What does dangerous mean?

Well who knows what it means to this American guy who voiced it ? He could be someone coming up at that metro station for the first time in his life when you heard him, or he might be married into a Neapolitan family and been living there for 20 years.

It's impossible to know whether he had any knowledge on which to base his "dangerous" assessment.

I was just thinking about posting about this too ha! From my time on the forum, I've noticed several words have slightly different meanings in the USA, like "village", "the best", and now "dangerous".

To me it seems like Americans' have a looser definition of dangerous, for example I've noticed that many American travelers consider "loss of property" to be associated with danger or a lack of safety just as much as "physical danger", like "From everything I have read the train seems like a dangerous trip with all the pickpocketing in Naples".

In the European context, I think the term "dangerous" is more associated with physical harm, such as violent crime or accidents, rather than material loss. However, in the American context, it seems that the term encompasses both physical danger and loss of property, as both are viewed as threats to an individual's safety and well-being. Perhaps this is due to a variety of factors, such as the higher prevalence of violent crime in parts of the USA, or the higher emphasis on personal property and wealth in American culture?

Of course, it's important to recognize that these generalizations may not apply to everyone, but it's fascinating to consider how our cultural backgrounds and societal values can shape the language we use and the way we perceive the world around us.

"Perhaps this is due to a variety of factors, such as the higher prevalence of violent crime in parts of the USA, or the higher emphasis on personal property and wealth in American culture."

In my view, loss of personal property in the US is often associated with violent crime to one's self. Mugging, stabbing, being shot, home invasions go along with loss of personal property. Since Pickpocketing is largely unknown in lots of the US, the fact that you can lose personal property yet not be physically harmed is kind of an unknown entity unless someone has traveled in Europe.

Yes, I've been pickpocketed in Paris. I did not even know someone was that close to me and was shocked when I realized I had a pouch missing from my purse. That would never happen to me locally, lol. In fact at our local meet up yesterday, I laid my purse on a table to "hold" it while I walked to the cash register to order my coffee. In the previous place where I lived I used to leave my purse on the front seat of the car, window open in nice weather, to run into the post office. Even if I started chatting with the PostMaster I never worried.

Bets, you know where I'm from and it's stictly small town USA even if where I live is a larger area now, lol. To me, graffiti on buildings feels dangerous. I KNOW in my brain that is not a correct assumption but...yep, I have to talk myself out of graffiti'd buildings as being a "dangerous" neighborhood!

For many , this sort of remark may come under the heading of a variety of repeatable canards such as - " Everyone knows this " ,
" That's what I've been told ", " It's common knowledge " and my favorite , " I'm just saying " . Without a critical assessment or reason based response to an issue or subject , stereotypical remarks like this are all too common .

Again, with all the other "words" discussed, it has meaning to the person saying it, but really of little consequence to anyone else, who would have their own opinion. Trying to dissect the meaning is a bit foolhardy in that respect, since you are at a loss of information, and you are not going to "correct" the person who used it.

As for "Dangerous" areas, I am "meh" about an area when I hear it. Usually it is tagged that by someone who has never been there, and makes some judgement, usually based on the perceived economic status of the area, or prevalence of "shady", or in some cases, people of certain races or ethnicities. One may recall the ridiculous chatter going around a few years back, that one must not go into certain neighborhoods in Paris, or London, or Stockholm..."because the Police do not even go there since Muslims instituted Sharia Law."

Further, "it may only be "dangerous" at certain times of day or night, for certain people (tourists?, local gang members?, people seeking drugs?), or based on your behavior (drunk, loud, argumentative)

Basically, don't get hung up on a word.

Basically, don't get hung up on a word.

Well to those of us who are fascinated by language and how it's shaped by sociocultural and historical influence, getting hung up on a word is what it's all about lol!

In my view, loss of personal property in the US is often associated with violent crime to one's self. Mugging, stabbing, being shot, home invasions go along with loss of personal property.

Pam that must be the reason, I was born and raised in Europe and I've never really associated physical harm with theft, but maybe in the US where a prevalence of firearms is greater it's a much more dangerous combination.

