Is the USA as dangerous as people say it is?

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Traditional-Ad-8737@reddit

I live in a open carry state (NH), and only once has someone (non cop) bring a gun with them into the facility where I work. I honestly did not appreciate the dynamic it brought but that was once in 15+ years. Since it is also a conceal carry state, that person was obviously doing it just to look tough and hypermasculine. Otherwise, I live in a suburban neighborhood where I don’t even lock my car or house, but I also hear my state is known for that too, about 50% (?) of households don’t lock up anything. My kids have “safety drills” at schools but I’ve only specifically talked to them about shootings. When I go to their schools, parents and guests are buzzed in through locked double doors at the front. My daughter’s elementary school, 500+ kids, the receptionist know everyone by name. They remember mine too . There is a police officer at the middle school, but he is mostly there I think as a precaution, as visibility, and to condition kids to get used to law enforcement as our friends. He will occasionally give lectures about bicycle helmet safety etc. The police dept and the fire department hand out candy at the Halloween costume trick or treat downtown every year, with the local business. Overall, many places are safe in the USA. Use common sense. I would say the northeast USA is very safe.

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

Gun violence is a major issue, but on an individual level, it’s pretty safe just about anywhere in the US. Now, if you’re not white, or LGBTQIA+, I’d be a lot more cautious.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

yeah those evil guns, always going around hurting people all by themselves.. should put guns in prison..

/s

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Objective-District39@reddit

One of my rifles bit my thumb

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

haha! why did you piss it off so much that it was forced to retaliate?!?! XD

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Objective-District39@reddit

M1 Garand, they're mean like that

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

really, you have an M1 Garand? wow, that's a WW2 legend! where did you get it?

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Objective-District39@reddit

20 years ago from the CMP

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

I literally said the US was safe to travel to, not to worry about gun violence.

Or are you saying gun violence isn’t a major issue?

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

i'm saying the guns are tools for people that have decided already to kill other people.. we don't blame cars for hit-and-run deaths, do we?

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

Disingenuous argument is disingenuous. We license drivers and require insurance. But also, an irrelevant comp. I didn’t make a claim or statement about guns being responsible for gun violence.

I said gun violence is a major issue, a statement I doubt anyone would argue against.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

we also (most states) require licenses for firearms, however, just like the criminals driving the cars in hit-and-runs, criminals don't follow the law...

saying "gun violence" takes the onus off the responsible party, the criminal doing the crime, and places it on the inanimate object, doesn't make much sense to me..

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BobsleddingToMyGrave@reddit

Its not like LGBTIQA+ people often wear a sign stating that fact.

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

That kinda depends on the person! But I’d definitely recommend being a bit subdued in airports and to act cis/straight af if they go to Florida!

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BobsleddingToMyGrave@reddit

I screw up people's gaydar all the time. I've never had any hate thrown at me no matter where I go.

My area is pretty conservative.

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

I had to leave Texas because of state attacks on trans people. That extended to randos in Austin and rural areas of Texas.

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TheBimpo@reddit

I’m nearly 50 years old and I have never seen a gun in public that wasn’t on the hip of a police officer.

Most gun violence is either in domestic disputes or between people engaging in other acts of crime. It is not random people getting angry and blasting away at each other.

The odds of a foreign tourist be becoming a victim of any violence is vanishingly low. You certainly don’t hear any stories about all of the people who are not victims of violence.

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Relevant_Elevator190@reddit

That's because most of us conceal carry and aren't criminals.

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holymacaroley@reddit

Only 8.4% of adult Americans have conceal carry permits. I'm sure a percentage of those have permits but don't carry, like my husband.

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4648999#:~:text=8.4%25%20of%20American%20adults%20have,of%20adults%20have%20a%20permit.&text=In%20seventeen%20states%2C%20more%20than,slightly%20below%2010%25%20this%20year.

Only 32% of adults even own a gun.

https://news.gallup.com/poll/264932/percentage-americans-own-guns.aspx

This isn't most.

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Relevant_Elevator190@reddit

29 states have constitutional carry, and if you read my clarification, I was comparing it to those that open carry to someone who said they have never seen a gun on someone's hip.

Don't people read the whole conversation?

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holymacaroley@reddit

I did read it. However, I now realize it was us as in the pronoun and not US as in the nation. My 13 year old was loud as hell on a voice call playing video games and I have a headache. People make mistakes without it being that they didn't bother reading.

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Objective-District39@reddit

Many states don't require permits anymore

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holymacaroley@reddit

Ok, but 2/3 of Americans don't own firearms still.

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Adjective-Noun123456@reddit

There's also a percentage who carry but don't have permits.

I stopped renewing mine once we passed permit less carry, as did most everyone else I know minus older folks.

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Oenonaut@reddit

Do you mean most of us that concealed carry aren’t criminals?

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willtag70@reddit

Most of us don't conceal carry. Only 1/3 are gun owners, and most of those don't conceal carry. It's too high, but it's nowhere near "most". I do agree most of us aren't criminals.

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Relevant_Elevator190@reddit

I meant as opposed to open carry, not the whole population.

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Bungalow_Man@reddit

I’m nearly 50 years old and I have never seen a gun in public that wasn’t on the hip of a police officer.

You've never been to Texas then.

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dontlookback76@reddit

Or Nevada. Open carry is perfectly legal outside of marked businesses, schools, just a few places. I see someone carrying 1x month on average and I live in a decent, blue collar neighborhood.

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_daddy69_@reddit

You’ve never seen a gun in public?

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TheBimpo@reddit

I lived in North Carolina for 13 years too.

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Ok_Remote_1036@reddit

I’m in my late 40s, have lived in several states across the east coast, Midwest and west coast and have also never seen a gun in public that wasn’t in the possession of a police officer. You would have to go to a very sketchy part of any city I’ve lived in to see someone openly carry a gun.

I haven’t ever lived somewhere rural, where guns for hunting may be more common.

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reddock4490@reddit

You definitely don’t have to go to sketchy urban areas to see guns. I grew up in Birmingham, which was consistently ranked in the top five most dangerous cities in the country when I was a teenager. The first time I ever saw someone open carrying was in line in a Subway on a road trip in some interstate exit somewhere in Mississippi. Big fat rednecky guy with a fucking pistol on his side to order a sandwich.

I couldn’t get over how chicken shit you have to be to think you need a gun on you to order a sandwich

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MuchDevelopment7084@reddit

It's different in Northern States. People don't feel the need to carry, because it's actually safe up here.

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HarpoMarx87@reddit

Not just that. Some states (including my home of NJ) have among the lowest per capita gun ownership rates in the country. Plus, in the northern part of NJ where I'm from, there is no real hunting, so we have very few hobbyists. Don't think I've ever seen a gun that wasn't in the possession of a cop.

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MuchDevelopment7084@reddit

I get it. I'm originally from Chicago. (No, it's not some gun restricted wasteland like some try and tell us). I hardly ever saw one not carried by a cop. Because there is literally no hunting in the city. Carrying a gun would in all likelihood. Make you a target if you weren't a cop.

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quixoft@reddit

You mean like how it's actually safe in Detroit, Philadelphia, Portland, and Minneapolis?

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Dave_A480@reddit

People are still carrying... Concealed

It's just not generally appropriate to walk around town packing like you're on a FOB in Afghanistan

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Key-Rutabaga-767@reddit

Dont ask why its safer

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TsundereLoliDragon@reddit

Besides the range, my house, or a friend's house, never.

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Dave_A480@reddit

'Concealed means Concealed'....

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annang@reddit

There are huge swathes of the United States where open carry is illegal.

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o93mink@reddit

Never saw one when I lived in Atlanta either. It’s pretty much just a shitty exurban phenomenon.

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Argo505@reddit

No.

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Full-of-Bread@reddit

Be nice, they’re a kid

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

That doesn't give them license to cease using their brain.

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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

You have to understand how much in especially western Europe and the Commonwealth, fears about violence, strife, etc are played up by their media.

It's surprising how many of them think the US is an active war zone until they actually visit. (Although I wonder what visitors' impressions are of San Francisco, where I live, since most of the hotels are literally in the worst part of town)

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dontforgettowriteme@reddit

Legitimately, I know someone who was the victim of a road rage incident two weeks ago. The other driver felt he'd been cut off, so he sped up beside my friend and pulled a gun out! It happens. Idk why everyone's acting like it doesn't.

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sjedinjenoStanje@reddit

I mean it happens in a country of 330 million. I'm over 50 and have never had a gun pulled on me. I've never actually seen one except on a policeman. And I've lived in cities, for the most part, not suburbs.

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timeup@reddit

C'mon. You know people hear things about America and I imagine it's hard to know the truth with all the bullshit that comes outta here.

Would you rather her not ask and just believe it? That' would be not using your brain.

OP. Come visit, avoid this guy, though.

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Argo505@reddit

I imagine it's hard to know the truth with all the bullshit that comes outta here.

Not if you give it 5 seconds thought.

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

Stuff like that does happen and make the news though. Like knocking on the wrong door.

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Argo505@reddit

Yes, and if you have any understanding of statistics, you’ll know how unlikely those things are.

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

I completely agree. But if that’s all someone sees about our country, of course they’ll be concerned. Even if you live here. I never thought twice about turning around in a random driveway before. Then a girl was killed for it in my area of upstate NY a few years ago, and that event has made me reconsider and sometimes I go a little farther to find a public place to do so if possible. People are seemingly getting too trigger happy, and shooting first asking questions later, and the news is reporting it more than ever before. That combination causes concerns and changes in behavior.

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Argo505@reddit

People are seemingly getting too trigger happy

Are they?

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

This guy certainly was: https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/us/new-york-wrong-driveway-shooting-sentencing?cid=ios_app

And this guy:

https://www.cnn.com/2025/02/14/us/ralph-yarl-kansas-city-wrong-house-plea?cid=ios_app

And this one:

https://abcnews.go.com/amp/US/man-found-guilty-firing-gun-black-teen-knocked/story?id=58460794

And here’s a recent one where the shooter was a politician:

https://troopers.ny.gov/news/new-york-state-police-arrest-chester-man-following-doordash-shooting-incident

Yes, I know these are anecdotal. That’s why I used the word “seemingly.” But I never had concerns about things like this when I was younger. Now that I’ve heard of them, I am more aware and it does make me second guess situations that seemed perfectly innocent and normal before. I found all these links this fast because these events are fresh in my head, regardless of how rare they might be. We do have a problem in this country. It’s the guns. And their trigger happy owners.

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Argo505@reddit

Once again:

if you have any understanding of statistics, you’ll know how unlikely those things are.

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

lol you think Fox News is reporting stories about old white guys shooting predominantly at black kids? I despise Fox News. I’m not afraid of the world, but I am aware and realistic.

My mom (Fox watcher) didn’t want me to go on a cruise around Japan because she was afraid of North Korea bombing the ship. I told her I’d be more likely to get shot walking down the street at home. Even she couldn’t argue that. I’ve traveled to many countries and states on my own. I know the statistics. NK obviously didn’t bomb my ship in Japan.

Car crashes scare me more than anything else. And statistically they should. That doesn’t mean I ignore my country’s gun problem.

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Argo505@reddit

I am aware and realistic.

Are you? Because you’re making claims like people in general are becoming “trigger happy”, and your evidence of this is a series anecdotes that, by your own admission, don’t mean much.

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

Would you like to provide statistics that people are less trigger happy when an unknown person knocks on their door or drives up their driveway? I’m always open to learning with sources provided.

And yes I am realistic. I told you I know that car crashes are a much bigger concern for me. That doesn’t mean I completely ignore other risks and never think about the “what ifs.”

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Argo505@reddit

Would you like to provide statistics that people are less trigger happy when an unknown person knocks on their door or drives up their driveway?

That’s not what you said. Would you like me to quote what you actually said, or can you get it together in time to remember your own words?

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Even-Sock9744@reddit (OP)

Didn’t really know how to word it, my bad😭

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reddock4490@reddit

No need to apologize, you’re a lot more likely to run into some self righteous asshole like this guy than someone with a gun. You should visit with your family. I recommend the national parks since they’re so different from anything you can see in Europe

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kingchik@reddit

I mean, that’s how Trump’s portraying big cities right now. TV and movies also tend to portray America as having a lot more violence than we do, it’s more exciting than the truth.

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Bungalow_Man@reddit

As someone who has been to DC this year, and just got back from Portland, OR two weeks ago, I can confirm Tr*mp is full of $hit.

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GhostOfJamesStrang@reddit

Trump portrays a lot of things.

That doesn't make any of it true.

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kingchik@reddit

I agree. But people have an image that comes from somewhere. I live in Chicago and people have thought for years it was a literal war zone.

It’s only become one in the last few weeks. /s, sort of.

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aigheadish@reddit

I ain't running around on the south side.

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kingchik@reddit

There are parts of the city, just like any other, that are unsafe. But painting the entire South Side as unsafe is problematic, too.

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Argo505@reddit

I mean, that’s how Trump’s portraying big cities right now.

And?

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kingchik@reddit

And that’s why OP is asking the question. They see something and want to know whether it’s true. You don’t have to be rude and dismissive about it.

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Lil_Boofie@reddit

Which big cities is he referring to?

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stroppo@reddit

That's exactly what's happened in my neighborhood in the last month. Two shootings just like that, over petty disputes. One in front of the local grocery store, in the afternoon, two hours after I'd last been there. Some bystanders were hit in that one. So I'd say yes, there is cause for concern.

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Argo505@reddit

Do you think OP is coming to visit your neighborhood?

two hours after I'd last been there.

Wow, and shockingly, that didn’t prevent the crime from occurring!

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stroppo@reddit

"Wow, and shockingly, that didn’t prevent the crime from occurring!"

I don't understand this comment. I meant, had I gone to the store later, I could've been caught in the crossfire.

As for the OP, it doesn't sound like they've decided where to go. But their question was how safe the US is. I was giving my perspective. I don't consider it safe.

My neighborhood has numerous restaurants and clubs, so we do get tourist traffic. There's also a few museums. I'm often stopped on the street and asked directions by visitors.

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delebojr@reddit

do you think we’re just all constantly shooting eachother over petty disputes?

Have you ever been to a Walmart?

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Argo505@reddit

Yeah. Are people constantly shooting eachother over petty disputes at your Walmart?

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delebojr@reddit

Yes

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Argo505@reddit

I’d consider making the switch to Target.

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delebojr@reddit

Target is still on the boycott list. I haven't been shot or stabbed at Meijer yet, but the Meijer gas station is a different story

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Argo505@reddit

Target is still on the boycott list.

We’re all very proud.

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delebojr@reddit

Thank you! They will continue to be on the list until they build a location that's closer than the Meijer

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Wheres_Jay@reddit

Unfortunately, foreign news paints us this way.

