pack of Labatt that he'd drink while driving home, get home and keep drinking. On a good night he'd smoke, drink more beer and eat warmed up dinner. On a bad night, he'd come home, keep drinking, and get into it with his wife and smack her around for awhile. As an adult I realize why they always wanted me to stay over was he wouldn't lay into them while I was there. He'd just leave and go to brothers house. Or as we found out later, his girlfriends.
grapeskin 5y ago
Yep. Born and raised in a picturesque small town. Went on to live in cities. I know more than a few people in my small town who got arrested for burglaries and robberies. I know a lot of victims too. Rape basically isn't reported because if the neighbor's boy gets in trouble, that'll ruin the relations between half the town. There are the town drunks who got pulled over more times than you can count and eventually killed someone in a car accident. You're passing by hundreds if not thousands of people in a few hours in a city. A methhead dancing naked on the street corner is going to catch your eye. The thousands of normal people won't. In a small town, you're not seeing anyone at all some days. Maybe you're just passing by 5 cars. The opportunity to witness anything is lower. Of course, plenty of small towns are nice and safe. But the ones that have any problems are proportionally going to be way worse, due to lower population.

DoneWithAllThat 5y ago

Safer than what? Suburbs with nice sidewalks and tree lined streets and friendly neighbors who know each other? Safer than rural areas where everyone knows everyone and there’s enough law enforcement to work on a 1:1 basis? I’m sorry but this just seems like an absolute nonsense claim.

lovich 5y ago
To reply to anecdata with anecdata my experiences with suburbs have been a complete lack of sidewalks in favor of cars and neighbors not talking to each other except in the form of HOA violation notices. For the country, where I grew up, everyone did know everyone else, but that was only a benefit if you were friends with the town sheriff. Good luck taking a walk anywhere when the local hooligans would charge at you with their lifted pickups or roll coal right next to you, and the sheriff threateningly asking you if you are starting a problem when you try and file a complaint
tomjakubowski 5y ago
The comment said cities are safer now than they were before, which is true. > Suburbs with nice sidewalks and tree lined streets and friendly neighbors who know each other? Safer than rural areas where everyone knows everyone and there’s enough law enforcement to work on a 1:1 basis? No, no real place can possibly be safer than a fantasy land.
- trashtester 5y ago
  If so, I live in that fantasy land. Except, we never see any on-duty law enforcement, as it is virtually never needed. The neighbours that are police work in the city. I've been living here for 10 years, and I've seen 2 on-duty police cars so far, one was on the first day of school several years ago, when they stopped every car on the way to school/day-care to make sure seats were safe, and one was due to a traffic accident where an electric scooter had hit a car. My third grade daughter has been walking/cycling (depending on weather) the 2km trip to school for over a year, with a friend, but no adults. The benefits are considerable, both socially, physically and emotionally. 4km/day on top of normal playtime and sports is a nice exercise boost. Spending time away from adult supervision strengthens friendships and boosts self confidence and mental stamina. Sometimes I miss the city, but for the freedom of my kids, living where I do is night and day in terms of safety and health compared to where I lived before.

wolverine876 5y ago

> The chief difference is that the segment of the media dedicated to keeping people fearful Also, there is the Citizen app. I wonder if it's driving perception more than anything else. When I've talked to people in safe cities who nonetheless were ranting to me about crime, I've asked them if they have Citizen, and very many do. Not strong data, but I would love to see some research.

dtjb 5y ago
Citizen is going to get someone killed.
- wolverine876 5y ago
  That's part of the goal, in a way. It used to be called Vigilante - no joke - and the goals remain similar. Look up the Fast Company article describing them.