"Pam that must be the reason, I was born and raised in Europe and I've never really associated physical harm with theft, but maybe in the US where a prevalence of firearms is greater it's a much more dangerous combination."

Long ago and far away when I lived in Florida 25+ years ago I would not fuel up my car at night. There were so many convenience store robberies especially on Saturday nights with a "Saturday night special" (small, cheap handgun) that I just didn't want to take a chance I'd get caught in a "situation". This was in a small town in West Central Florida that was otherwise unremarkable for violent crime. This was also before the preponderance of automatic weapons of today.

Oddly enough it didn't bother me to fill up in the dark of an early AM, say 5 or 6AM - it is a well known fact that bad guys sleep in, hahaha!

Again, often a purely individual definition; however, Naples has a reputation and perhaps your neighbourhood may be dangerous at certain times or under certain conditions. I wonder what a local from say, 2 miles away, may say about that neighbourhood. I guess a visit to the local police station may elicit a truer answer. You know how neighbours are surprised to hear a neighbour became a dangerous offender, because their interactions were benign. Maybe a neighbourhood can also be that way depending on who and when they are there.
As a solo woman global traveler, I often get asked by other women 'is it safe?', and that is purely a personal measurement. It is not something I spend a lot of time on when researching, but I have learned I have a higher safety/risk threshold. I expect 'dangerous' is similar, as either an emotional and real measurement.
Recently, someone asked about Barcelona's pickpocketing problems and mentioned that some locals he knew had been 'mugged'. I thought a true mugging would be rare, and someone else also questioned the use of that word. Clearly, for that poster, a mugging and pickpocket was the same....though they are vastly different in definition. Perhaps their perception was that it is more likely to include physical violence that an opportunistic act of petty theft. In fact, they eventually decided to stay outside of Barcelona.

Recently, someone asked about Barcelona's pickpocketing problems and mentioned that some locals he knew had been 'mugged'. I thought a true mugging would be rare, and someone else also questioned the use of that word. Clearly, for that poster, a mugging and pickpocket was the same....though they are vastly different in definition. Perhaps their perception was that it is more likely to include physical violence that an opportunistic act of petty theft. In fact, they eventually decided to stay outside of Barcelona.

Barcelona's violent theft problem is fairly unique and quite recent (only started in the last 5-3 years). The sneaky pickpockets of before (who rarely used violence) have now been emboldened, due to lack of the city government's persecution, to become violent muggers who use bladed weapons to achieve their nefarious ends. Nowhere in Spain (or probably Europe) has the same issue.

It goes along with people asking for hotels that are "safe and clean". Why do people write this? As though anyone would recommend a hotel that was dangerous and dirty!

Everyone seems to have their own perception of danger. If you have grown up or live in a small town and then you get to London, Paris, NYC, it gets overwhelming and it feels dangerous. Someone that grew up in the city, may find being in the country to be dangerous, what with all those wild animals, snakes, spiders and scary cows with giant horns.

Thanks for the clarification, Carlos. I certainly have rarely heard of actual muggings being an issue in Barcelona. Pickpocketing tourists seems what we hear of the most.

I think Pam hit on the key point. I've had wallets lifted several times (only once in Europe, and that was in Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria, of all places). The first time was within 50 feet of the door of my apartment building. I must not have reacted fast enough when one of the three dudes tugged on my shoulder bag, because I got socked in the mouth. Our thieves are less skilled and tend to rely on imitidation or brute force.

There's also the graffiti thing. Graffiti is more an issue in poverty-stricken areas in the US, so we tend to see graffiti and think "Not a good area." Graffiti shows up in a lot of "nicer" areas in many European cities, but a newcomer might not pick up on that.

I was in Naples for a week recently. I stayed in Spagnoli, which looks like it was built as a working-class district (narrow streets, not very practical for cars) and has a rough appearance. The area nearest Via Toledo has lots of busy restaurants, and the entire area felt totally safe to me--though I wasn't out late at night. Still, I wouldn't recommend staying there to just anyone; it would need to be someone who, like me, has lived in a big city (not in the suburbs).

Sorry but these questions are like asking how many fairies can dance on the needle of a pin?