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TrashPandaNotACat@reddit

Shuddup or I'll have to shoot your teeth out. Oh wait, this is the South where you dun lost em from all that meth 😂

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Argo505@reddit

I grew up in the south. Nobody was shooting people’s teeth out, meth consumption or otherwise.

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_daddy69_@reddit

To be fair in comparison to other developed countries we do, but I agree it’s an irrational fear

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mistyskye14@reddit

Alexander Hamilton would likely have something to say about that /s

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IPreferDiamonds@reddit

I'm a 57 year old American woman. I have never been scared and I've never experienced gun violence.

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DuvalDad904@reddit

Is it because you were the perp? Jk just in case

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4Q69freak@reddit

Reminds me of the old joke… a guy picks up a hitchhiker, the hitchhiker asks him if he wasn’t afraid he was a serial killer. The driver says “nah what are the chances there’d be two of us in the car”

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mamacat49@reddit

Which reminds me of the joke…..So a guy is walking into the woods with a young boy. The young boys says, “It’s getting dark, I’m kind of scared.” The man says, “ How do you think I feel? I have to walk out of here alone.”

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dontlookback76@reddit

😂

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zetaraybill@reddit

Did you hear the one about the cannibal that passed his uncle in the woods?

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TucsonTacos@reddit

I mean if you’re the one committing the violence you’d also be “experiencing” it right?

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

37 year old American here. I have never experienced gun violence, but I have absolutely been scared. I strategize exits all the time when I’m in crowds, schools, etc . But it doesn’t stop me from doing what I want to do. I know I’m much more likely to die in a car accident (which is why I prefer walkable cities with good metro systems).

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stroppo@reddit

Have you been raped or assaulted?

I've been held up at gunpoint, and (in a separate incident) assaulted.

My mother was never assaulted or experienced gun violence, but she always crossed the street if a group of young males was walking down the sidewalk toward her (during the day; she never went out at night).

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o93mink@reddit

So long as you don’t plan to be murdered by a member of your family, joining a street gang, or becoming involved in drug trafficking, the probability of you being involved in random violence are basically zero.

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stroppo@reddit

I wouldn't say "basically zero." In my neighborhood recently there was a man who was a bystander in a shooting, waiting for the bus, and he was hit by a bullet and killed.

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o93mink@reddit

So one person out of tens of thousands over the course of your lifetime?

My man, that’s what “basically zero” means.

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stroppo@reddit

I was just listing that as one example. That was certainly not meant to be "one person ... over the course of your lifetime."

Read a story about a man who picked up his parents from the airport, was driving to his home, was killed by a stray bullet.

My friends ran a gallery in a bar. One morning a former patron came in started shooting. He wasn't targeting anyone specific, so yeah, that was totally random. Later that day in another random killing he shot and killed a woman while he was carjacking her. (he killed himself when police tracked him down).

This reminds me, someone in my neighborhood was shot in a recent carjacking attempt (they weren't called).

All random stuff.

My neighbor is so afraid of violence she won't leave her home after sunset (and rarely leaves it during the day). So yeah, in winter, she doesn't go out after 5 pm.

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o93mink@reddit

Your neighbor is mentally ill

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reddock4490@reddit

Again again, random incidents of bystanders getting caught up in someone else’s dispute against a total population of 350 million plus the millions of tourists, immigrants, or travelers in the country each day makes the rate effectively zero. It’s less likely than getting struck by lightning.

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ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit

You don’t think the distinction between different kinds of violence is relevant?

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witchy12@reddit

In my 26 years of life in the US, the only times I have seen a gun in person is on police officers, or my dad, who is also a police officer.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Laughs in the South.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

Even when I lived in the deep south, I didn't see guns everywhere.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Man people open carry round here like crazy (MS). Doesn’t bother me at all because I’ve grown up with guns and shooting/hunting, but to say it’s only police officers was wild to me for that guy.

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reddock4490@reddit

Mississippi is the only place I’ve ever seen open carry in just normal life, it’s definitely a jarring experience for most people to just see bubba carrying a pistol into Subway for no fucking reason

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Originally coming from Kentucky. It was normal.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

I’ve only seen guns on cops as well, or at the Academy store which sells guns

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

In Texas!? You must live in Austin!!!!

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Mindless-Client3366@reddit

Also Texas. Open carry is not common at all here. I live in a rural area, but work in Fort Worth.

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Interesting. Open carry is very popular here amongst the gun shop crowd and the senior citizens at Kroger demographics.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

No. I don’t live in a big city. About 90 min outside of Dallas

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CatoTheElder2024@reddit

Absolutely wild my guy.

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Professional-Pungo@reddit

If you say so.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

I was in FL and GA, if that makes a difference. College towns, too, and that probably makes a difference.

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4Q69freak@reddit

I’m laughing in rural mid-western.

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biggavells@reddit

No, you’ll be fine. Most of the worst cities in America aren’t very tourist visited places and even people who do visit will never go to the worst areas (Chicago, Memphis, St Louis, Baltimore, Detroit, Cleveland)

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Bungalow_Man@reddit

I've been to all of the cities you've listed. They were fine.

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AffectionateJury3723@reddit

St. Louis is only bad in certain areas like most major metropolitan areas. The zoo is world class and basically free. The art museum is great too.

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TheFacetiousDeist@reddit

There are 50 states with a total of o er 340 million people. Some parts are fine, some parts are amazing. Some parts you should avoid at all costs.

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SakanaToDoubutsu@reddit

Here's a lecture called Tragic but not Random that goes over how violent crime actually works:

https://youtu.be/jVt7-WFnuI8?si=Yb4i0Jncc5hpEebG

TL;DR: violent crime clusters in a hyper specific cohort of people.

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reddock4490@reddit

Right. Most cities that are “high murder” or whatever, is actually like 10 people in one neighborhood who are responsible for 90% and the other 10% are retaliating against something those 10 guys did

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Starfoxmarioidiot@reddit

You’ve gotta look at the statistics and not what’s reported if you’re contemplating a visit. None of it’s good, but it isn’t like you’d be coming to a war zone. Stay out of drunk arguments and don’t do anything to antagonize police or gangsters. We have the occasional maniac who shoots indiscriminately, but you are incredibly unlikely to encounter any of that. Especially if you end up anywhere that’s part of a travel package.

If you come out to California, I’d recommend taking a tour up the Pacific Coast Highway if you want to have a cultural experience. If you want to have a wilderness experience (which I recommend even more) you can travel the same distance on the other side of the Sierra Nevada mountains along the 395 highway. Either way, it’s mind blowing. If you travel on the east side of the mountains you’re guaranteed to bump into some fellow Europeans and see some things you’ll absolutely never see in the UK. On the west side of the mountains you’ll wonder why anyone ever decided to live anywhere else.

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Cinisajoy2@reddit

No. There are some dangerous areas but on the whole no.

Even Texas with its gun laws, I haven't seen many guns. Or heard of much violence. There has been some but not like the media makes it out to be. I think in my area, there has been 1 active shooter alert and that was a few years back.

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Objective-District39@reddit

In Texas, I only saw three firearms carried outside outside of police. One was my own, one was on a star owner, and the other on a guy just gassing up his motorcycle at a rural gas station

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Agreeable-Damage9119@reddit

Come to New England. You could fly in to Boston see both the city and nearby states like Rhode Island and Maine. And you could even swing down to NYC if you had enough time. Save California for your second trip over.

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Bungalow_Man@reddit

Random gun violence is definitely a thing, but it's nowhere near as common as the news would make you think. It's not something I've ever experienced firsthand or had a friend/relative experience. It's also not something I think about when I leave the house.

Most gun violence is targeted or concentrated in bad areas. A lot is even more specifically domestic violence or drug related. I've been all over the US, and to many places that are considered "bad" like Detroit, St. Louis and even Gary, IN and I've been to the biggest cities like New York, Chicago and LA. I've never witnessed gun violence anywhere. If you're going to Maryland, definitely be careful in areas of Baltimore, but I've been there twice, and it was fine. In general, if you're sticking to primarily touristy areas of cities and not wandering off alone at night you will be fine. Always be aware of your surroundings, but I think that's pretty standard in any city in the world.

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sleepyj910@reddit

Your main danger here is car accidents, unless you are making very bad choices and hanging with sketchy people, but that's not generally what visitors do.

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PurpleLilyEsq@reddit

Yes. It really needs to be emphasized more how much more likely it is to be hurt or killed in car crashes. The chances of being shot on vacation are slim. Car crashes are a great reason (among many) to ensure you have good travel insurance for health expenses whenever you leave your home country.

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HairToTheMonado@reddit

No need to worry about guns, unless you’re in some of the worst cities in the country. I’ve been down-south many times in my life, and never once have I seen anyone, aside from police officers, with a gun on their hip.

San Francisco, on the other hand? I heard gunshots almost-every night when I made the mistake of staying in the wrong part of that city (a block or two away from the Tenderloin, for those curious).

Just gotta know where to go. NYC can be a great place if you stick to the tourist-attractions (the 9/11 memorial, Ellis Island—which I highly-recommend: it is really fascinating to see :), Broadway’s always a good time, and so are the zoos).

Maryland is also a gorgeous place. Only been there once, but I loved every second of it!

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benificialart@reddit

In wouldn’t go under this administration. But other than that, the USA is a great nation.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

oRaNgE mAn BaD

.....

why?

.....

oRaNgE mAn BaD

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Effective_Pear4760@reddit

Yeah, I wouldn't want to visit right now, but normally, when we don't have masked goons kidnapping people, it's fine.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

you could just leave, that way you could visit later...

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benificialart@reddit

It’s not that easy to leave you know.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

oh that's right, other countries also have self-preserving immigration policies in place to protect their citizens.. silly me

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benificialart@reddit

Imagine supporting a rapist and a predator.

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Ok-Understanding9244@reddit

imagine believing everything the talking heads on the TV tell you is true

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CollectionStraight2@reddit

Yeah I was gonna say, being detained and hauled off to some detention centre for having slightly the wrong paperwork would be a much bigger worry to me than gun violence. I'm not kidding

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notthegoatseguy@reddit

Guns being legal doesn't mean everyone owns one.

You shouldn't be out to make anyone angry wherever you travel, US or otherwise.

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Objective-District39@reddit

And many that do don't carry them.

And most that do carry, you will never know

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dontforgettowriteme@reddit

Let me paint a picture for you because I had this same conversation with my dad:

I moved from my small town to a big city and everyone I knew lost their minds with fear on my behalf because, like you, they feared for my safety.

What felt like every day of me living there, my dad would send me some article about a shooting. The incident would be so far away from me, it might as well have been in a different city. But because it bleeds, it leads, from my dad's perspective, gun violence was everywhere, all the time, and all at once and I was under seige. I had to block him at times because his anxiety was so tangible it was driving me insane.

I saw more guns and heard more fired in my rural area of the world than I ever experienced in the city. You have to remember that the reason gun violence makes the news is because it's newsworthy/a big deal. No news outlet is going to report "nothing violent happened today." I mean wouldn't that be nice? lol

And I am not saying these things to downplay the very real issue we have with gun violence in this country. I sympathize with your anxiety. It's a thing and it happens. Mass shootings happen. I am honestly surprised at the attitudes of those in this thread who say they've never worried about it. I mean, we've seen mass shootings happen in all sorts of "innocent" public spaces and I bet they all thought it would never happen there, either.

But, you can't predict this kind of thing or hide away in a box. You gotta live your life.

The average day here isn't rife with violence or guns and you'd hate to just stay at home because you're afraid of something happening that likely wouldn't. I do hope you visit and I hope you have the time of your life! Good luck on your exams!

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RodeoBoss66@reddit

Oh yeah it’s the Wild West over here. Every minute of every day you gotta dodge bullets. It’s a war zone, everywhere you go. Just yesterday I lost a leg thanks to a hand grenade. I’m okay though, I still got one good one.

🙄

Stop listening to the media. It’s nowhere near that bad. Although gun violence can occur anywhere in the United States, and nowhere is 100% safe, the likelihood that you would ever see or hear any is very low.

I’ve lived here all my life, and I’ve heard gunfire only a few random times, usually on the 4th of July or New Year’s Eve, from people shooting guns into the air (which is illegal in most cities).

Only once have I been close enough to be almost involved in a gunfight. It was when I lived in Houston, Texas, around 20 years ago. I was visiting a neighbor in my apartment complex one day, and suddenly we heard gunshots nearby, which was very unusual. It turned out that her husband was one of the gunfighters, and he won! He legally owned his pistol (and he knew how to shoot), while the guy he shot went to jail for dealing drugs and prostituting a teenage girl. But that’s the only time in my life something like that happened.

Some people here in the USA go their whole lives never hearing gunfire and never being under any threat from firearms. You’re as likely to encounter a gunfight in the United States as you are an IRA bomb in the United Kingdom.

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amcjkelly@reddit

I just went to NYC, it is safe. But, I generally take ubers and taxis.

You don't generally see guns, and unless you are breaking into peoples homes, you should be totally fine.

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annang@reddit

The subway and buses are also very safe.

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stroppo@reddit

Well, I think it depends. It is a matter of perspective.

I'm American. To my surprise, I realize I've known 3 people that were murdered. Two with guns, one was beaten and strangled. Two were random killings. One was by a mentally ill person who killed his father, then himself.

I myself have been held up at gun point 3 times in 2 US major cities. Those were random.

Larger cities are the most dangerous, though it's usually limited to specific neighborhoods. There have been more shootings in my neighborhood recently, which makes me nervous, though they mostly seem to be between people who know each other, though bystanders have been hit as well. It means I stay home a lot more. And I rarely go out at night.

I wouldn't say the US is a safe country. But if you are cautious you will likely be all right.

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Argo505@reddit

Larger cities are the most dangerous

They’re really not.

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stroppo@reddit

The overview google search says:

"Generally, larger U.S. cities have higher crime rates than smaller cities and rural areas, particularly for violent crime. However, this is not a universal rule, as crime rates can vary significantly between individual cities, regardless of size. For example, some small towns have crime rates that are much higher than the national average, while some large cities are statistically very safe, with some of the lowest crime rates in the country."

And it's prob also my perspective because I've only been mugged and assaulted in major cities.

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annang@reddit

AI is not an information source. It’s not an “overview” of anything. It’s a hallucination.

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Argo505@reddit

However, this is not a universal rule

Thanks for playing

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mommawolf2@reddit

One of the coolest places is Salem Massachusetts. It's INCREDIBLY safe, fun , full of history from the witch hysteria all the way to pirates.

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R1leyEsc0bar@reddit

Considering you'd probably just be doing tourist things, you will be safe as those tend to be in safer areas. NYC the only wild card because some tourist areas can be in "crime filled" areas but given that I live in a crime filled area and have yet to experience it myself, you'd just be really unlucky if anything bad happened here.

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annang@reddit

New York is the safest big city in the country. What tourist areas do you believe are “crime filled”?

