2 ms·

Hm, fair enough. But how often do your friends actually get attacked? Is it really a reasonable fear for them? I've never been there myself so I might be comple

by ryusage 14y ago

Hm, fair enough. But how often do your friends actually get attacked? Is it really a reasonable fear for them? I've never been there myself so I might be completely wrong, but my impression of Texas is that the culture there is more paranoid than necessary, and unusually preoccupied with the idea of lethal self-defense. And what kind of area was this? Part of my surprise about Russia is that it sounds like this kind of thing happens everywhere.

stcredzero 14y ago
> But how often do your friends actually get attacked? Well, once someone shot a rifle through their house, and they discovered the bullet holes and the bullet lodged in the back wall the next morning. However, the husband works in criminal justice, so they hear about a lot more violent incidents than most people. > And what kind of area was this? Suburban Houston.
drone 14y ago
The real trick to understand is that the culture is very diverse here in the larger cities. (I live in a very much urban, and fairly poor part of Houston, the SE side of Downtown.) There are just about as many people who would chafe at the idea that anyone would even own a gun as there are that own several. My perception is generally that the pre-occupation with self defense that people observe is not an urban trend. All of that is anecdotal and worth what you paid for it =) However, I've lived here for about 20 years now, usually in poorer areas, mostly due to cost factor. I have generally felt safer in some of the worst urban areas in Houston, than some of the moderately bad urban areas in other places, like NYC, Baltimore, Chicago. Outside of certain areas like Forum Park [2], and the central swath of the 3rd Ward [3], I always felt the most unsafe in the suburbs. (However, my short time living in Forum Park was a rather agreeable one as long as I was in my area of the complex that everyone knew me.) But, on our side of town, its not uncommon to be surrounded by vertical gunfire on the holidays - so, there is that, I guess. Road rage? Well, I've been known to be a pretty aggressive driver, and only had one instance of it happening. It was probably my fault though, I really shouldn't have driven up on the sidewalk to make the turn after honking at him. =) We often like to joke that the reputation, deserved or not, that everyone else is armed here keeps everyone a bit more civil. [1] For those not from Houston, Telephone road has a very, erm, "colorful" history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Road [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Park,_Houston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Park,_Houston [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston

by ryusage 14y ago

stcredzero 14y ago

> But how often do your friends actually get attacked? Well, once someone shot a rifle through their house, and they discovered the bullet holes and the bullet lodged in the back wall the next morning. However, the husband works in criminal justice, so they hear about a lot more violent incidents than most people. > And what kind of area was this? Suburban Houston.

drone 14y ago

The real trick to understand is that the culture is very diverse here in the larger cities. (I live in a very much urban, and fairly poor part of Houston, the SE side of Downtown.) There are just about as many people who would chafe at the idea that anyone would even own a gun as there are that own several. My perception is generally that the pre-occupation with self defense that people observe is not an urban trend. All of that is anecdotal and worth what you paid for it =) However, I've lived here for about 20 years now, usually in poorer areas, mostly due to cost factor. I have generally felt safer in some of the worst urban areas in Houston, than some of the moderately bad urban areas in other places, like NYC, Baltimore, Chicago. Outside of certain areas like Forum Park [2], and the central swath of the 3rd Ward [3], I always felt the most unsafe in the suburbs. (However, my short time living in Forum Park was a rather agreeable one as long as I was in my area of the complex that everyone knew me.) But, on our side of town, its not uncommon to be surrounded by vertical gunfire on the holidays - so, there is that, I guess. Road rage? Well, I've been known to be a pretty aggressive driver, and only had one instance of it happening. It was probably my fault though, I really shouldn't have driven up on the sidewalk to make the turn after honking at him. =) We often like to joke that the reputation, deserved or not, that everyone else is armed here keeps everyone a bit more civil. [1] For those not from Houston, Telephone road has a very, erm, "colorful" history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Road http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Road [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Park,_Houston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Park,_Houston [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston