Americans...Do You Feel You're In Danger???

[Bila]

When i visited US for the first time 4 years ago, i thought " hmmm, now i see why it's the greatest nation on earth" and became a big admirer.

Eventhough i HATE the toxic mainstream culture, the kardashians, miley ... And it effect on future generations.

Regarding security : coming from a country where my a$$ was grabbed by strangers on a daily basis ( in the bus, walking in the street, at work ..) .... You complain about being over protected ?? ..... Try being underprotected

 

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[GlobalWealth]

I prefer under protected. It gives me control of my own future.

If I live in a place where I was constantly harassed like that I'd #1 move; or #2 carry pepper spray.

Sent from my SM-G900FD using Tapatalk

 

[Rawr]

I prefer under protected. It gives me control of my own future.

Bila, over long enough timeline of this protection, the women have arrived at the opposite problem. No dares to grab their a$$!

 

[JordanS]

I don't think the world is worse than it has been in the past. Now we just have the internet and a 24/7 news cycle showing us bad things all the time. Those things were always happening, we just weren't hearing about them the second they happened.

 

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[Chitown]

The US (mostly the government) has done a great job at discouraging me from visiting this country (visa issues, airport security procedures, high taxes, rising crime, overregulation, suspicions about everybody). I've never been there, but I'm actually more afraid to go there than to many other places people consider dangerous.

@MTF

First, I love your avatar! Second, everything you listed above makes me want to get the hell out of here, myself. Third, I don't feel safe in certain areas, especially here in greater Los Angeles. Fourth, I have to head out to a family function but will check out the post you linked to, when I return.

 

[Red]

@JasonR has been kidnapped in Bali by beautiful women...

You spelled "bats" wrong.

I prefer under protected.

This is because you're a dude &, what, about 6' tall? You're much less likely to be a target than @Bila or myself.


In my time traveling, I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the experience of walking around a foreign city as a singular woman than on the arm of a man. But just like here in Phoenix, there are place I wouldn't ever walk alone at night. Ever. I figured every city/every country has the same thing. There's the good & the not-so-good. You have to decide what's important to you & then select a place that caters to those priorities. It's just that simple.

Is your priority keeping most of your income? Then there are many countries that you will want to avoid, including the US if you earn any type of substantial income.
Is your priority having handicap/wheelchair accessible amenities? Then the US is one of the best places around.
Do you love snow? Then Phoenix isn't for you.
Etc, etc, ad nauseum...

It all comes down to what's important to you. That's the beauty of all of it: there's something for everyone. Life is too short to not live where you love.

 

[AndrewNC]

You spelled "bats" wrong.

Incorrect...he spelled "Thailand" wrong...and you spelled "Layboys" wrong...

 

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[JordanK]

Here in Europe I feel very safe and free in Ireland and most other European countries that I visit from time to time. Although I would avoid parts of Italy at the moment. Ever since the Edward Snowden revelations my admiration and respect for the US fell big time. Whenever I use the internet now I feel like I'm being watched by Big Brother USA. It's not a nice feeling but unfortunately thats the world we live in today.

 

[IrishSpring600]

When i visited US for the first time 4 years ago, i thought " hmmm, now i see why it's the greatest nation on earth" and became a big admirer.

Eventhough i HATE the toxic mainstream culture, the kardashians, miley ... And it effect on future generations.

Regarding security : coming from a country where my a$$ was grabbed by strangers on a daily basis ( in the bus, walking in the street, at work ..) .... You complain about being over protected ?? ..... Try being underprotected

It's not a matter of safety, but a matter of approach. Don't expect to go to Somalia walking with a Samsung in your hand.

 

[craig1928]

Don't expect to go to Somalia walking with a Samsung in your hand.

Don't expect to go to Somalia full stop, Mogadishu is one of the most dangerous cities on the planet.

 

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[Chitown]

I think you'll enjoy this post: http://www.fluentin3months.com/fear/ Other posters in this thread will probably enjoy it, too. Just a taste:

@MTF

Great post.

He made some very strong points about the absurdity of our fear of damned near everything outside our borders - which a lot of people buy into without any vetting whatsoever - while we don't give a second thought to the stealthy erosion of our civil liberties at home under the dubious claim of "national security". WTF?