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Dave_A480@reddit

Nope. As long as you aren't a career criminal, you have more to fear from the weather than you do from other people

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ButterFace225@reddit

Most gun violence incidents are personal (think Family, colleagues, partners, friends). I went o NYC with family, and it was pretty safe in the tourist areas and neighborhoods. With that being said, always take safety precautions. Just keep a buddy system with your dad. My best advice would be to leave the area if you just so happen to witness people arguing. Avoid people asking for money or panhandling.

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Intrin_sick@reddit

You will see guns, but probably only cops. Still, it took friends from England a few days to not freak out when they saw them.

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CollectionStraight2@reddit

Most English people don't get that some UK cops actually do carry guns every day (in Northern Ireland). Do they think its just a US thing?

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MerryTexMish@reddit

So, I live in San Antonio, and there are parts of this city I definitely don’t feel safe in.

But if I go to a city I’m not familiar with, part of the danger is that I don’t know what areas to stay away from — at least, not like I do here. I stayed with friends in Minneapolis last year, and she showed me on the map where the area got sketchier; without that help, I would have had no idea.

So I think it’s about being aware of, and knowledgeable about, your surroundings.

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Mindless-Client3366@reddit

I live in Texas, and everyone all over the world assumes everyone carries a gun on their hips here. First of all, not true. Second, I have never seen anyone shoot another person.

I say this as gently as possible: please stop believing everything you see on the internet. The US is almost 40 times larger than the UK, and about 260 million more people live here. I've been to Europe multiple times, and many people there have difficulty grasping just how big this country is. Gun violence is not common. Media will have you believe that it is because that's what gets them likes and views.

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DOMSdeluise@reddit

The United States is more dangerous in terms of crime than the United Kingdom (and there are other threats here like natural disasters, also our drivers are far more dangerous judging on road deaths per capital and per distance driven) but overall this is a safe country and you should be fine. NYC notably is one of the safest cities in the country.

You can trust me because I work in travel security as my day job and think about this stuff all the time (not usually travel to America but it does come up)

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Kellaniax@reddit

Never trust someone who says trust me.

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annang@reddit

You’re not in any danger from regular American citizens. However, I would not visit here right now if you’re not a US citizen. Our government is arresting people at airports, even people with valid travel documents, and putting them in immigration prisons. It’s not safe for tourists to travel here right now because of our government.

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whiskeyprincess08@reddit

It's no more dangerous than anywhere else. That is when we dont have a facist president. If you're a poc or lgbt think carefully about where you're going.

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Ok_Gas5386@reddit

Lived here my whole life without dying

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cappotto-marrone@reddit

Not as dangerous as some would make out. Just like any country there are rougher areas than others. There are parts of Rome, Paris, and London I wouldn’t wander into, just as there parts of NYC, DC, and Los Angeles I wouldn’t wander around.

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sammysbud@reddit

Yes. I got murdered three times this morning, and that is what I consider a good day!

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blbd@reddit

Did you get shot one time for each of your state flag flairs and then wrapped in all of them for your funeral?

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sammysbud@reddit

Yes, except not all of the murders were by gunfire... some of my murderers were more creative.

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blbd@reddit

A few of those states are known for good ole boys and wild stories. So that tracks.

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sammysbud@reddit

woah, now... creative murders happen all over the country.

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Objective-District39@reddit

I know, I murdered you two of those times. But you murdered me the day before and will probably kill me again tomorrow

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Grunt08@reddit

Your first time getting murdered really is a rite of passage.

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WarMinister23@reddit

If you don’t get murdered you’re a dang dirty communist, or worse, a liberal.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

You never forget your first time, though.

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sammysbud@reddit

My family baked me a cake, but I understand this country is huge and diverse. Everybody celebrates differently!!

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Necessary_Internet75@reddit

You got a cake?! All I got was a 🥇with a card saying good job you’re part of the team.

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Blue387@reddit

I live in NYC and the stories about crime are annoying. Yes, we do have some crime but the city is far safer than portrayed by right-wing and conservative media.

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Kellaniax@reddit

I honestly feel safer in New York or LA where I live than in the supposedly safe town in Florida that I grew up in.

The media just likes to sensationalize.

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Kellaniax@reddit

I honestly feel safer in New York or LA where I live than in the supposedly safe town in Florida that I grew up in. But that’s not what the media likes to say.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

NYC is lovely and people were super helpful when I was trying to figure out which subway line to take. Seriously, great place to visit and so much to see.

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Blue387@reddit

I have personally helped out many tourists at the Canal Street station in Chinatown since many of them end up taking the N or Q trains across the Manhattan Bridge into Brooklyn rather than the train uptown or the R or W trains downtown to the World Trade Center, etc. The stations are complex and not intuitive for visitors and even confusing for locals at times.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

That's so kind of you :-)

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Cinisajoy2@reddit

I remember when I was a kid in Odessa Texas (1970s), we had more murders than you did per capita. Matter of fact that was more murders per capita than the rest of the US. I think as far as crime goes as a whole, you are still safer than I am.

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No_Highlight_5994@reddit

Tbf, popular shows like csi New York fed into that. On that show, there’s murder every episode. That can lead to people believing it’s super bad. But one cannot believe these kinds of shows. They are for entertainment.

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Argo505@reddit

The total lack of media literacy on display is really stunning.

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Blue387@reddit

By this logic, Cabot Cove in Maine is the most dangerous city in the world!

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No_Highlight_5994@reddit

It is!! DO NOT GO THERE TV TOLD ME SO

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AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit

Violent crime in the US is at a statistical low we haven't seen since the early 1960s.

Sure, stay away from skeevy areas of town, but otherwise you'll be completely fine.

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tiny_toad94@reddit

Proof?

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AnybodySeeMyKeys@reddit

https://www.prisonpolicy.org/graphs/crimerates_2014_2024.html

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Hi_Im_Paul1706@reddit

Have you seen the movie 28 Days Later? Like that but our zombies have guns.

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Strange_Ambassador76@reddit

I’m well into middle age, and have lived in the north east, California, and a small but major city in the Midwest. Traveled all over the country. The only guns I have ever seen were carried by police. 9/10 those were holstered handguns.

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Choice_Friend3479@reddit

No

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12B88M@reddit

Using the numbers from 2023, there were3,090,582 deaths from all causes (injury, natural causes, overdose, illness, etc.) in the US. Of those deaths, 46,728 were due to firearms. That means firearms deaths were 1.5% of all deaths.

But that's not the whole story.

Of those firearm related deaths only 17,927 were murders. That means firearm murders were only 0.58% of all deaths.

To put that in perspective, vehicle accidents killed 40,901 people in 2023 which means you are statistically 2.28 times more likely to die in a car crash than be killed with a firearm.

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Playful_Fan4035@reddit

No, not really. I live in area where most people probably own a gun, but it’s at their house in a closet. The only guns I ever see are in holsters on a police officer (usually they’re sitting at a restaurant eating their lunch or something while on duty).

I guess it would matter where you go, but tourist areas are safe. Tourist areas here, at least where I’ve been, don’t have the issues with mugging or scammers that are heard about in high tourist places outside the US. Most places I’ve traveled are in the South or mid-west because I live in coastal Texas.

I grew up in Houston, Texas which is one of the largest cities in the US and the world, and I never felt like any areas I visited were particularly unsafe.

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ElijahNSRose@reddit

No. We just lie about that junk so our lives feel less boring.

Most of the criminal violence you see in history or on the news only centers around a handful of incidents. I.E. The iconic "wild west duel" where an outlaw and lawman quickdrew to kill each other only happened once. In urban Missouri. In the 1880s.