PS-A lot of Italians think Naples is dangerous as well. So perhaps it is stereotypes and someone's prejudices.

Thanks for the clarification, Carlos. I certainly have rarely heard of actual muggings being an issue in Barcelona. Pickpocketing tourists seems what we hear of the most.

No problem

In Barcelona, up until recently, the pickpocket issue was fairly similar to other major European tourist cities, but just with a lot more of them. Recently the pickpockets in Barcelona have transitioned from using "bird poop scams" to wielding navaja blades.

"Someone that grew up in the city, may find being in the country to be dangerous, what with all those wild animals, snakes, spiders and scary cows with giant horns."

@Jo - I post a lot on the Yellowstone National Park forum. We often get the "is it dangerous" question and the follow up "Do I need Bear Spray". I have no problems going to the park solo and being out and about. Yes, I wear bear spray - make it a habit to holster it when I step out of the car. Have I ever used it? No, thank goodness, but I know how and have practiced. That is alarming to many folks but it's a step for safety along with situational awareness. 99.9999% of people who visit the park never have an encounter with a bear and some will leave thinking they were never near one except in a situation controlled by Rangers. They are probably wrong, bear just chose to go a different route to avoid an encounter, lol.

"There's also the graffiti thing. Graffiti is more an issue in poverty-stricken areas in the US, so we tend to see graffiti and think "Not a good area." Graffiti shows up in a lot of "nicer" areas in many European cities, but a newcomer might not pick up on that."

@acraven: Thank you for more fully stating what was in the back of my mind! Yes, this.

Steven, I think you nailed it.

There is a tendency to repeat as fact what you have heard three times. Often without understanding the context or relative nature of the statement. Everyone knows Naples is dangerous, I do (cause I read it on the RS forum).

In most general conversation, who cares. But when you are giving advice on the forum, and when people see you have 6 trillion posts and assume you know what you are talking about, you sort of have a responsibility to confirm and put it in context before you post.

"Europe is too hot in the Summer"
"Cell phones are a major target of thieves"
"You need six months on your passport"

But I will concede to this: When traveling those simple little things that can go wrong at home carry more complicated consequences abroad. Like trying to replace a cell phone for instance; so a little extra care is necessary. Same with health issues (like being mugged in Naples). So its not really an issue of comparison to the US, rather a understanding of consequences relative to if it happened in the U.S. In a strange sort of way, that makes Naples more "dangerous" than Boston.

A funny aside; I once had a visitor in Budapest who was disgusted with how dirty the city was. I commented that it was cleaner than a lot of American urban centers, and she countered that was only because in Budapest they sweep the streets early each morning so no one can see it. Huh?

In my view, loss of personal property in the US is often associated with violent crime to one's self. I started to head to reply saying just this - but Pam said it better. Except I might go one step further and say it’s usually associated with violent crime or injury.

As though anyone would recommend a hotel that was dangerous and dirty!.

Ms. Jo, this made me laugh out loud.

But I also think “dangerous” is a statement based on unfamiliarity. If it’s “unfamiliar”, for many people - especially those just beginning to encounter the unfamiliar, it feels “dangerous” because of a lack of knowledge on how to control a situation or a lack of experience to know they have dealt with “unfamiliar” before and can again. I do think Americans often fear bodily harm.

I love my Budapest story on this topic. Someone sent me to a neighborhood that might be dangerous at certain times of night. But while there with a local group of people, I was having a wonderful discussion with a lady (from England) who has lived in Budapest for ages. She said she wanted to go to India (on her own) for an event but that people were telling her it was dangerous. I smiled and said it was probably just a lack of knowledge and that some people at home thought Budapest was dangerous. She was completely astonished and said “ But Budapest is SAFE!” Knowledge and experience…..

I lived in Germany for four years, working for the US Army. This was from 1987-1991. There were almost no places that were considered dangerous in Germany. We loved going to Italy and we had German warn us about Naples.

We were in Paris and wanted a taxi driver to take us to see St. Dennis north of Paris. The taxi driver begged us not to go. He said it wasn't safe at night. Also, we had discussions with some Parisians that advised us to stay away from the western and northern suburbs of Paris at night.