The FBI showing up at my door with a "National Security Letter", hopped up police goons at LAX, Monsanto being able to sue and win against dairy farmers who advertise the fact they don't use growth hormones in their products - that's the s--t that makes me nervous! I'm a gun owner. Register my ammo? Are you on crack? Never!

I don't even watch the news, anymore, because the lazy sons of biscuit eaters who call themselves mainstream journalists don't cover in any substantive way the issues that affect all of us like climate change. That s--t is real!

On the other hand, I refuse to be scared of the "other". I love interacting with people from other countries, faiths viewpoints, etc. That's how you grow as a person; expand as a human being. One of my fondest memories in recent years was a late night conversation I had with an Italian man as we sat listening to the waves at Palisades Park in Santa Monica, CA.

We talked about religion, politics, women, capitalism, etc. We disagreed on some things but that was okay. The important thing was we listened to each other. All these doomsdayers who sit in front of their televisions recoiling in horror at the world, as if the bogeyman with the accent is going to get them?

I wish, as a start, they'd take a walk around the block. They might learn something.

 

[Jake]

You complain about being over protected ?? ..... Try being underprotected

"Ms. Diaz said when the female officer arrived, she conducted a pat frisk of her nude body, including asking her to spread her legs.

“She questioned (the others) why she had to search me if I was naked,” Ms. Diaz said. “They were like, ‘Search her anyway.’”​

http://telegram.com/article/20150821/NEWS/150829750

Over protected

 

[Rawr]

In my time traveling, I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the experience of walking around a foreign city as a singular woman than on the arm of a man.

And what is that difference?

 

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[splok]

And what is that difference?

Even in Norway, the wife would get some verbal harassment when walking around by herself and was very hesitant to go out alone after dark.

It's unfortunate, but women get to deal with a lot of stuff that we're just never directly exposed to.

 

[juturna]

No place is actually safe. I mean, yeah, there could be comfort here and there, but who's to say you're actually safe from harm?

 

[OscarDeuce]

Years ago, the neighbor across the street, who we never much spoke with, knocked on the door to tell my wife, "I just saw your husband on CNN!"
"What was he doing?" my better half inquired.
"Jumping off a bridge!"
Well, that got her a bit worked up, particularly because she couldn't reach me by telephone.

The back story was, I was in Amsterdam working with a client. This was back when the EU was still in the "good idea" stage, although not everyone was convinced of that. There was apparently a crucial meeting on that topic scheduled to take place in the city, and the protesters had been gathering for about a week. It was a Saturday as I recall, and I didn't have any client meetings that day. Even with the protesters, things had been peaceful, so I decided to wander around a bit.

I went down to the central train station, which was a short walk from my hotel. My client's offices were quite a bit out of town and I had been taking taxis back and forth. Taxis seem to be none too pleasant in any city, so I decided to check out the train as an alternative way of getting to their offices.

I was crossing the broad avenue right outside the train station and was about halfway across when the police and protesters charged each other. I was at ground zero. It quickly became obvious that these people wanted to kill one another, and neither side cared that I was a noncombatant. I literally fought my way to what seemed to be the closest "edge" of the melee, and found myself at the railing overlooking one of the many canals that cross perpendicular to the streets. As I climbed over the railing, I noticed the camera crew...

Anyway, I relate that story only to provide context. Although I've experienced "issues" traveling abroad, no, I don't feel unsafe doing so. I'll echo what many have said above, I feel far less safe right here at "home," where the police shoot first and ask questions later, apparently with impunity. And no, I'm not referring to recently well publicized cases where the shooting was clearly self defense. I'm thinking more of the cases you never heard about. Like the middle aged woman who was gunned down by a cop while she was waiting in a church parking lot for a meeting that she arrived early for. Or the unarmed man who lived literally down the street in a mostly white, upper middle class neighborhood, shot by a cop over a "domestic" disturbance.

Cheers,
O-2

 

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[Red]

And what is that difference?

Attention received. I can't speak for every city out there, but walking around Madrid/Barcelona/insert Spanish city here with my (guy) Russian-Mafia-looking friend who is 6'3" & 225lbs (maybe? guessing), I was utterly invisible to men. He departed, I stayed a few days extra & couldn't walk 10' down the street without some kind of male interaction/attention & I'm not joking or exaggerating (ask other women, this isn't uncommon). Same experience when I lived in NYC. The only culture I can think of where this didn't happen was in China...

