I don't think that either media reporting or broad statistics are an
accurate representation of one's likely experience in most circumstances.
I'll second Bob Benson's comments about media reporting. And while I've no
reason to doubt Nathan's reporting of the statistics, the reality is that
for reasonably cautious Caucasian people, safety in most areas of the US
and Europe isn't much of an issue.
Lately, here in the US, I wouldn't make the same statement for people who
are brown or black. The discouraging thing about that, other than the
immediately obvious one of color, is that if one is black or brown, the
people one has to be most wary of are those charged with "keeping the
peace".
On Aug 5, 2015 7:17 AM, "Nathan Wajsman" <photo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> You may have your personal experience, but statistics tell their story.
> You may be more likely to be pickpocketed in Spain, but you are MUCH more
> like to be murdered in the USA: almost six times as likely, to be exact:
>
>
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_intentional_homicide_rate
>
> I have travelled and lived in the US and several European countries, and I
> have travelled in Asia as well. The only city in which I was seriously
> worried about my personal safety (as opposed to slightly worried in
> certain areas) was New Orleans.
>
> Cheers,
> Nathan
>
>
> Op Wo, 5 augustus, 2015 15:07, schreef Bob Benson:
> > I'd like to add to Chuck's response to this:
> >
> >
> >
> >> This is what would make me very nervous and a further reason why
> >
> >> visiting the US is not on our agenda :
> >
> >
> >
> > The news media routinely takes one event and makes it sound like all 320
> > million and all 3 million square miles are exactly like that.
> >
> >
> >
> > It would be like assuming that events in Ukraine or Paris (ahh,
> bombings?)
> > completely describe what Europe is like. Or events in London from time
> to
> > time (ahh, bombings?) completely define the UK. Or murders in Norway, or
> > assaults in Marseille, or street robberies in Milano, etc. Read only
> > those reports, and I'd never go.
> >
> >
> >
> > Based on Europe-based events as reported by the media, I'd surely be even
> > more nervous about going out my door anywhere in Europe compared to the
> > US.
> > For example, a couple of years ago the Economist reported that, per
> > capita,
> > the UK is much more afflicted by violent crime than the US, and the
> > Netherlands Is much more afflicted by burglary/robbery than the US.
> > (Violent crime meaning little things like assault, battery, unsafe
> > streets
> > .)
> >
> >
> >
> > On a personal note, I've worked and traveled extensively in Mexico, the
> > US,
> > and Europe. In my experience, nowhere comes close than Europe in having
> > its
> > hotels advise its patrons, "better not walk over there" (referring to
> > some
> > neighborhood near the hotel.) This have never happened to me in the
> US
> > .
> > not to say it doesn't occur some places, but it hasn't happened to me.
> >
> >
> >
> > I have traveled (mostly by car) to all 48 lower US states, and every big
> > city . meaning all top 250 metropolitan areas other than in HI. Like
> > Chuck,
> > I have never experienced or even seen any "ugly" event . I haven't ever
> > seen
> > even a minor traffic accident. But I have experienced some in Europe:
> > been robbed, been assaulted on the street, been pickpocketed a few
> times.
> >
> >
> >
> > So I suggest that a reasonable person would see media events for what
> they
> > are: attention grabbing, and splashy, but not worthy of broad
> > generalization. And, to put a point on it: Europeans seem to think
> > they're somehow superior in these matters. Not in my experience. For
> > example, why don't we take a stroll together through some of Paris's
> > suburbs, or Eindhoven's central business district, or Milano's train
> > station, and see what we experience .
> >
> >
> >
> > BB
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > --
> > _________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Nathan Wajsman
> photo@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> --
> _________________________________________________________________
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>
>
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