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44035@reddit

It would be like if you visited London. Stay in the fun parts of town and avoid the really scary parts.

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Biteme75@reddit

We have a high rate of gun ownership, but the vast majority of us are responsible with our guns. You don't have to worry about making somebody angry; you have to worry about somebody who is already angry shooting up people who had nothing to do with their anger.

That's not reassuring at all, so look at the numbers. About .013% of the American population dies from gun violence annually, and over half of those were suicides.

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OldRaj@reddit

I recommend visiting California. It’s got so much to see. I think you’ll be perfectly safe there entire time. Unless you venture into the hood, which you won’t, you’ll never see a single firearm.

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morningtrain@reddit

I’m always curious to know what country the OP is from…

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SignificantOtherness@reddit

Their flair up top says United Kingdom.

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bigcheez69420@reddit

Really I think you’ll be fine. I’m from a big city and have also lived in or been to plenty of cities all along the west coast like LA and they weren’t any scarier than cities I’ve been to in the UK. Have friends who live in or used to live in NYC that are also fine. People generally are pretty kind and helpful, or keep to themselves.

We’re not perfect but it isn’t the apocalyptic hellscape that some may imagine lolol. It’s a huuuge country so places can differ in a lot of ways, but overall it’s quite normal here. Don’t flaunt wads of cash around, don’t pick fights and be aware of your surroundings, especially at night- but that goes for any city, not just American ones.

Sure we have guns, but it’s just not the kinda thing you walk around fretting over all day I think. It’s more likely I’d be struck by a car than shot. People aren’t pulling their guns on each other all over the place ya know. Of the many guns I’ve seen or been around, I’ve never experienced people brandishing them at each other/another person (aside from the police.) Only target practice or hunting purposes.

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IHeartAthas@reddit

You’re far more likely to die attempting to drive on the other side of the road, or looking the wrong way when crossing the street.

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rnoyfb@reddit

It is safe. Ask people for advice about what cities you’re going to and avoid sketchy areas and the crime isn’t really a problem. You should also avoid protests

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Entire_Toe2640@reddit

I’m not surprised by your question. The political right lies constantly to give them an excuse to run over rights. I live in Florida and I fear nothing. Ever. As for your choices - California by a long shot. There’s an amazing variety of geography and geology. But if you’re staying east, Washington DC is beautiful. Ignore the idiot in the White House. He lies. My daughter went to DC last week and had a great time.

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Humdrum_Blues@reddit

Most "gun violence" in the US is really just gang violence and suicide.

You'll be fine as long you don't join the bloods or something.

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einsteinGO@reddit

Don’t overlook Maryland; it’s a beautiful state. You can go there and eat some of the best seafood in your life.

Dangerous? No, especially if you’re just a tourist doing tourist stuff. I don’t know what you could get into that would be dangerous. I live in Los Angeles and it’s just a city.

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hopping_hessian@reddit

I’ve lived in the US my whole life. I’ve been to Chicago, St Louis, DC, and many more cities more times than I can count and I’ve never witnessed a crime.

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MmmIceCreamSoBAD@reddit

The murder rate this year is going to be either the lowest or second lowest ever recorded. The lowest was last year and through six months it's basically tied with last year.

Violent crime and property crime are at the lowest level they've been since the 1960s.

Crime in general has been going down for decades in the US

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Boredpanda6335@reddit

It depends on what part of the country you go. With any countries, there’s the parts that are unsafe, and parts that are safe.

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CaptainMalForever@reddit

There's definitely guns and violence in the US, just like there's violence in every country.

Most violence is between people who have a prior relationship and random acts of violence are rare.

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FormerlyDK@reddit

It’s fine… Come and have fun! I’m 77, and in my whole life I never saw anyone pull a gun, or shoot one, and I’ve never had any violent crimes happen to me or family and friends.

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Vachic09@reddit

Not even close

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LastCookie3448@reddit

Yes. I've survived two shootings, and I'm from the 'good kids' in the 'rich' parts of town.

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waltzthrees@reddit

I mean, I see stories about how the UK has issues with knife crime. But if I asked you if it was safe to visit, you’d say of course, those are isolated incidents. And you might be insulted I asked. Same here. It’s a huge country.

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ramblinjd@reddit

The USA on average is no more dangerous than the greater London area on average. There are places that are much worse and places that are much better. If you do well on your GCSEs, you're smart enough to tell the difference.

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KR1735@reddit

I know I'm going to get downvoted for not joining in the groupthink chorus here, but I would hesitate to visit a country where the people who are supposed to be chasing illegal immigration are in reality on the streets of Chicago chasing ghosts. And the most likely people they go after are those who don't "look" or "sound" like they should be in the United States. Regardless of your passport or visa status. Not being a native English speaker could be enough. Not being white, that too. There have even been Canadians who have been harassed.

That's not to say the U.S. is a bad country. I love my country. But, at the same time, I have the honesty to tell you that now is not an ideal time to visit. Perhaps save for a few more years and do a longer or more extravagant vacation once society has cooled down a little bit and our country isn't being run by maniacs.

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Awkward_Swordfish597@reddit

No, it's overblown. Obviously any city has good and bad parts, the problem is the bad parts can be more dangerous than average bc of the guns. But most of the places you go you will be fine.

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NS_8099@reddit

While we have our fair share of problems, no it’s not. In my city, random crimes are very rare. 99.9% of the shootings here are related to either drugs or domestic violence and are between people who know each other. Obviously, there are areas you should avoid in every city but as long as you don’t associate with the wrong crowd and use common sense, you should be safe. I hate that stereotype about our country.

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Comfortable-South397@reddit

I lived in Chicago and Los Angeles for over 20 years and have never even heard a gun being fired in the city.

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Listen2Wolff@reddit

While it may sound boring, visiting your Dad's friend could actually be the best experience if you want to know what it is like to live in the USA. I've been in all 50 states. Each one has something special. 3 years ago was the first time in Eastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. I was blown away with how beautiful it was. Not at all what I expected.

In Maryland your Dad's friend probably lives close to Washington DC. There's a lot to see there. A week would not be long enough. But that's true of everywhere but Las Vegas, where you've seen everything in about 30 minutes. It's all the same.

You can't "see" California in anything less than a year. I lived there a combined total of 15 years and there are tons of places I never made it to.

As far as how dangerous it is. No more so than Britain.

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_daddy69_@reddit

Certainly more dangerous than Britain, but even that is incredibly low in comparison to 90% of the world.

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On_my_last_spoon@reddit

In general, things are safe. But it is a crapshoot for non-citizens right now.

Since it’s a year away, wait and see.

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tcspears@reddit

Who says the US is dangerous? You have a higher chance of getting struck by lightning than being a victim of gun violence. The vast majority of mass shootings are young men in gangs, or rival groups, fighting in certain inner city areas.

I will say that I grew up and still live in New England, and you never see guns in public, same with NYC. Which I’m happy about. Boston and NYC both have gun violence, but it’s not something most people would experience in either city. I’ve been to cities in the south, where people walk around with guns in holsters, which is always a bit jarring to see, but that’s their culture.

Unless you’re going into some very shady areas, where the public wouldn’t typically go, you most likely will not encounter guns or gun violence. That’s not to say the US is perfect, and that we don’t need to do more to sting gun violence down, but I think you’re getting some exaggerated stories.

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_daddy69_@reddit

The vast majority of gun deaths in the US are either suicides or gang related, as long as you aren’t getting involved with any gangs or sketchy activities you’ll almost certainly be fine.