It puts you on edge... for me, not so much abroad, but DEFINITELY here in the states. Then again, I never did see "Taken"...

 

[DrkSide]

I have never been out of the country so I can't really comment there. But I have never felt in danger living in the US.

Without getting into too much detail I will put the blame on the media and the 24/7 news cycle for telling everyone that they are in danger. People are now told on an hourly basis about someone being killed/beaten/shot or other atrocity. How do you think that will make them feel about the world around them?

Fear and violence sell and with "journalists" and "experts" on the TV (which is where most people spend their time) telling you that every danger lurks just around the corner and that you should be scared people react just the way they are told.

Evil is everywhere and it cannot be removed from society. It will use the tools that it has be it guns, knives, baseball bats, or money to inflict damage on people without impunity for anyone.

 

[Chitown]

http://telegram.com/article/20150821/NEWS/150829750

@Jake

I read the article. Shaking my head...speechless.

 

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[Chitown]

I was crossing the broad avenue right outside the train station and was about halfway across when the police and protesters charged each other. I was at ground zero. It quickly became obvious that these people wanted to kill one another, and neither side cared that I was a noncombatant. I literally fought my way to what seemed to be the closest "edge" of the melee, and found myself at the railing overlooking one of the many canals that cross perpendicular to the streets. As I climbed over the railing, I noticed the camera crew...

@OscarDeuce

I'm glad you made it out of there, safely!

 

[Rawr]

Attention received. I can't speak for every city out there, but walking around Madrid/Barcelona/insert Spanish city here with my (guy) Russian-Mafia-looking friend who is 6'3" & 225lbs (maybe? guessing), I was utterly invisible to men. He departed, I stayed a few days extra & couldn't walk 10' down the street without some kind of male interaction/attention & I'm not joking or exaggerating (ask other women, this isn't uncommon). Same experience when I lived in NYC. The only culture I can think of where this didn't happen was in China...

It puts you on edge... for me, not so much abroad, but DEFINITELY here in the states. Then again, I never did see "Taken"...

But, your quote says "In my time traveling, I can tell you that there is a HUGE difference in the experience of walking around a foreign city as a singular woman than on the arm of a man."

 

[Chitown]

It's unfortunate, but women get to deal with a lot of stuff that we're just never directly exposed to.

@splok

Absolutely! Damn shame the crap that women have to deal with.

 

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[OscarDeuce]

@OscarDeuce

I'm glad you made it out of there, safely!

Thank you, sir. Me too!

Cheers,
O-2

 

[Hassen]

I've walked around in eastern Los Angeles at night alone as a woman. I've walked a dimly-lit path for 10 min as a singular woman (ok, sometimes while being drunk out of my mind) after midnight for many times to get home in my home city in China. Noticed no difference whatsoever, except in China brass knuckles are legal whereas guns are both illegal & rare even for criminals, so I feel pretty good about not carrying & only have my brass knuckles ready to break a few bones of any potential shady character that might approach me. Well, provided I am taller and better trained than the average shady character in China, but still.

I'm a firm believer that unless you manage to land yourself in a warzone, whether you feel safe depends largely on yourself. Don't flaunt your riches, avoid dangerous areas/situations unless you know what you're doing & be ready to protect yourself if it really comes down to that, you should be good to go in most places people travel to as tourists. Bottom line, even if you get pickpocketed or even mugged as a traveler for once or twice, theives and robbers generally wouldn't try to kill you. Whether you're American or not wouldn't matter that much either, I mean, anybody traveling abroad could get exposed to scams, petty theft, all kinds of crimes that are simply everywhere in every country, & anybody could encounter situations where their ethnicity/nationality is a disadvantage (for example, a Chinese tourist in Mongolia or Kazakhstan has more to worry about than a Japanese or Korean one, very generally speaking). The latter isn't unique to Americans.

 

[MarkTwain]

Not in the slightest. I live in australia, I've traveled thailand, indonesia, a lot of asia, I'm from the UK, born and bred; and I have darker skin. Every single country I've been to, without exception, including the US, people have assumed I'm from America before hearing me speak.

Difference is I actually lived in East Asia as a person of African descent who speaks Mandarin as well as Japanese and ,especially in China,the word that translates to "African" was the only one you would hear as people ogled you on the street.

 

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