Did you feel safer in Canada or in the U.S.?

[SapphireDreams 71]

Yea sorry, its the transit systems in and around the Philadelphia area.

I mean just about a month ago or so some kids beat a starbucks manager to death at a downtown SEPTA station. I understand that this can happen anywhere and I know there is violence everywhere where you go... BUT I would take the TTC in Toronto at any time and not think twice... whereas when I get on SEPTA I sometimes fear for my life.

I think that's definitely not true for the NYC subway system. The NYC subway is probably one of the safest places to be at night. Unless of course you're going the Bronx or something, but generally I am always amazed at the huge presence of police officers even just riding the train!

I find it really interesting how you can have a really nice neighbourhood right beside a really bad neighbourhood here. I feel like that is a lot less common in Canada, or more specifically the Toronto area. Like for example the Bronx is known to be very dangerous, but you can also find very wealthy neighbourhoods in the Bronx.

Gated communities are also an interesting concept here.

[Sprailenes 47]

It is a huge contrast. It reminds me of Cabbagetown in some ways, you have million dollar homes with regent park on one side of it and St. James town on the other. Cabbagetown is famous for that though - poor and rich living together side by side.

I would walk through Cabbagetown, it was fine. However, I will not walk through Camden. When I have gone down to Camden to see concerts I notice that after shows police will filter people out of the city, blocking off side streets so that everyone gets out safely. To me that's just strange. In Toronto I feel like everyone tries to live together as one, but down here people say: you can't go into that area, you could die.

I mean really... how do you feel safe when you're told that?

[SapphireDreams 71]

It is a huge contrast. It reminds me of Cabbagetown in some ways, you have million dollar homes with regent park on one side of it and St. James town on the other. Cabbagetown is famous for that though - poor and rich living together side by side.

I would walk through Cabbagetown, it was fine. However, I will not walk through Camden. When I have gone down to Camden to see concerts I notice that after shows police will filter people out of the city, blocking off side streets so that everyone gets out safely. To me that's just strange. In Toronto I feel like everyone tries to live together as one, but down here people say: you can't go into that area, you could die.

I mean really... how do you feel safe when you're told that?

So true. I totally agree.

[warlord 72]

About 20 minutes west of me is Camden, the worst city in the US... I believe it is still in the running for first.

Camden, NJ, Gary, IN and New Orleans along with DC have always been one of the worst. Gary and Camden are pretty much on par with each other, though New Orleans has beaten them both to be the murder capital years back (not sure on current statistics).

Of course Watts, Lynwood, Compton, Detroit, El Paso etc are also up there for being really bad...

[JillA 2]

Yea sorry, its the transit systems in and around the Philadelphia area.

I mean just about a month ago or so some kids beat a starbucks manager to death at a downtown SEPTA station. I understand that this can happen anywhere and I know there is violence everywhere where you go... BUT I would take the TTC in Toronto at any time and not think twice... whereas when I get on SEPTA I sometimes fear for my life.

I've only taken Septa once, in broad daylight when it was rush hour.... would never do it otherwise

Ew speaking of the TTC, I was just reminded of a story from last summer. This PERV decided to, ahem, pleasure himself during rush hour when the subway was packed, and he was rubbed up against this poor girl. He went all out, if you catch my drift and the girl was left with a mess on her. They never caught the pig

[Sprailenes 47]

Yea I have seen some crazy things. When I was a kid I'd take the bus alone to go to school. One time this drag queen got on at Parliament and she was sooo messed up! She fell over and some cocaine fell out of her purse and she started licking the floor. All I did was get off the bus and walk the rest of the way home.

Edited September 9, 2009 by Sprailenes

[JillA 2]

Yea I have seen some crazy things. When I was a kid I'd take the bus alone to go to school. One time this drag queen got on at Parliament and she was sooo messed up! She fell over and some cocaine fell out of her purse and she started licking the floor. All I did was get off the bus and walk the rest of the way home.

[Sprailenes 47]

But I didn't feel unsafe.

I mean I have seen things and heard things in Toronto that weren't good but I have never felt threatened. I have been robbed too - in the Annex of all places. Still feel safer there than I do here.

[The Dude 206]

But I didn't feel unsafe.

I mean I have seen things and heard things in Toronto that weren't good but I have never felt threatened. I have been robbed too - in the Annex of all places. Still feel safer there than I do here.

You've been robbed, and confronted with a borderline concious coke head who left drugs out there, yet felt safe?

[minnew 4]

Maybe this is a regional thing....but just a question for you guys....in the city of about 200,000 I live in SK EVERY apartment has a security system. Even the cheapo apartments have a buzzer system so that you don't have any unwanted people walking through your building.

See earlier post, when I lived in the small ND college city, after my first year in residence I lived in an apartment. NONE of the apartments had any type of security "buzzer" system. Not even the most expensive apartments! I was a little bit miffed, but that is coming from living in a bigger city where if I was living in an apartment, higher chance I would get broken into. Granted my parents home did not have a security system, but it did not make me feel safe living alone in an apartment building with no security system. I could have moved back to residence, but instead found out about campus apartments and moved there, as they had "security" (somewhat). You needed a key in order to get through the front door of the building, no one who didn't live there(unless they tampered with the door) without that key could wander through the building.

The place I will be moving to the apartments do not have any type of security system, and its hit and miss with other complexes in the area, some are pretty $$$$$, probably some of the "newer" complexes are having this as a standard feature. Even in NE I have seen some gated communities, most of these brand spankin new, but the only time I ever saw those before were honestly in the south, I guess it has to do with like someone else said, on one hand you can have a "bad" area right next to a "good" or wealthy area...(other side of the tracks). The crime rate for NE is definitely higher than in ND, but no where near the rates of NYC, NJ, and all the other cities mentioned in this thread already.

Edited September 9, 2009 by minnew

[trailmix 77]

I've never seen an apartment building here (in Calgary) without a buzzer system.

The one we lived at in Florida didn't have one, but the hallways were open to the sunshine and crocodiles.

Edited September 9, 2009 by trailmix

[minnew 4]

but the hallways were open to the sunshine and crocodiles.

[Danu 19]

none of the ones here don't have a buzzer, but Wes's building...has a gated parking lot and wide open front doors. All it would take is someone leaving their car unlocked with the opener in it and people could get in and out easy as pie. the front doors are huge as well probably about 6ft wide at least, and they "close" them only at night...but all they do is close the doors, theres no locks or anything...it was odd for me to see.

[Sprailenes 47]

But I didn't feel unsafe.

I mean I have seen things and heard things in Toronto that weren't good but I have never felt threatened. I have been robbed too - in the Annex of all places. Still feel safer there than I do here.

You've been robbed, and confronted with a borderline concious coke head who left drugs out there, yet felt safe?

Oh I have seen more, and been through worse.

But never felt unsafe. Perhaps though, it was because at the time of the robbery I was a teenager and I felt like nothing could hurt me. By the by, the guy who robbed me was very nice. All I had was bus tickets and he took those.

I think its all to do with your surroundings, my husband feels okay to walk the streets of Philadelphia at night and taking the train at night. He grew up in the area. He knows there's a high crime rate but it doesn't seem to bother him.

[thetreble 19]

But I didn't feel unsafe.

I mean I have seen things and heard things in Toronto that weren't good but I have never felt threatened. I have been robbed too - in the Annex of all places. Still feel safer there than I do here.

You've been robbed, and confronted with a borderline concious coke head who left drugs out there, yet felt safe?

I think it's the type of crime, too. In Newark, you might get shot execution style in a wrong place, wrong time gang initiation. I'll take the robbery!