As Americans, we have grown up knowing that there are high crime areas in major US cities and avoid them. Just look up the crime stats, I do that before I go into a city. Also, the locals will tell you if you ask them. I read somewhere that 2% of the counties in the USA have most of the violent crime in the US. I remember the story of German tourists that flew into Miami and rented a car, drove north on I95 exiting into Liberty City by mistake. They never got out, they died.

There are places to avoid when you travel, it is best to know them in advance.

It means that his instinct told them that it was dangerous to use caution and maybe don't hang out at night there, don't trust and watch their back. He sensed something you did not and that was based on his personal experience, history of violence, culture, activities planned, travel style. We don't all see/experience things the same way.

I am very in tune with what I call my third eye/mommy gut and it has served me well in different aspects of my life. I can honestly say that in traveling 21 days around Italy, Naples is the one and only place I actually felt fear, like I was being watched and was in danger. Why would I dismiss that? When I am happily traveling for weeks on end, taking pictures, excited and engaged then that danger feeling almost knocks me over when I have not felt the whole trip? I think the more you listen to it the better tuned it gets.
I actually just went to Mexico on a cruise and we stopped in Cabo, Mazatlán and Puerto Vallarta, In Mazatlán I had the same feeling as I had in Naples, it was just not a safe place I even told my husband while were there that I did not like it there. The next day we were in Puerto Vallarta and I was talking to a local tour guide, when she asked me how I liked Mazatlán, I was honest and told her how I felt, she looks at me and goes "yea, the cartel has taken over that place, it's not very safe anymore", yet again the third eye served me well.

My husband perceives dangerous people/situations very differently than I do. We actually have an unspoken pact, if he tells me to cross the street ,we cross. If he asks me to switch seats, get in back of him, grabs me and tells me to stop and go in a shop..I do all these things without question. He has explained to me that he can perceive danger in ways I cannot and in the end it will be him fighting to protect me. I have seen his wisdom in action, in Paris on the metro he pointed out a dangerous person who had just gotten on the metro, he just said we are getting off at the next stop but before we could, sure enough the person started crap which came to blows between him and another man.

If you can walk around, outside the Mall area in DC, you can walk any where in the world.

Dangerous - “able or likely to cause harm or injury. Likely to have adverse consequences.”

I define it more as personal safety. Losing money is inconvenient or annoying, but I am thinking of bodily harm. I’ve always errored on the side of caution when I traveled by myself in the US on work trips, when I worked in the city, and now if I’m traveling solo in Europe. Like Letizia’s husband, I listen to my intuition and don’t question it. Sometimes especially as women, we are taught to ignore signs or signals and be kind. Don’t look foolish. But there are examples of women acting on their intuition, and it saved their life. If there’s a heightened sense - almost a suddenly cold feeling along my neck & shoulder, that I am in a potentially dangerous situation, I immediately remove myself from it. It’s only happened twice - once in the US, once in Europe.

I appreciate when people share areas where they think tourists shouldn’t go. My husband & adult kids feel much better knowing that I am trying to stay safe while also having a marvelous time traveling.

A good alternative to staying in Naples itself is to base in Sorrento and take the commuter train up for day trips (there are at most 2-3 days worth of things to see there). Basing in Sorrento is also convenient for exploring the Amalfi Coast, Capri, and Pompeii/Herculaneum/Vesuvius.

That's true if you aren't interested in visiting a lot of Naples. The train back and forth is long and always delayed. We spent four nights in Sorrento and three in Naples in order to maximize our Naples time and the National Museum.

This has been a very interesting discussion and statement of criteria, exactly what I had hoped.

Pam put it into perspective for me. When she mentioned bears and bear spray, it got me thinking that there's no way I'd go anywhere bears have been sited. I would be totally dependent on Pam to protect me. OTOH, she knows I'd be happy to accompany her through some grungy areas of Paris that she finds distasteful. Interesting, at least to me.

An interesting discussion, for sure.

I think that "dangerous" is often conflated with "makes me uncomfortable, despite the absence of any real, known risk to my person or property" (which can stem from many sources, from more benign to malignant.)

