Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to On small town values

Show me the property values.
SDAI-Tech1 — (archived)

There are parts of any big city that are pretty good - you can find these spots by comparing property values. Likewise, in a small city, the poorer spots are going to be rougher and the richer spots generally nicer and safer.

Walking can be dangerous anywhere. Mission Viejo, a suburb of Los Angeles, in Orange County is still one of the safest places in the nation and I walked around there back in the 80s, when it was safer still, possibly one of the safest populated spots on earth. On various occasions I still encountered mentally ill people, was approached by drug dealers, stolen watch hawkers, and folks who were clearly threatening - and all this in the heart of the city that defined benevolent suburbia.

Wherever folks have more, walking is generally welcome - or at least not an anomaly. Wherever folks have less, strangers are suspect, fear is a factor and education levels become a key to the level of civility you will encounter.

Walking around a ghetto is possible too. One merely needs to 'fit in'. Dressing in a golf outfit is not the answer. ;-) Looking like one has a purpose is important too.

Walking in the country can definitely be more dangerous. More dogs, more guns, more open spaces that makes one far more visible than in the city. The cities were designed for walking in parts, while much of the country was created in an urban automotive sprawl, where walking as travel is only done by hobos and children.

As for your experiences in Kansas, 'fitting in' is the order of the day. Buy yourself a decent sized dog and use it as 'walking' cover. Remember where other dogs live by the barking competitions your walk will generate and learn to avoid the worst of these spots if possible. Walking dogs is still viewed as legitimate walking for adults and affords one an extra margin of safety while one walks. Walking for the sake of walking is suspect in adults where incomes are lower. Folks are looking out for sales people, thieves, etcetera.

Just like in the ghetto, folks walking past are first viewed through a threat assessment filter and after that, by a "fitting in" filter.

Much of the response to strangers is not city/country it is rich/poor.

Log in or register to post.

The whole thread (91 posts)