For reference, more people die in Europe every year from heatstroke than people killed by guns in the US. While gun violence and other crime is certainly a thing in the US, especially in comparison to other developed countries, it’s not really something that you should spend much time worrying about.

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AZJHawk@reddit

No. For the most part, it’s not dangerous unless you’re in a bad part of town. Even then, you’ll probably be fine, but I wouldn’t risk it.

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Ashur_Bens_Pal@reddit

No.

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Plenty_Vanilla_6947@reddit

Maryland is actually a beautiful state if you have locals will to show you around. Beaches, small historic towns, hills and ocean beaches.

Also it’s near Washington DC.

The flight to California is awfully long.

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ZaphodG@reddit

GCSE means UK and probably 16 next year.

The crime rate in the Northeast Corridor between Washington DC/Maryland and Boston isn’t all that different from the UK. Most of those states have fairly strict gun control laws.

California is much longer travel time. Where I live near Boston (15 miles from Rhode Island), London and Los Angeles are similar flight time. London with the tailwind is about 6 hours. LA is into the jet stream so more like 6 1/2 most of the time.

Depending on where in Maryland, it’s a fairly easy train ride from NYC. I take the train between Providence Rhode Island and NYC frequently. It’s 3 hours and 10 minutes on Acela and maybe an extra 30 minutes on the Northeast Regional train that makes more stops. The rail infrastructure between NYC and Rhode Island is poor. Trains run much faster between NYC and Washington DC.

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33whiskeyTX@reddit

The vast VAST majority of people who are victims of gun violence in America are gun owners. So just don't own a gun while you are here (and stay out of the bad parts of major cities, just like in almost all other countries) and you will be fine.

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Objective-District39@reddit

Most gun deaths are suicides. You can avoid that by not shooting yourself. Many of the others are criminals killing each other. This can be avoided by not being a criminal

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Bittysweens@reddit

no. it isn’t. you’re fine. people are INCREDIBLY dramatic. i’m from chicago originally. did i go into the really bad neighborhoods? no. was i perfectly fine walking around everywhere else? yes.

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LazHuffy@reddit

You’ll be fine. My quick trip plan would be to fly in to and visit D.C., see friend in Maryland, go to NYC, then Providence and finally visit and fly back home out of Boston. Additional places where you could consider going: West Virginia (absolutely beautiful nature), Philadelphia, Hudson River Valley (gorgeous), more rural New England and Portland, Maine (one of my favorite cities). This area in the country is one of the few in the U.S. where you can take the train (decent to good service for America) to almost all those places.

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Impossible-Taro-2330@reddit

No. Just be aware of your surroundings - like anywhere else you may travel.

I have a lot of family in Europe and find there are many more pick pockets there, than here. I've never had that happen - but I keep my belongings secured. Not saying we don't have pickpockets here - just be a safe traveller.

One thing you might find disturbing is "open carry" of firearms. I grew up with guns, am a military veteran, and just find it so performative and unnecessary. But be aware - you may see it. Google state laws to see what idiotic states allow it. I'm a Floridian and our state allows it.

Despite our foolish government, there are many incredible sights - Florida's natural Springs, the beaches of Gulf of Mexico, the Grand Canyon, the desert landscapes, real Mexican food, the Hoover Dam, the coastline of the Pacific Northwest,. Take the backroads and see the small towns that ARE America and not to be missed.

Best of luck on your GCSE's - and DO come visit us! We are in general, a kind and welcoming people.🤩

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BombardierIsTrash@reddit

Unless you will be living in the south or one of the other states that make a big show of showing of how much they love guns and how they could never leave home without it, the chances of you seeing or interacting with someone with a gun who is not a police officer is essentially zero.

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Objective-District39@reddit

Even most of the interactions with an armed citizen will be normal if you are. You may not even realize they are armed!

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Adorable-East-2276@reddit

You will be in the same amount of danger you would be in London. Little to none

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ur_moms_chode@reddit

If you aren't dealing drugs or dating m'badboys, you'll be fine.

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AwesomeHorses@reddit

There is more gun violence here than in a lot of other countries, but the odds of you encountering gun violence on a short trip are low. I have lived in the US for 27 years and have never seen any gun violence in real life.

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Cinisajoy2@reddit

59 and seen it twice. Heard of it a few more times Once was a domestic dispute.

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Traditional-Joke-179@reddit

i’ve personally never seen anyone in public with a gun and i’m about to be middle aged.

one thing i learned on reddit that’s become of my proudest things about us is that tourists from everywhere seem to agree that we’re so incredibly warm, kind, inviting, and nice. it’s not even remotely normal to witness or experience public violence. we’re a much safer country than the america bad propaganda.

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NoDoOversInLife@reddit

Come to Southern California!!! Then drive up the coast to North/Central California. We have amazing landscapes; breathtaking mountains; unsurpassed beaches; incredible quaint towns and some of the nicest people you'll meet in the US. Feel free to send me a DM

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Bvvitched@reddit

The only time I’ve ever seen a gun in person (not on a cop) was when I was on a murder trial and the gun was evidence.

I live in Chicago and I’ve again, never seen a gun IRL but have heard gunshots. But you have to think that most people enact violence against people they know, random acts of violence against strangers is an outlier.

Like, are you worried about knifing or acid attacks? Probably not.

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OptatusCleary@reddit

It isn’t that dangerous. People are giving good advice (to avoid bad neighborhoods, etc.) but even that makes it seem worse than it is. I worked in a very high-crime town for many years as an obvious outsider, and never was the victim of any crime. So you would probably be okay in those places, but there’s no good reason to risk it and some places are much worse than others.

I’m sure it has happened in most countries that someone became violent over a small dispute, but that’s not common at all. People aren’t routinely getting shot for having disagreements with others. The most common way Americans die from shooting is suicide. If you avoid that, don’t join a gang, don’t sell or buy drugs, and don’t start violent altercations with people, then you’re almost certain not to be shot.

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KaetzenOrkester@reddit

I've lived my entire life in the US (I'm middle aged) and I've seen one gun. It was from someone who'd lived in Alaska and she'd needed it to frighten the polar bears away (apex predators who aren't afraid of humans).

I've never seen anyone pull a gun in anger, I've never seen a hold-up in a store, or whatever other media-generated fantasies you may be thinking of.

Yes, you can be a victim of a crime in the bad parts of a big city in the US, but there are parts of London or Manchester you shouldn't go to, either, right?

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PapaJohnyRoad@reddit

Not in the places you’re going to visit as a tourist.

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Strict-Farmer904@reddit

No. Parts of it all and by parts I mean even parts of town within major cities (in fact I’m pretty sure the most dangerous places in % rather than just raw large numbers end up being smaller cities you’d probably never go to on vacation). But so Los Angeles or NYC, NYC is mostly wonderful. Same with a place like Providence, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Houston, Seattle, Portland, Minneapolis, Milwaukee, etc. There are parts of all of those cities you wouldn’t want to go to and indeed you likely never would on vacation.

California is complicated because Los Angeles for example is absolutely positively massive geographically. It’s broadly safe in the places you would want to go to but following the COVID shutdowns and the ensuing economic downturn, it is one of the cities that I think has been hit harder by homelessness. Not necessarily violence or crime, but you see a ton of homelessness there and that can make a lot of people uncomfortable (I guarantee you it’s more uncomfortable for the homeless people! But I digress). I note it because while there are homeless people everywhere in America, I think Los Angeles is the one place I’ve seen it explode where you’re just incredibly likely to see it in person. If you go, please just don’t confuse homeless people with violent people or whatever.

