5 ms·

Move to Baltimore, my friend. There are at least six bars within five blocks of my house. You’d have to get pretty sloshed to not be able to make the walk back.

deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
coldtea 4y ago
Yeah, totally safe walking drunk in Baltimore at night...
- jonny_eh 4y ago
  Lay off the Fox News
  - coldtea 4y ago
    Yeah, it's just Fox. Not official crime statistics. Or even Wikipedia: "The American city of Baltimore, Maryland, is notorious for its crime rate, which ranks well above the national average. Violent crime spiked in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray on April 19, 2015, which touched off riots and an increase in murders. The city recorded 348 homicides in 2019, a number second only to the number recorded in 1993 when the population was nearly 125,000 higher." In context, the UK, with 65+ million people had like 700 for 2022, or around 60 times less per population...
    - deleted 4y ago
      [deleted]
    - lynx23 4y ago
      I don't understand why people like to bath in drama like this. Yes, there are statistics... But, to be a bit cynic, you can spend your whole life being afraid of everything. But you can not spend the rest of your death being sorry about the decision that led to your demise. IOW, I'd much rather have a burden-free life where I might be a little unlucky and die before I reach the average lifespan... Instead of being careful and afraid the whole time but very old and bored. Is it that my doctor told me that I have only a 50/50 chance of reaching the age of 30 that I see risks as a worthwhile thing to embark on. Or am I just stupid not wanting to waste my life with fear and not caring enough about becoming old?
      - prottog 4y ago
        > a burden-free life where I might be a little unlucky and die Unlucky is being the victim of a random crime that leaves you crippled for life, not a clean death. I follow someone on social media like that, who was shot and left a paraplegic in a high-crime city. Parts of Baltimore are objectively dangerous and it's not being dramatic to acknowledge that or want to avoid it. At some point it had a higher murder rate than the most murderous countries in the world, like El Salvador or Honduras; coincidentally, people from those countries are seeking a better life in the US, and I don't suppose you would say they should stay and have a burden-free life there?
        ihateyouall123 4y ago
        [flagged]
      - coldtea 4y ago
        >I don't understand why people like to bath in drama like this. Yes, there are statistics... But, to be a bit cynic, you can spend your whole life being afraid of everything. Or you can spend your life in a safe, normal, environment, not just a crime ridden place, where crime of course doesn't end with homicides (those are the tip of the iceberg). You know, so that you can have kids playing outside, cops not shooting first and asking questions later because of the crime rate, women not afraid of being raped or assaulted, and so on... >Is it that my doctor told me that I have only a 50/50 chance of reaching the age of 30 that I see risks as a worthwhile thing to embark on. Or am I just stupid not wanting to waste my life with fear and not caring enough about becoming old? You literally compared a crime ridden city to a terminal illness with big chances of dying before your time. Couldn't have put it better myself. That people can still find joy in life or live their lives as best as they can, is orthogonal. People can also find joy and love, and a purpose, while their country is at war, but that's not something we should tolerate as if "war/peace, it's all the same to me".
        earthboundkid 4y ago
        Go to https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com/?range=2022 https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com/?range=2022. Only 10 white people and 1 Asian were murdered in Baltimore last year. 210 African Americans were. It sucks, and it’s unacceptable socially and politically, but in terms of my own personal safety, it would be absurd for me to fear being murdered more than I fear getting hit by a car or whatever else. That’s not to say I’m totally disconnected from it. I know I’m one degree from someone who was murdered, and I’m sure if I knew all the two degree separations, it would be staggering, but again, in terms of my life, I don’t do drugs and I don’t live in a neighborhood with gang shootings, so I’ll be fine.
    - mrguyorama 4y ago
