Is it safe to travel in the United States of America these days? Tips and observations from a retired nomad who has been traveling the USA for the past 4 years…

 

City of Detroit as seen from inside the hotel room at MGM Grand Detroit

Lately, it seems living in America is a dangerous business.  How could you not be concerned when there are so many reports of major US cities like Chicago, San Francisco, New York going down the drain in terms of safety and crime statistics?

We seem to encounter crime related news, seemingly almost every day: of looters & thieves robbing stores in broad daylight, of mentally-ill people assaulting subway riders, thieves targeting catalytic converters in vehicles, and idiots sucker punching unsuspecting victims inspired by TikTok or other social media platforms. What is going on these days???

Even my dad had his bout with crime when his catalytic converter was stolen right under his nose, right in front of his apartment, costing $500!  It seems we just can’t get away from crime and we should rightfully be worried about safety living or traveling in the United States.  

Right?  Maybe, may not...Let me explain.

I once read an interview done with an FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) agent where he said crime is committed by people.  The more people there are, the more crime.  In the middle of the woods, there’ll be less crime (or no crime) being committed.  It’s as simple as that.  Oh, one more thing: more crimes happen after dark.  A really important point.

This explains why cities, with their high population densities, will suffer more from crime.  It doesn’t help that many police departments had to reduce their payroll to make ends meet, meaning less police officers out on the streets since the pandemic.

Case in point is New York City.  Why arrest a perpetrator then release them the same day with or without bail, only to have them commit another crime while waiting for a trial?  There’s a saying among the law enforcement community that misdemeanors usually lead to felonies down the road.  Why aren’t prosecutors in New York City doing their jobs???

I do agree that cities do have real problems with crime and safety issues.  But, taken as a whole, the rest of the country does not have the same level of problems experienced in cities. 

I would argue that crime and safety issues were more rampant when I was growing up in New York City in the 80’s.  Subway muggings, shootings in Brooklyn, car thefts were a part of daily routine for New Yorkers.  It eventually did get cleaned up when then mayor, Rudy Giuliani, came into office.  

We noticed the huge presence of police officers in subways, more patrol cars on the streets, and even undercover officers riding the trains like regular commuters.  There was a noticeable difference back then. Times Square, which used to be a drug infested, dilapidated area of the city, really cleaned up.  We knew it turned a corner when Disney Store(!) came to Times Square, catering to families and tourists.

We certainly hope those good days can return to New York City (and other cities), when people can freely roam the subways or the streets without fear of getting robbed, assaulted, or worse…

As a New Yorker who spent close to 22 years living in one of the most densely populated cities in the United States, and who has traveled extensively throughout the country, here are some of my tips and observations on safety while traveling:

• As mentioned above, cities are more dangerous than suburbs, towns, or rural areas

These days, we tend to be extra cautious when visiting cities anywhere in the country.  Even when we visit our parents in New York City, we don’t do stupid things like leaving valuables in our car, not locking our car doors, leaving the key inside the car, or parking our car in questionable areas.  As former New Yorkers, these things have been ingrained in us.

The same rules apply when we’re going anywhere, especially so, when we’re visiting cities.  Here are some tips and tricks we use when traveling:

1. Always lock your car when leaving your vehicle 
2. Don’t ever, leave valuables, even if trivial (like coins, bags, phones) inside the car
3. If an area looks bit scary, follow your gut, and do not park there; find a better location 
4. When an area looks like roads haven’t been maintained, houses haven’t been maintained, there are many homeless people, or there are no grasses in front of houses, then that usually means area is questionable 
5. When too many people are loitering in around buildings in cities, find other places to park
6. Do not get angry when driving in cities.  There will always be drivers who are super aggressive and will cut you off, tailgate you, or constantly weave in and out of traffic.  Don’t do anything retaliatory as that will lead to road rage or worse.
7. Watch out for tinted windowed cars, especially in cities.  They tend to drive more aggressively.  We usually stay well away from these type of vehicles.
8. Watch out for possibly the worst combination of things in a car or truck: tinted windows, souped up sports cars, cars or trucks with loud exhausts, big souped up trucks, exaggerated tires, fancy blue/green/red lights coming out on the bottom of the vehicle, and/or trucks with two huge exhaust pipes spewing black diesel fumes on the back of the vehicle behind the cab; we usually stay far away if possible 
9. Mopeds/electric bikes are usually driven with reckless abandon in the cities.  Assume they will not obey traffic laws, and assume they will cut you off to make a left from the right lane, or vice versa.  Defensive driving is the best way to avoid accidents, especially in cities.

