Huckleberries Online

Foreign Streets Safer Than US — Not

Posted by DFO

Feb. 10, 2009 9:37 a.m. • 15 comments

I recently overheard a group talk about how “when walking in the streets of any European city, I feel so much safer than in the United States.” While they may have reason to feel that way in the ritzy neighborhood of certain larger areas (I happen to know they were referring to Paris), overall my experience growing up in France was not by any means a safe one. I was harassed and beaten constantly when leaving school. I got money, CDs, CD players, shoes, jackets, etc. stolen from me. In our rather quiet neighborhood, we were the only people on our street to not get their house broken into (many were robbed like this at gunpoint). My mom was mugged approximately five times, and my grandmother has been mugged so many times she doesn’t really bother to mention it anymore/Charles Boespflug, UI Argonaut. More here.

Question: Do you feel safer in the streets of a foreign city than you do in the streets of a US city?

15 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

nic on February 10 at 9:42 a.m.
If feel pretty safe in Canada!

On a serious note… foreign metro areas are the same as American metro areas. There’s places where you are safe to walk, and places where you are not.
Sisyphus on February 10 at 10:52 a.m.
I had some surreal experiences on the streets of Paris. I had my luggage rifled in my hotel room while I was in there sleeping. Still, I love that city.
idawa on February 10 at 10:57 a.m.
No, I feel safer at home. However, if I knowingly go into a high crime rate area in the US or abroad, than I probably feel equally unsafe. I’m probably less safe abroad because I am at a knowledge disadvantage and can’t seek help as easily. Then again, American has more criminals and people in prison than any other nation in the world - so there you go.
toadman on February 10 at 11:26 a.m.
I’ve walked the streets of Nairobi (Kenya), Nuevo Laredo (Murder capital of Northern Mexico), and Asuncion (Paraguay). However, I felt more fear walking the streets of Miami, than anywhere else.

I think it really depends on a lot of different things. It’s never as simple as “are US streets safer than streets in (insert country).” If you let fear control you, you’ll be scared no matter where you walk, and you’ll live a life of isolation and regret. If you recognize fear as the evolutionary warning mechanism it is, then you can do a number of things to make yourself safer, no matter where you are in the world. My trick was to blend in…as much as possible. Think and act as much like a native to that place as possible…in doing so, you not only become more aware of your surroundings, but your inhibitions drop, your preconceptions fall away, and you have a more authentic experience.
brandxranch on February 10 at 2:20 p.m.
I was a young adult on the West Side of Buffalo where the idea for the Sopranos came to be. Never felt threatened, in fact, felt protected.
Have often traveled to VietNam, and again, feel safe, riding my bicycle to the market or the hospital, or touring the countryside.
Israel; safe in spite of rockets from Lebonon. Greece, OK, too.The Baja was not so secure, but if you play by the rules there is little danger. The cartels are lawless, however, and one must be aware. New Zealand was the best…. safe to hitchhike, easy to make friends, good fishing!!
There is always the possibility of something bad happening, at home or abroad. It means we must be responsible for educating ourselves and be wary, no matter if you are in Hue or Hauser.
.
Transplanted_Texan on February 10 at 3:05 p.m.
For a question like this, “foreign” isn’t much of a category… I mean, Ottawa, London, Grahamstown, and Baghdad are all foreign…
Stickman on February 10 at 8:09 p.m.
Sis: You’re right, one of the all time great cities.
Stickman on February 10 at 8:14 p.m.
Give me a break here. Walk Tehran or Mexico City, or Istanbul, or most cities in the world outside of the U.S. We are so fortunate to live where we do.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.