San Francisco is an amazing city but also one that has some pockets you wouldn’t really want to hang out in. It’s also just generally really difficult for traffic and stuff like that. I don’t know San Diego very well but I know people like it there too. I hear Santa Barbara is great, never been.

Regardless: The states are just physically large. Take any major city in the world and think about how there are plenty of safe and awesome scenic parts as well as dangerous or at very least seedy parts. I’m 41, didn’t grow up rich or anything, and I’ve lived in Chicago, Los Angeles, Houston, and a few other places. I’ve never seen gun violence ever.

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soonerwx@reddit

Statistically speaking, while here, do you plan to:

(1) shoot yourself?

(2) do gang-related or drug-related activities?

(3) hang out with people who do (2)?

(4) enter an abusive domestic relationship with someone who has guns?

If the answer to all of the above is no, you should visit, enjoy yourself, and never even think about it.

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urquhartloch@reddit

I live in Maryland. Its actually really great. Ive also lived in california and its overrated. The good parts that are publicly accessible are like 10 blocks and then some rural towns you can find in other states.

Gun violence is not as bad as the internet would have you believe. There are 50,000 gun deaths per year of all sources (homicide, suicide, and accident) and 360 million people. So even at random chance you have a 0.013% chance of being shot.

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Born_Sandwich176@reddit

When I was 17 I started talking to my dad about wanting to drive around the country visiting all the major sites and big cities.

Every city I mentioned my father would reply about how dangerous and dirty that city was. I was disappointed and cancelled my plans.

It wasn’t until much later that I learned that my father hitchhiked around the country after leaving the Air Force and could only afford to stay in the area of town that was then referred to as skid row.

I then visited many of those cities and found them to be beautiful and safe.

It all comes down to where you’re visiting. I think it’s much harder to wander into the dangerous areas than it is to enjoy yourself in the nice, safe areas.

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Showdown5618@reddit

America is very big, and most of it is very safe. There are certain parts of the country that are dangerous.

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CeeCee123456789@reddit

Nah.

There are a lot of guns here, so there is a chance you might see one depending on where you go. There is a big difference between seeing a gun and being shot by one. You've likely seen a lot of knives in your life. Ever been stabbed? Ever seen anybody get stabbed?

Kinda the same principle.

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BobsleddingToMyGrave@reddit

They news just shows the bad. I live near the 2nd largest city in my state. Ive never seen a gun be pulled on someone in real life. I volunteered in what would be considered a ghetto at all hours.

Stay where tourists stay. Don't wander around after dark, don't drink to stupidity, don't flash money, don't wear flashy clothing or jewelry.

Decide what cities you want to visit. Research the area and enjoy yourself.

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revengeappendage@reddit

Well if you’re going to Maryland, don’t wander around random parts of Baltimore, especially at night, and you’ll be ok!

There’s small concentrated unsafe areas. Most of the country is perfectly safe.

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Traditional-Joke-179@reddit

i’ve wandered around random parts of baltimore at night as a young woman and the vibes were chill. i felt way safer than in other parts of maryland, and when i did feel unsafe it had nothing to do with guns

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No_Highlight_5994@reddit

Reddit isn’t real life for the vast majority of people. You will be fine. Just don’t be stupid. It isn’t all rainbows for sure.

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Pineapple_Trvphaus@reddit

No, it’s not. Violent crime is highly concentrated in areas you likely wouldn’t be visiting and is often gang/drug related. You likely won’t even see a gun in plain sight unless you see an officer or armed military personnel.

Crime and gun violence, in particular, are valid concerns in parts of the US, but not nearly on the level that many agitators with varying agendas would have you believe. The overwhelming majority of Americans live pretty safe, high quality, yet somewhat boring, lives. But that narrative doesn’t sell as much as silly notions of the US being an unstable “war zone”.

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Tha_Kush_Munsta@reddit

Every state in this damn country has cities or small towns that are dangerous, just like every other country on earth. Do research and just be aware of everything around you.

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ngshafer@reddit

The United States is actually not a dangerous country. It’s valid to be concerned about gun violence, but our actual rate of violent crime is quite low. There’s a lot of people here, and terrible crimes are committed , but they’re very rare when you account for the size of the country and the number of people. Rhode Island is beautiful.

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blbd@reddit

Technically speaking if you allow enough time you can visit VA, DC, MD, PA, NJ, NY, CT, RI, MA all in one trip and use a (relatively) high speed train to do it.

Trying to do FL or CA and all of those in the same trip would be difficult unless you go for a long time because just the 48 continental states are about 35X the land area of the entire UK.

Europeans are obsessed with exaggerating the danger of the US for shock value. But if you look at the data there are a lot of eastern EU member states with considerably higher crime and murder rates than the US. As a native English speaking country resident that does some research and planning of your trip that's basically a non issue.

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Any-Nefariousness610@reddit

Yes

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Defiant_Bill574@reddit

15,000 people died to gun homicide. Vast majority of those are major city gangs. I've lived here for 28 years and never seen a gun pulled on anyone let alone fired.

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KerryUSA@reddit

People underestimate how big America is, even some Americans.

My life growing up in North Carolina is vastly different than my family who grew up in Philly or live in Atlanta.

I’d say do Maryland/Rhode island…..you could always travel somewhere

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TX_Farmer@reddit

Go to RI

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7evenCircles@reddit

No. I spent 20 years in Canada and have spent the last 10 in and around major metropolitan centers in the American south. I've seen a gun that wasn't on a cop's hip twice. I've never encountered a shooting.

It's good advice to try not to piss people off, but by that, what I mean is "don't road rage, brake check someone, and walk out of your car screaming at the other vehicle with a baseball bat," not "don't disagree with someone at the supermarket."

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Highway49@reddit

Come visit California. You will be welcome.

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Maleficent-Hawk-318@reddit

No, especially for tourists.

The US does have serious problems with violent crime, but the vast majority of it is very localized and narrowly targeted. Unless you plan on joining a gang or getting into an abusive relationship while you're here, you will probably be fine.

We actually have fewer problems in some regards than a lot of European countries. For example, you'd have to be extraordinarily unlucky to get pickpocketed here.

The US has a lot of problems, but as a tourist from I'm assuming somewhere in the UK, you'll be fine.

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Full-of-Bread@reddit

It’s like any other place

If you go to a bad area at night and make yourself vulnerable, something might happen to you.

I have never felt unsafe in public from guns. I’ve felt unsafe in certain situations as a young woman, but again, that can happen anywhere.

The US is great.

Going to a place like Kensington, Pennsylvania will leave you feeling different than Nantucket, Massachusetts. It’s a very safe country though.

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ltsmash1200@reddit

No

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swirlinglaughter@reddit

I don't know where you're from, but you just need to use common sense. Does an area look dumpy? Avoid. Someone trying to sell or give you something on the street? Avoid. Will you be out at night without a crowd? Avoid. In a crowd, especially, outright violence is not going to happen. At worst, you'll just be scammed, just like any other major city in the world. I'm not saying to be constantly paranoid either. Just be aware of your surroundings like anywhere else.

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Short-Personality398@reddit

It’s safe. You always need to be aware of your surroundings like with any major city.

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YamLow8097@reddit

If you watch nothing but the news, yes.

No, but seriously, the news would lead you to believe that it’s like the purge here, but most people are chill. We’re just trying to live our life’s and go about our day. I’m not saying gun violence isn’t an issue, just that it’s very overblown by the media.

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Shot_Help7458@reddit

New England states are really nice and seemed safe. Good food.

Don’t go during the cold season unless that is what you want.

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