I loved Naples and didn't feel as though it was dangerous, and I was traveling by myself. At night there are loads of people out enjoying the evening, eating, carousing - what is there to be scared of?

Yeah, a woman probably shouldn't be out alone at 2am but that goes for just about any city in the world. There are definitely parts of town to avoid, but in the central populated areas it's fine

I see this all the time with people afraid to walk through downtown Seattle. The difference is they have good reason to be concerned here….

To me, dangerous means that a place where I'm likely to be has a recent history of violent crime.My husband's company is based in NYC and I refuse to go there at the present time. He reminds me that Birmingham's violent crime rate is similar or greater than NYC's , but Birmingham is not as dangerous for me personally since I never have reason to go into the high crime areas. As someone else mentioned, the time of day can also be an issue-I feel safe in downtown Charleston, but wouldn't go there at 1 AM. Yes I'm old and have always been risk-averse, but it really is true that nothing good happens when you're out after midnight.

My husband's company is based in NYC and I refuse to go there at the present time.

Cala- If you zoom in past the sensationalist, alarmist headlines (with ulterior motives), you'd find that tourists in NYC are equally unlikely to find themselves in high-crime areas.

I quite agree with Scudder , having lived here my whole life . I also spent my working years ( forty of them ) in the Times Square and Theater Districts , usually into late night . Unfortunately the paranoid fear mongering about the city is rampant , despite the actual reality ,

"Pam put it into perspective for me. When she mentioned bears and bear spray, it got me thinking that there's no way I'd go anywhere bears have been sited. I would be totally dependent on Pam to protect me. OTOH, she knows I'd be happy to accompany her through some grungy areas of Paris that she finds distasteful. Interesting, at least to me."

Awww, Bets. I'm happy to protect you and Monsieur any time you decide you want to visit "Grizzle B'ar Country", lol.

"I see this all the time with people afraid to walk through downtown Seattle. The difference is they have good reason to be concerned here…."

@Carol, this kind of breaks my heart.

When I travel I assume that the nature of violent crime is similar to the majority of the violent crime in the United States. I read the FBI statistics on violent crime in the U.S., so I could get some idea how to avoid it while traveling.

1) Avoid certain neighborhoods (in the US, it amounts to maybe 12 and generally speaking It only takes a few minutes on the internet to figure out what areas in the cities I am visiting are probably best to avoid)
2) Do not participate in illegal activity (no brainer)

Those two things reduce the odds of being a victim by 75%.

Petty crime is tougher. We are tourists. Tourists are marks. For that I do nothing extreme, not much more than I would do at home. A little more i guess because in the rare event something were to happen its more difficult to undo it while in a strange country or on the road.

I agree with this:

When traveling those simple little things that can go wrong at home carry more complicated consequences abroad. Like trying to replace a cell phone for instance; so a little extra care is necessary. Same with health issues (like being mugged in Naples). So its not really an issue of comparison to the US, rather a understanding of consequences relative to if it happened in the U.S. In a strange sort of way, that makes Naples more "dangerous" than Boston.

I'm not American, but I don't think it's because Americans are more focused on wealth--that's a stereotype. Just as when people say they don't use anti-theft bags or money belts at home, so why would they do so in Europe, when the locals don't? Well, losing property can be much more of a hassle when one is far from home. I would definitely not want to waste my precious travel time trying to replace my passport, for instance.

I kind of find the opposite with many tourists, though. You often hear the "I felt perfectly safe," but that may be because they are naive and in holiday mode and aren't thinking in those terms. Then, if something happens (including theft), they are surprised and outraged, and often go on to give bad reviews. LOL.

On our recent trip to Mexico, we stayed in small places rather than the big all-inclusives that most people we know prefer. We travelled by bus and went twice to a beach mostly frequented by locals. We went to grocery stores and local convenience stores. We never "felt" unsafe for a moment, although we've been asked about that many times. Mind you, we were travelling in an area known to be relatively "safe" in Mexico, and we did take some precautions, like not bringing or wearing our Apple watches, and bringing an older camera, but I'm not convinced that was even necessary. Does that mean nothing bad happens to tourists in the Yucatan, just because I "felt" safe? No. I know that a couple of tourists were killed by gunfire in Tulum not that long ago. They weren't the intended victims, but they were at the wrong place at the wrong time. So, I was aware and took what I considered to be sensible precautions, but I still did what I wanted to do.

