Hacker News Reader

Comment by ryusage | Hacker News Reader

That's fair, and that's partially why I'm asking. I know many have the impression that the United States is incredibly dangerous, to which I would say that's only really true in very specific areas - generally the poorest areas where people are desperate. This sounds really widespread, though. I've never heard of people in the US carrying around weapons purely in case of road rage, for example.

View on HN

> I've never heard of people in the US carrying around weapons purely in case of road rage, for example.

I've had a friend of mine in Texas give me specific (un-solicted) advice on how to have a gun for protection in case of road rage. (Involving what features not to get, because you don't really need them and they make juries think you're a gun nut itching to shoot someone.)

Also in Texas, once I got out of the car at an intersection so I could let the people in the car ahead know they didn't have their headlights on. I told my friends this had happened, and they all told me, "That's a good way to get shot!"

I've also been advised to have a steel pipe in the car, since it's useful as a "cheater bar" to get more leverage on the lug nut wrench as well as for self defense.

Personal anecdotes? How about some real numbers?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_rage

A 2007 study of the largest U.S. metropolitan areas concluded that the cities with the least courteous drivers (most road rage) are Miami, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, and Boston. The cities with the most courteous drivers (least road rage) are Minneapolis, Nashville, St. Louis, Seattle, and Atlanta.[11] In spite of this, in 2009, New York, Dallas/Fort Worth, Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis/St. Paul were rated the top five "Road Rage Capitals" of the United States.[12]

In other words, any big city. And (from what I can tell), deadly incidents are not that common.

Hm, fair enough. But how often do your friends actually get attacked? Is it really a reasonable fear for them? I've never been there myself so I might be completely wrong, but my impression of Texas is that the culture there is more paranoid than necessary, and unusually preoccupied with the idea of lethal self-defense.

And what kind of area was this? Part of my surprise about Russia is that it sounds like this kind of thing happens everywhere.

> But how often do your friends actually get attacked?

Well, once someone shot a rifle through their house, and they discovered the bullet holes and the bullet lodged in the back wall the next morning. However, the husband works in criminal justice, so they hear about a lot more violent incidents than most people.

> And what kind of area was this?

Suburban Houston.

The real trick to understand is that the culture is very diverse here in the larger cities. (I live in a very much urban, and fairly poor part of Houston, the SE side of Downtown.) There are just about as many people who would chafe at the idea that anyone would even own a gun as there are that own several. My perception is generally that the pre-occupation with self defense that people observe is not an urban trend. All of that is anecdotal and worth what you paid for it =)

However, I've lived here for about 20 years now, usually in poorer areas, mostly due to cost factor. I have generally felt safer in some of the worst urban areas in Houston, than some of the moderately bad urban areas in other places, like NYC, Baltimore, Chicago. Outside of certain areas like Forum Park [2], and the central swath of the 3rd Ward [3], I always felt the most unsafe in the suburbs. (However, my short time living in Forum Park was a rather agreeable one as long as I was in my area of the complex that everyone knew me.) But, on our side of town, its not uncommon to be surrounded by vertical gunfire on the holidays - so, there is that, I guess.

Road rage? Well, I've been known to be a pretty aggressive driver, and only had one instance of it happening. It was probably my fault though, I really shouldn't have driven up on the sidewalk to make the turn after honking at him. =) We often like to joke that the reputation, deserved or not, that everyone else is armed here keeps everyone a bit more civil.

[1] For those not from Houston, Telephone road has a very, erm, "colorful" history http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telephone_Road

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forum_Park,_Houston

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Ward,_Houston

I've heard "that's a good way to get shot" used to describe just about every activity in just about every part of every large city. Either it's not true, or I'm doing it wrong because nobody ever shoots me.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survivor_bias

Not all shootings are fatal.

But that entirely misses the point. Not going outside after dark is like wearing a tiger repelling necklace. See? No tiger attacks, it keeps me safe.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com