• These days, I personally don’t feel safe enough to ride the New York City subway

I’ve seen too many bad things happen these days inside subways or on subway stations.  The city has basically released into the public anyone who should be locked up inside a sanitarium.  Many of them are violent repeat offenders, who keep doing the same things over and over again.  We need harsher penalties for repeat offenders, regardless of their mental status.

Personally, I have chosen not to ride the subways when we’re visiting our parents in New York City.  We used to enjoy going into the city by using subways, but until things improve, I will not change my mind.

For those of you considering visiting any of the big cities with public transportation systems, I would recommend taking a cab or Uber/Lyft instead of riding in public transportation.  Things are starting to look up in New York City with promise of more police presence, but it doesn’t mean they’re safe, when compared to pre pandemic.  

• Outside of big cities, things are usually much, much better

Even though I’m being harsh on my views of cities’ safety records, my views are completely opposite when it comes to safety outside of big cities.  Almost all the places we’ve visited since the pandemic have been fine, without any issues.

We never felt unsafe, or apprehensive about our environment when we’d travel.  Out on the freeway, there are plenty of little towns and suburbs en route, in case an emergency happens.  You can almost always call someone for help when you’re stranded on most highways.

Of course, there are exceptions.  For example, due to the size of the land mass here in the United States, some western states tend to be sparsely populated.  If you happen to travel in the middle of nowhere, be prepared by having essential items like water and food inside the vehicle.  Help may not come fast in those situations, and in some spots, cellular coverage is non-existent.  

Oh, and know how to change your own tire.  This is a good rule when you drive a vehicle, period.

Despite all of our travels the past 4 years with our luggage in our car, we never had anything bad happen.  We may have been lucky, but outside of cities, we rarely hear about car break ins or car thefts.  Obviously, we wouldn’t leave our luggage inside our car in cities like New York City, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, or Detroit.  There are just too many news about crime in these cities…

Once again, the more people there are, the more crime…

• Travel during the day, and go out during the day if possible

I had previously mentioned that most crimes happen after dark.  Remember this, and you’ll probably avoid most crimes while traveling.  

Think about it.  Most drunk drivers are out at night, most criminals are out at night, and when you throw in volatile mix of alcohol and other recreational drugs, things can get dicey in a hurry.

We typically travel like senior citizens these days.  We travel early in the day, we sightsee or hike during the day, then we try to get back to our AirBnB or hotel before the sun sets.  On days when we do go out at night for dinner, we try to choose a decent area with free parking on premise, preferring not to go anywhere in the city that is again questionable.

I’ve personally had my hub cabs stolen on my car while street parked in New York City, so I’m extra careful about where I park, especially in the city.  

• Use common sense

This maybe an obvious one, but it is true.  If something feels off, you’re unsure, or you don’t feel safe, then don’t go there.  Stay away from that area.  Safety should always be the first priority when traveling. 

When going into the city, do some research before hand to see what the place looks like.  There are things like Google Maps these day to view a particular street from their “street view” option.  You’ll get a good idea of the street just from that.  

Do a research on the particular area you’re thinking of visiting and see reviews of the place online.  I usually search for things like “review Destin”.  I’ll see people sharing how they felt about a place they visited.  This is usually a great way to get a feel for the place.  On those reviews, you’ll see both good and bad things, including safety and crime topics.