      For reference, 348 homicides in one year for a city of half a million people is the same risk (using the micromort) as base jumping twice in the same year, or driving 175k miles, or 85ish skydives.
      - coldtea 4y ago
        Yeah, nothing to see here, move along...
  - 0zemp1c 4y ago
    heh no, America was taught by Hollywood to be afraid of Baltimore (The Wire)
    - coldtea 4y ago
      People used to live in a relatively much safer country (which makes for all of the western world, western europe, UK, Australia, Japan, etc.) should be afraid of most American cities - especially certain areas and hours. It's just that Americans in those cities have learned to normalize this violence all around them. They're OK with abnormally large rates of homicide, burglary, theft, rape, and acompanying ill like school shootings, police killings...
    - rybar 4y ago
      All major cities have areas and neighborhoods that are higher risk and not “safe”. You wouldn’t let your kid there, your partner or yourself go there typically. I lived in North Philadelphia throughout college and a couple years after. It isn’t a lie to say you are operating at a different level of vigilance. Your behaviors change. So no, Hollywood didn’t tell me anything about North Philly, my experience did. It’s quite amusing how everyone is saying US cities are safe and great like Baltimore, while they’re also saying “if you mostly stay in the gentrified or well established areas”. Is that even Baltimore then? Or a bubble within Baltimore?
      - earthboundkid 4y ago
        > Is that even Baltimore then? Or a bubble within Baltimore? If it's in Baltimore, then yes, it's in Baltimore. Why wouldn't it count? If a foreigner says, "America is unsafe" and you say, "Well, my suburb is safe," can they say, "Oh, that's not America"?
        mcv 4y ago
        Those unsafe places are also America. I don't think anyone is arguing that there aren't some places in the US that are safe, but that on the whole, it's a lot more dangerous than Europe. The fact that some Americans have the means to shield themselves from it while others don't just emphasises the inequality. My biggest problem, though, is the fact that schools are unsafe. The fact that schools need to practice shooter drills is heartbreaking.
- soylentcola 4y ago
  When I was younger and went out drinking more often, I walked home from bars in Baltimore all the time. What the stats leave out is that (not getting into the deep politics of redlining and gentrification) the vast majority of violent crime just doesn't involve the pub districts and less neglected residential areas. Yes, people will get mugged in the "nicer" neighborhoods once in a while. It's not something to discount or ignore. But when you hear about yet another gang shooting over the weekend, it's unlikely to be someone walking home from the bar in Hampden or Fells Point. It's in one of the neighborhoods that has seen disinvestment and poverty (and the resulting gang, drug trade, and violent activity) for generations. On one hand I would love to not have to worry about the crime stats where I live. I don't want to avoid other people because I worry about getting mugged walking home at night. But I also hate the idea that everyone follows the same "move out as soon as you have kids/can afford it/get to a certain age" plan. It's like a constant, slow urban flight where people who are well-off enough to contribute to the city leave and only the poorest and least privileged residents remain. I love that I can walk to so many places. When the city shut down due to a blizzard, I was fine not driving for a week or two. When it's nice out, I can walk 3 blocks to a massive park and see live music or a cultural festival. I can drive, but I can also bike or bus to work if my car is in the shop. Waterfront is walking distance. Shopping, restaurants, pubs, and galleries too. Oh, and my house cost under $200k (although I bought it a few years before the current price spike).
  - earthboundkid 4y ago
    Yeah, I maintained https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com for a while. Sad but true, there are one or two high profile murders in Fells Point per year, but if you're white or Asian, you are very unlikely to be murdered. It's almost all African Americans in the butterfly. I mean, it's a goddamn tragedy. You can see parts of Cherry Hill where every single block has a victim on it. Just heartbreaking stuff. But for me living in my neighborhood, murder is basically not a factor. Obviously any city you'll have to worry about muggings, but that's city life.

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

coldtea 4y ago

Yeah, totally safe walking drunk in Baltimore at night...

jonny_eh 4y ago
Lay off the Fox News
- coldtea 4y ago
  Yeah, it's just Fox. Not official crime statistics. Or even Wikipedia: "The American city of Baltimore, Maryland, is notorious for its crime rate, which ranks well above the national average. Violent crime spiked in 2015 after the death of Freddie Gray on April 19, 2015, which touched off riots and an increase in murders. The city recorded 348 homicides in 2019, a number second only to the number recorded in 1993 when the population was nearly 125,000 higher." In context, the UK, with 65+ million people had like 700 for 2022, or around 60 times less per population...
  - deleted 4y ago
    [deleted]
  - lynx23 4y ago
    I don't understand why people like to bath in drama like this. Yes, there are statistics... But, to be a bit cynic, you can spend your whole life being afraid of everything. But you can not spend the rest of your death being sorry about the decision that led to your demise. IOW, I'd much rather have a burden-free life where I might be a little unlucky and die before I reach the average lifespan... Instead of being careful and afraid the whole time but very old and bored. Is it that my doctor told me that I have only a 50/50 chance of reaching the age of 30 that I see risks as a worthwhile thing to embark on. Or am I just stupid not wanting to waste my life with fear and not caring enough about becoming old?
    - prottog 4y ago
      > a burden-free life where I might be a little unlucky and die Unlucky is being the victim of a random crime that leaves you crippled for life, not a clean death. I follow someone on social media like that, who was shot and left a paraplegic in a high-crime city. Parts of Baltimore are objectively dangerous and it's not being dramatic to acknowledge that or want to avoid it. At some point it had a higher murder rate than the most murderous countries in the world, like El Salvador or Honduras; coincidentally, people from those countries are seeking a better life in the US, and I don't suppose you would say they should stay and have a burden-free life there?
      - ihateyouall123 4y ago
        [flagged]
    - coldtea 4y ago
      >I don't understand why people like to bath in drama like this. Yes, there are statistics... But, to be a bit cynic, you can spend your whole life being afraid of everything. Or you can spend your life in a safe, normal, environment, not just a crime ridden place, where crime of course doesn't end with homicides (those are the tip of the iceberg). You know, so that you can have kids playing outside, cops not shooting first and asking questions later because of the crime rate, women not afraid of being raped or assaulted, and so on... >Is it that my doctor told me that I have only a 50/50 chance of reaching the age of 30 that I see risks as a worthwhile thing to embark on. Or am I just stupid not wanting to waste my life with fear and not caring enough about becoming old? You literally compared a crime ridden city to a terminal illness with big chances of dying before your time. Couldn't have put it better myself. That people can still find joy in life or live their lives as best as they can, is orthogonal. People can also find joy and love, and a purpose, while their country is at war, but that's not something we should tolerate as if "war/peace, it's all the same to me".
      - earthboundkid 4y ago
        Go to https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com/?range=2022 https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com/?range=2022. Only 10 white people and 1 Asian were murdered in Baltimore last year. 210 African Americans were. It sucks, and it’s unacceptable socially and politically, but in terms of my own personal safety, it would be absurd for me to fear being murdered more than I fear getting hit by a car or whatever else. That’s not to say I’m totally disconnected from it. I know I’m one degree from someone who was murdered, and I’m sure if I knew all the two degree separations, it would be staggering, but again, in terms of my life, I don’t do drugs and I don’t live in a neighborhood with gang shootings, so I’ll be fine.
  - mrguyorama 4y ago
    For reference, 348 homicides in one year for a city of half a million people is the same risk (using the micromort) as base jumping twice in the same year, or driving 175k miles, or 85ish skydives.
    - coldtea 4y ago
      Yeah, nothing to see here, move along...
- 0zemp1c 4y ago
  heh no, America was taught by Hollywood to be afraid of Baltimore (The Wire)
  - coldtea 4y ago
    People used to live in a relatively much safer country (which makes for all of the western world, western europe, UK, Australia, Japan, etc.) should be afraid of most American cities - especially certain areas and hours. It's just that Americans in those cities have learned to normalize this violence all around them. They're OK with abnormally large rates of homicide, burglary, theft, rape, and acompanying ill like school shootings, police killings...
  - rybar 4y ago
    All major cities have areas and neighborhoods that are higher risk and not “safe”. You wouldn’t let your kid there, your partner or yourself go there typically. I lived in North Philadelphia throughout college and a couple years after. It isn’t a lie to say you are operating at a different level of vigilance. Your behaviors change. So no, Hollywood didn’t tell me anything about North Philly, my experience did. It’s quite amusing how everyone is saying US cities are safe and great like Baltimore, while they’re also saying “if you mostly stay in the gentrified or well established areas”. Is that even Baltimore then? Or a bubble within Baltimore?
    - earthboundkid 4y ago
      > Is that even Baltimore then? Or a bubble within Baltimore? If it's in Baltimore, then yes, it's in Baltimore. Why wouldn't it count? If a foreigner says, "America is unsafe" and you say, "Well, my suburb is safe," can they say, "Oh, that's not America"?
      - mcv 4y ago
        Those unsafe places are also America. I don't think anyone is arguing that there aren't some places in the US that are safe, but that on the whole, it's a lot more dangerous than Europe. The fact that some Americans have the means to shield themselves from it while others don't just emphasises the inequality. My biggest problem, though, is the fact that schools are unsafe. The fact that schools need to practice shooter drills is heartbreaking.
soylentcola 4y ago
When I was younger and went out drinking more often, I walked home from bars in Baltimore all the time. What the stats leave out is that (not getting into the deep politics of redlining and gentrification) the vast majority of violent crime just doesn't involve the pub districts and less neglected residential areas. Yes, people will get mugged in the "nicer" neighborhoods once in a while. It's not something to discount or ignore. But when you hear about yet another gang shooting over the weekend, it's unlikely to be someone walking home from the bar in Hampden or Fells Point. It's in one of the neighborhoods that has seen disinvestment and poverty (and the resulting gang, drug trade, and violent activity) for generations. On one hand I would love to not have to worry about the crime stats where I live. I don't want to avoid other people because I worry about getting mugged walking home at night. But I also hate the idea that everyone follows the same "move out as soon as you have kids/can afford it/get to a certain age" plan. It's like a constant, slow urban flight where people who are well-off enough to contribute to the city leave and only the poorest and least privileged residents remain. I love that I can walk to so many places. When the city shut down due to a blizzard, I was fine not driving for a week or two. When it's nice out, I can walk 3 blocks to a massive park and see live music or a cultural festival. I can drive, but I can also bike or bus to work if my car is in the shop. Waterfront is walking distance. Shopping, restaurants, pubs, and galleries too. Oh, and my house cost under $200k (although I bought it a few years before the current price spike).
- earthboundkid 4y ago
  Yeah, I maintained https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com https://homicides.news.baltimoresun.com for a while. Sad but true, there are one or two high profile murders in Fells Point per year, but if you're white or Asian, you are very unlikely to be murdered. It's almost all African Americans in the butterfly. I mean, it's a goddamn tragedy. You can see parts of Cherry Hill where every single block has a victim on it. Just heartbreaking stuff. But for me living in my neighborhood, murder is basically not a factor. Obviously any city you'll have to worry about muggings, but that's city life.