A number of years ago, my family travelled to Montreal, and we had rented an apartment in the "gay village" there. The taxi driver who transported us from the airport was concerned. He said it wasn't a good area, and that we should be staying on the west side, instead. He actually pleaded with us to let him take us somewhere else. When we arrived at our rental, I noticed that there was a youth shelter across the street, and there were three young people sitting on the steps leading up to "our" building, smoking weed. I walked up the steps to the door, and as I passed the young people, I said, "Bonjour," and they greeted me back. Once I had determined it was the right place and gained entry, we all brought our suitcases in. The taxi driver insisted on waiting until we were all inside before he left. I admit, I was on edge because of his warning and behaviour. As we passed the young people with our luggage, they got up to move out of our way, and said, "Have a good visit." And we did. Once I got over my initial uneasiness due to the driver, I never "felt unsafe."

I taught adult upgrading for years. I taught people who had been in jail, who had been homeless, and who had been involved in the sex trade. So, I'm not so naive that I don't take precautions, or that I don't prefer to stay in areas that don't have a lot of "street" goings on, but I don't necessarily feel in danger in areas frequented by those people, depending on the time of day and how many other people are around. But I don't let my brain go into "holiday" mode, thinking everything is safe and beautiful in new places, either. I take precautions, and I take more precautions than I do at home, because I'm aware that losing property or being hospitalized would be a lot more complicated than it would be at home.

When I travel I assume that the nature of violent crime is similar to
the majority of the violent crime in the United States.

I have often wondered if this is the typical mentality used by Americans when travelling. It makes sense. When I'm travelling anywhere but the US I'm reasonably easygoing and unconcerned about violent crime because that's how I feel at home. But I do have more of an American attitude when visiting an American city and I do fear the unknown in somewhere new such as my upcoming trip to DC and Baltimore.

An Italian point of view. A few years ago I was in Naples, at an hotel by the sea, almost in front of the Castle. I had to reach the opera house and phoned my colleague there. Please keep in mind that the fellow was born in northern Italy, but he was living in Naples since twenty years, was absolutely in love with the city, spoke a perfect Neapolitan and still has no intention of ever going back. However, he could consider things objectively. He told me: if you walk through via S. Lucia, it is fine, but do not enter the Pallonetto area - not even the police dares to enter there. - My idea is that some common sense is required and under these conditions Napoli is less dangerous than, say, Rio de Janeiro or Sao Paulo. But there are still some run down and dangerous areas.

Interesting that I came upon this thread just as I'm having a text conversation with my family about my husband going to a doctor's appointment in Midtown Manhattan tomorrow (Tuesday, April 4th otherwise known as THE day of THE arraignment). I asked him to be cautious. Then, I started wondering what "cautious" means to different people. For us, it means keeping our eyes and ears open. For others, it's a loaded gun in the glove compartment.

"Dangerous"? Most people have zero clue. Everyone has a different beltline.
When I walked into a Houston bar, noticed that I was clearly out of place, someone put "hit the road jack" on the jukebox while a couple of the customers came to sit with me, that felt dangerous. When I stepped out on the street later and watched someone get stabbed in the head with a knife, that felt dangerous.
One night when a fight broke out in a Pittsburg bar and the bar tender locked us inside to wait for the police to help us safely leave while several carloads of riled up locals were waiting outside, that felt dangerous.
When I made the mistake of taking a picture of and East German guard and his dog after our train had crossed into East Germany on the way to Berlin, and he started pointing and yelling as our train pulled away, the VOPO's started searching for me on the train car by car, that felt very dangerous.
I have never felt danger in Naples. I've heard stories about it being dangerous, but aside from some crazy scooter traffic and the usual pickpockets, it's not close to on par with Brentwood or West Garfield Park.

I spent most of last week in Naples. Although I've visited it a few times, I've never actually stayed in the city until now. My wife was somewhat nervous.