Always look for areas that are well lit, with well maintained streets.  Most suburbs of big cities will be much safer than cities themselves, so use them to get something to eat, to get entertained, etc.  They will also offer free parking usually.

Remember, parking inside cities can be a nightmare, in places like New York City where they may charge upwards of $30-$40 to park for 2-3 hours.  If you choose to street park, be extra careful and look for parking signs as they can be awfully confusing.

For example, there may be 3-4 street signs for a block with things like “No loading zone”, “Tow away zone”, “Emergency vehicle parking”, “Parking permitted after 7 p.m.”, and so on.  Colors on the curb can be confusing as well.  Do not park where it shows yellow or red, and most of all, do not park in front of a hydrant!

We used to street park in New York City when we were young and fearless, but it’s not something we would consider doing these days.  Too much hassle!

Like I said before, if you’re going into a city like NYC, let someone else drive you to your destination.  It may be worth it considering all the hassles of driving into the city yourself, as well as the potential parking fee if you can’t find street parking.

I almost forgot this one thing:  driving into NYC may even be more expensive in the future as the city is considering  implementing a toll of $15 per vehicle if you’re driving into the city, 60th street and below.  Ouch!

• What about gun violence?

I recently read an interesting statistic about gun violence in America and it’s really sad.  It stated that the most common places where gun violence happens is at schools, malls, movie theaters, or anywhere where there are gatherings of people.

You’ve all heard about school shootings, mall shootings, and festival shootings, and it’s unfortunately true.  Just by avoiding some or most of these places, you’ll probably never going to run into gun violence issues.  

I’ve lived in America for the past 40+ years and I’ve never run into gun violence.  Stay vigilant, and stay aware if you’re out and there are gatherings of people.  Better to be cautious than not…

There are misconceptions that rural areas would be more prone to gun violence but this isn’t true.  There are much less people out there compared to a city, and even if some of those people own guns, the likelihood of you running into someone with a gun who is willing to fire that weapon, is very low.

Even in states where they allow open carry, that is, you can actually holster a pistol out in public places, I haven’t personally run into any issues.  It was, admittedly, bit shocking to see someone with a pistol in states like my home state of North Carolina when I went to inspect my vehicle, but that wears off after awhile.  State of Texas, where we visited 2 years ago, also has an open carry policy, and out there, people will carry rifles and sometimes machine guns(!) in public.

Again, that was shocking, but it becomes an everyday thing once you see it a few times.  I do believe most registered gun owners are responsible people.  It’s usually those who are not registered gun owners (criminals) that are responsible for gun violence in the form of mass shootings, armed robberies, homicides, etc.

Most mass shooters (registered gun owners or not) have been mentally unstable individuals who were bullied or assaulted (mentally/physically) as children.  Overall, I would argue there are more shootings overall in inner cities like Detroit, Chicago, St. Louis, Minneapolis, than in suburbs, small towns, or rural areas.

If the idea of seeing a gun in public places is too scary, then skip states like North Carolina or Texas. There are plenty of other states that do not allow open carry.  I’m no fan of guns, but as an American, I’ve learned to see the other side of the argument for guns.  I don’t have to like it, and it is what some states want.  Avoiding some of these states is always your choice.

In conclusion:

America has plenty of issues with crime and gun violence.  We can’t deny that.  

But despite that, we’ve been living here for over 40+ years without incidents that personally affected us or anyone we know close by.  As long as you use common sense, and apply some of the tips (or most of the tips) listed above, you should have no problems traveling this big and beautiful country.

Being vigilant and being aware is never a bad thing in any environment.  This is even more true when you’re visiting cities in America these days.  

As scary as it may seem to visit America, I can honestly say most crime and safety related issues are inside cities.  Suburbs, towns, and rural areas are not affected in the same way as most media have you to believe.

Enjoy this beautiful country like we have.  There are truly amazing wonders out here in the United States!

Thank you for reading and keep up with us on our continuing adventures into the American South.

Jake

Wandering Money Pig 

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