Tizzette

Many people have told scarier situations than this, but here is mine. Hyderabad train station at 4 AM. So dark, nobody else getting off the train, no other travellers around, only young men hanging out, and one guard. The uniformed cabbie boss pulled a bait and switch from a nice newish Ambassador to a shabby one with a driver wearing a lunghi. I remembered a tip if you are suspicious of your taxi to make point of ostentatiously telling somebody where you are going, so I told the guard and made sure they saw me do it. We had to stop on the way to put gas in the cab. I began to see why people have the hotel send a car.

StartinSanDiego

Wow, that is quite a story. A friend of mine is from Mexico, and her sister, a dentist, was kidnapped for ransom. One of her patients was complicit in the kidnapping. She was released unharmed, thankfully.

evergrn

This is why I only stay on the eastside. The whole westlake mall area smells like piss.

IdahoTimber

Egypt, Egypt, Egypt. And Jordan.

TObject

Good points on the difference between feeling safe and being safe.

I felt very safe buying something from a kiosk next to a crowded bus stop in an early afternoon. In an instant, I was jumped by several guys; one started a fight another one put me in a neck hold from behind. They managed to throw me on the ground, and were kicking me from all sides.

As in several other posts in this thread, bystanders do nothing. They are afraid to get involved. Except in my case there was one guy from the bus stop that yelled to the attackers, "Stop kicking him, he is already dead." Probably saved my live.

The bad guys took my bag and run away.

Again, I felt perfectly safe abut the place.

StartinSanDiego

Where did this happen?

DesertNomad

Democratic Republic of the Congo. No government. Lots of rebels.

RustyC

Cambodia in early 1997 was a bit tougher than expected. If there had been more Internet I probably would have found enough to talk myself out of it, but I'm glad I went. Phnom Penh was charming in ways but still had checkpoints and too much military with guns. By day you'd see a lot of moto accidents from not having stoplights anywhere (I'd ride motos everywhere for lack of other choices). There was the trip up the Mekong and across the Tonle Sap on the overloaded boat with reports of occasional fire from fishermen, and you got mobbed by guesthouse touts at the pier. The Khmer Rouge were still operating further north, you couldn't deviate from trails because of mines, and you needed an armed guard to go see Banteay Srei (I went back and saw it in 2000). The KR later in 1997 briefly overran Angkor.

It was quite the experience to see the place without too much in the way of crowds, though. I'd see only 2 or 3 others at even the most popular places, plus the moto drivers and guides. Maybe Diethelm would have one bus tour go through, but that was about it.

Ambon in Indonesia was edgier in retrospect than it seemed at the time (soon after getting a civil war). Parts of the Philippines I went to also had troubles not long after. With Caracas I got there 6 months before Chavez...it was fine during the day but militarily patrolled at night and didn't have a great vibe.

ilcannone

My own home country - UK

A little bit in Trinidad and Tobago (more specifically, Port of Spain), but nothing too much there.

frobozzelectric

And i am not even "travelling' as i was born and still live here.

Thieves everywhere and in every sector of society.

Rebels, kidnappers, and rebel kidnappers.

A very popular war on drugs. It is popular as it seems to target only the menace to society types.

At least civilian citizens can pack heat legally. And once in a while if you shoot the right target the government gives out cash rewards.


A motorcycle driver in bohol should be getting a million pesos anytime now for reporting some dirty bandits which lead to their neutralization.

China Clipper

FWIW, I've felt (and actually been) the least safe in various inner cities in the USA, where I live. Nothing among my many experiences overseas has compared, though I've naturally spent far less time overseas.

OTOH, Mexico is the only country where I was actually held up by the local constabulary. That doesn't contribute to a feeling of safety. Though, someone could play devil's advocate and point out that despite the uniforms and guns they may not actually have been cops. Who knows--it was Mexico.

DeepUnderground

The United States of America, hands down.

RohanDXB

As a brown-skinned guy who usually travels solo, being around law enforcement in the US feels quite unnerving. I have never felt unsafe around people (who are extremely warm & welcoming) - just the cops.

Parts of Berlin at night didn't inspire much confidence either.

Ro

Proudelitist

Although it hardly compares to the favelas of Brazil, Las Vegas is a scary town, especially off strip on any of the main streets..nothing but methed out dirtbags, crack whores and vagrants all skinny from drugs, sizing you up and clearly up to no good. I hate being on foot anywhere in Las Vegas, the only way to feel safe is to be in a vehicle.

Skatering

And if you're anywhere remotely near the Strip, Uber will only pick you up from a very restricted list of pickup points, many of which are a long way from where you actually are.

I walked back to my hotel from the Strip once or twice because of that. And yeah, not the nicest experience.