at band camp?

lemonysam – Member
I’ve not yet found a part of Newcastle where I’ve felt intimidated in but there were definitely bits of Leeds which I didn’t like to walk through at night.

Bits of potterybank, cowgate and the westend weren’t the nicest places to be 10 years ago. Improved a lot now though, or knocked down.

Meadowell was an interesting place in the early to mid nighties.

Still is, just sanitised a bit these days.

Do you feel unsafe on “the streets “

No. Never. Having said that, I have hung out in downtown parts of US cities after dark, when advised not to, and never felt unsafe there either, so maybe I just take things as they come, rather than hanging on to preconceived notions.

I’ve been to most places in the UK and never felt anything other than safe as houses. Never even thought about it to be honest.

There used to be this woman that lived up the road from us. In her 30s, alone with 6 cats (seriously) who was very timid and needy. Our road is P shaped and in the middle of the P is some grass and trees with enough space for kids to play. So they do. She used to call the police if a football came her way or if there was noise after dark. The kids would scarper and come back later. There was this lad, early 20s I guess, who was the devil incarnate, apparently, violence, drugs, the lot. We used to pass the time of day with him, say Hi, have a laugh. He was fine. Just like the rough looking chaps with the battered transit pick up, who kindly removed some scrap metal for us. (They drove past and asked)
To her out road was like the Bronx or Belfast in the 70s. In actual fact it’s a fairly quiet residential cul de sac, with a mixture of nationalities and people in general. It’s fine. There are no problems. I find talking to people and being nice helps though. 🙂

No but 3 tours of bosnia altered my perspective of safe

Still is, just sanitised a bit these days.

Post riots it wasn’t a great place to venture, been there loads on my own the last few years and felt Ok being there.

Drac – Moderator
I live in Dunblane. We don’t do crime here, dahlings.
Well there was that one time.

footflaps – Member
at band camp?
Flute players, then?

When I was 12/13 years old back in the mid 80s me and a couple of mates would catch the bus into the city center and amongst other things, a favourite activity would be to hang out with the down and outs in a run down church yard.. The primary motivation was that they were generous with booze and tobacco, and were always willing to trade for a go on our lighter gas, or stuff we’d nick from the supermarket around the corner..

We stayed out the night on a couple of occasions, huddled up with a dozen stinky toothless tramps under a bush, the glow of cheap whisky keeping us warm and cheery..

I’ve had a couple of phases in my life where I’ve been wary of drunken youths, but those phases have always occurred during the periods following severe physical assaults

Not now I know Britain First are doing Christian patrols! 😉

Only if I visit Harlesden.

It depends a bit on where you are and who you are. If you’re in a small town and you’re young then yes – late teens/early 20s in a small northern town yes – the streets can be very confrontational. Same age in inner city birmingham – no. The fact that there are some seriously dangerous nutters about means some lippy little **** isn’t going to hassle you if they don’t know your face – just incase you are that nutter.

But get a bit older and people just don’t bother you anywhere.

Not were I grew up as I was a lippy kid in a group who people avoided. Not here in Chester were I live now. I didn’t feel safe in some parts of London were I lived. I’ve boxed for years and that’s taught me to walk away as some nutter could be carrying a knife or something. I’d hate to think an elderly relative was living in fear.

Remember being on my own at the old Downtown Miami Bus terminal, got dropped off at stupid O’clock to wait for a greyhound bus, it was 3am, so. I sat huddled against a wall and watched:

1. Two geckos running around under a flickering light on the wall of the (empty) Security cabin
2. A begrimed pile of rags with a shopping trolley, just stopped in front, standing there twisted towards me, couldn’t tell if was looking at me or not
3. Bunch of Nikes hanging by laces from the overhead cables
4. A large gang of 3:15am-in-da-hoodies noisily heading my way after seemingly being loudly ejected from a ramshackle building on the corner.

I never sat so still or sucked on a rollie so hard before or since. Oooh, a bus, a bus!!!

Is it unsafe on the streets ? Not at all according to a friend from South Africa who I know. She laughs at our moaning attitude. Try living in Joburg she says. You never ever stop at a red light, well unless you want to be shot for 10 rand. She also had a gun put her head at a cash machine. To top It all off her house was robbed one night. After taking a note of what was stolen she phoned the police. After the police came round to take statements she looked around the house and realised even more was missing 😯

As hard as I try to feel safe, I don’t think you can control things around you – this causes anxiety. I often have to confront people where I live (we live in boarding) school which is very quiet in the holidays and the locals like to come and take stuff. That frustrates me, that no one seems to be bothered. And I feel it’s only time before they discover my bikes.

So yes and no. I feel generally anxious that at some point stuff goes a bit pearshape in ones life – the unpredictable.

Having said all that it never stops me doing anything.

No.

^ where is the school Rone? You work there?

Yes even though I’ve been beaten up once by a gang for no reason and had a gun put against my head for no apparent reason. Some areas are very dodgy and I take caution but its also nice to remember we live in Europe and compared to huge parts of the world we are very safe and secure. If you watch jezzer or read the Mail you deserve your paranoia. Not speaking to people like they are **** or that your are better than them through luck of birth or ambition helps you along greatly in daily life. But this is stw of course.

Oops that first word was ment to be no.

Used to find London sketchy when I was young 14 – 16 – same with Birmingham – If one is super drunk staggering to a hotel or taxi then you’ve got to watch your back .. South Central /Compton Los Angeles have made me cross the street a couple of times – Hollywood has some bad areas too – turned the motor round in dead end street in Lockwood Hollywood and some Cholo lifted up his vest to show his chromed shooter off – a bit scary ..

Quirrel – Worksop College North Notts.

I don’t work there. GF does.

And we move next week anyway. Not that it’s a massive issue as we want a bigger house!

Just to add the safest I’ve ever felt in a city at night is Tokyo. I wouldn’t say I feel particularly safe in any UK city at night.

As an additional aside I feel any threat from terrorism (which is crime per se) is hugely overcooked, purely on stats alone.

AFAIR most murders are domestic so it’s when you get home that you need to start watching your back.

I live in a shit hole which the local neds are trying to take over and run. I feel perfectly safe as none of them could fight sleep. Being brought up in a rough as hell place and having lots of fights as a kid changes your perspective on neds.