Personally, I loved it - what a vibrant place - particularly now with the football (Many streets are decorated in blue and white streamers, there are flags and banners everywhere - not for the visit of Milan specifically, but because barring some sort of sporting meltdown, Napoli will win the Italian league for only the third time - and the first in 32 years)

Was it dangerous - yes, I was nearly hit at high speed by a range rover in the middle of a pedestrian crossing that had been green for 10 seconds before the driver decided he was in too much of a hurry, swerved around the car that had stopped, and very nearly took me out. But apart from traffic. I never felt unsafe, even when we were out late at night.

Like so many previous posters’ comments, I too take precautions when I’m traveling, whether it is in Washington DC or in Naples. As a predominantly solo female traveler, it just makes sense to go about your day/evening with the mindset that you are traveling and what a pain it would be to try and recover a lost passport or deal with a medical system that you are unfamiliar with. So, I take calculated risks with precautions.

@Pam and Carol:
"I see this all the time with people afraid to walk through downtown Seattle. The difference is they have good reason to be concerned here…."
@Carol, this kind of breaks my heart.

I can resonate with these comments about Seattle because I worked in the downtown core for 24 years before retiring and I truly miss the beautiful vibrant city it once was. There is hope that one day soon the city will bounce back as the waterfront area is being transformed with wonderful parks and public spaces. I bit the bullet and purchased a symphony subscription for this seasons concerts at Benaroya Hall (located in the heart of downtown) and will probably attend a soccer match or two in the Southend of downtown just because I have hope AND take precautions.

My husband and I discussed many answers this morning. This has been very interesting. Thank you. It seems the sense of physical danger, whether real or perceived, is a key. And the loss of property in the US (and now Barcelona) being associated with violent action, Is another key. This is opposed to non-violent loss of property, which is a royal PIA, though it leaves a sense of vulnerability.

I do have to add, that my husband had a backpack one day to carry only an umbrella. When I told him it was unzipped, he had a sense of personal-space violation, even though we were walking through very crowded streets, and he knew his backpack was an invitation, a buffet as janettravels always says.

Today he told me, too, that in the last metro we took, a man stared at him, which reminds me of what Letizia wrote. Of course, I noticed nothing. My husband was wearing a Big Ten baseball cap, but as a Frenchman living in Europe, his valuables are carried in a man-purse he grasps. He said the man moved from car to car, and returned with his raincoat over his arm (a classic pickpocket move, at least in Paris), so my husband continued watching him. When I asked my husband if he felt danger, he said no because he felt in control. I think this is another key to a sense of danger or not.

Unfortunately, this was only minutes before I heard the one lovely, young American man say to his husband or boy friend (they were holding hands), that the neighborhood was dangerous. I hope they didn't have any wallets stolen. Or, perhaps, in a conservative part of the country, the young man was concerned about a different type of danger that a traditional couple wouldn't face.

As Kim's first answer said, we'll never know. But it has been interesting reading so many thoughts on what's dangerous. Just keep those Yellowstone bears away from me, Pam.

The only thing which makes me nervous is using a public toilet.

I had an interesting conversation on personal sense of safety with the woman behind the bar at a hotel I stayed at in Klagenfurt. I mentioned to her that when walking back from the city centre to the (slightly outlying) hotel I'd felt somewhat endangered because the streets at night were utterly deserted. She scoffed at the idea but mentioned that she sometimes got frightened late at night in crowded cities, whereas my feeling is that if there's a crowd then any criminal element is less likely to try anything, and if they do somebody might come to your aid.

@AMann, yes, that was the book I was trying to remember, also. The Gift of Fear. I saw him in an interview years ago, purchased the book and felt it was a valuable read.

I think the words dangerous and unsafe are in the eye of the beholder. We are in Washington State and yesterday we met up with a friend in a town just north of Tacoma for lunch and a movie. Beforehand we were told by our son-in-law and nephew that it was a bad area, dangerous, etc. I have always been fortunate in my life to live in nice areas, but my work life took into areas that were poverty stricken and “dangerous” often. We got to the restaurant and couldn’t figure out why they were so concerned. The same with the movie theater. Maybe some people have lived such sheltered lives that they are scared of anything different than what they know.