domineekee wrote:
You can generally walk through most no go zones here in Europe, provided that you don't look wealthy, look like you know where you are going and keep yourself to yourself. (That's been my experience as a white adult guy).
At weekends, Club closing time ie 1.30am in a city center can look like more like a war zone. I'd rather take my chances walking through a so called "ghetto".
Living in a deprived area requires a lot more resilience than passing through. For those growing up in a deprived area, steering clear of trouble is harder still. I would think that those people are most at risk.
I agree, when you look just... average, you cross any district of an European city at any time and no one cares. I have done it lots of times, one pickpocketing and one unsuccessful attempted robbery in my whole life history, both outside the "bad" districts.
I've also experienced living in a not-so-good neighborhood. I got out as soon as I could because I simply didn't belong there - but when it comes to safety, as my mother expressed it - local lowlives say good evening to her because they know she knows their mothers. When something was stolen from us, our neighbor knew where to go and what to say to get it back. I hated living there because of low tolerance for my quirks but most people were generally okay and you didn't have to be in any gang to have a peaceful life.
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Let's not confuse being normal with being mentally healthy.
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