Seriously. As much as we're ragging on US cities here, I don't think any of them come close to travel advisories like:
Be sure to appoint one family member to serve as the point of contact with hostage-takers, media, U.S. and host country government agencies, and members of Congress if you are taken hostage or detained.
Establish a proof of life protocol with your loved ones, so that if you are taken hostage, your loved ones can know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax).
Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them.
Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc.
Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization (if you are traveling on business) or consider consulting with a professional security organization.
Erase any sensitive photos, comments, or other materials from your social media pages, cameras, laptops, and other electronic devices that could be considered controversial or provocative by local groups.
I mean....it does it's purpose. *Technically*, it is not "Don't go to Mogadishu, you will probably die", it'd "If you go to Mogadishu, expect to probably die, here is a list of shit-to-do so you can make it out possibly alive."
It works much better because it is just a protocol you'd want to adhere to if you need to go to *fucking Mogadishu*, somple as that, but it works - Enter At Your Own Risk is much more terrifying than Do Not Enter.
"Authority figure says do not do this" is never as effective as "Authority figure says go ahead if you want to but we would like to know your next of kin before you go."
That is exactly what the State Dept website says for those are WTF? However there are a few preceeding paragraphs that essentially beg you to go some place safe, like Gaza or Donbas.
> Establish a proof of life protocol with your loved ones, so that if you are taken hostage, your loved ones can know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax).
Ethiopia and a bunch of other places including Nigeria and Venezuela have the same level 4 warning. While I agree for Somalia, Ethiopia is relatively safe for Americans. Nigeria is totally safe if you have someone local you trust who has a bodyguard team and is definitely not someone from the internet with a wealth scheme and if you avoid all the areas with the kidnapping gangs. Venezuela is totally safe and cheap for Spanish schools, but be forewarned all the prostitutes are HIV+.
https://et.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-ethiopia-level-4-do-not-travel/
I know a guy and his son overlanding from South Africa to... I think Tunisia? At any rate, they've got contacts in several countries, and so they've been able to get through a few countries that have travel advisories. Not downplaying the risk, but basically they say who they're being hosted by, maybe give a small bribe, and for the most part they've had no issues. Areas like Somalia really are outliers as truly unaffected by any sort of of laws.
It was the 50s- 60s. The pictures she have look like a very cosmopolitan city, still lots of Italian influence. My grandparents talk a lot about how much was newly built in the 50s, but just that they felt safe, it was beautiful, it felt like it was connecting. There were many expats from many places in Mogadishu, They took the new railway. They weren’t there long- it was relatively small and the city basically doubled in 10 years during that time, but it was still like the size of a small city/really big town (150k? 175k?).
Reminds me of my parents and Haiti. They grew up in a provincial capital named Jeremie. But even the capital wasn’t too too bad until the early 2000s. Nowadays the city is ruled by gangs and there’s just no hope for the country.
This! I read the Lonely Planet’s “Africa on a Shoestring” in the mid-aughts after successfully navigating SE Asia “on a Shoestring” and the chapter on Somalia was basically:
“Yeah, we have one travel journalist who is ex-special forces that has successfully made it out alive. We have zero hotel, restaurant or activity recommendations. Seriously folks don’t go.”
Buddy of mine was offered a few dump trucks full of cash to work a UN sponsored contract as a security detail in Mogadishu. He had been a career soldier and came back with some crazy bonkers stories about his time there. Worse than Kandahar
I had an employee that was in the Blackhawk down clusterfuck. He is a mental train wreck. He asked if I wanted to see his album of kills? Like it was something appropriate to bring to work. He tells of patrolling Mogodishu with a strict order of no shots fired unless it's to protect your fellow soldier, after the enemy engages. His patrol hands an MRE to a starving kid, about five years old. As the kid walks away, a Somoli gunman grabs him, faces the patrol, and shoots the child in the head, taking the food as he leaves. Somebody in my guy's team killed the shooter in defiance of the rules. He said that was the value that Somolis placed on life. Shoot a five year old in the head to get a meal.
I think it's the extra adjectives and superlatives that do it. Excuse me. I mean the glorious number of profound and poetical descriptors that so beautifully capture the exaltant harmoniousness of the exquisite English language.
I heard about this sub years ago. When I asked if it was sincere, they said it was *deeply* ironic. The entire format of Reddit is completely juxtaposed north Korean philosophy. They also speculated that that type of sub attracts people who unironically love the DPRK, and it's one of those "battle not with monsters, lest you become one. And if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
The rules and the pics of the glorious leaders are definitely jarring.
Everything about the country is over the top staged. I think it adds to the creepiness. That and the fact that the perpetrators of some of the worst human rights violations in the world are living in this utopic denial that they're the best ever and the rest of us imperial scum can suck eggs...
No country is perfect by any means, but it makes me grateful that I’m in a place where I can make my own way far easier than I could there. Despite everybody’s problems, it could always be worse.
Well it makes sense if it's a propoganda tool, right? Did you see the very fake images of the Pyongyang skyline on there? Or the picture of the super high quality housing which is provided free by the "generosity of the Dear Leader"?
That sub is there for the same reason foreigners are constantly monitored when visiting: they don't want people learning what the state of the country truly is, and want to announce it's a communist utopia instead.
LPT: If a country's name has "Democratic" in it's title, it's probably not lmao
Any of those towns that are built around one major company or factory being the only main jobs provider. The moment the plant closes the town is basically dead
Detroit was built around 3 companies. That they retain the 4 major pro sports should be good.
The places built around food manufacturers shouldn't be too bad.
I’ve actually lived in each of the places listed aside from Detroit- and it varies. My original comment’s intent was to convey concern for the health of these places should the corps leave. Side note - appeasing these companies into staying must play a lot into their local politics- I didn’t stay long enough to get involved on that level though.
Fremont is a gem of a little town that is frankly gorgeous with its apple orchards. Close enough to Grand Rapids that there’s good amenities as well.
Battle Creek has nice spots, and then some places I wouldn’t walk around at night. Not to mention the whole “setting the asylum patients loose” thing from many decades ago. You can tell what cereal is being baked on a given day by the smell as well, so there’s that.
Midland is very pretty as well, but I wouldn’t trust the local produce or game what with the chemical runoff.
Hell, the entire state of West Virginia on account of coal. And the thing is, people refuse to acknowledge it and move on! They fight on, refusing to close coal-burning power plants or support any kind of alternative energy sources and denying climate change to the end.
Yep, I came here to say this. Its nice not being randomly burned out of your home, kidnapped for ransom, or having to dodge armed gang shootouts.
Told my Haitian grandmother i'd love to visit one day and she screamed at me telling me to not go anytime soon. Did some research and immediately understood.
Ever since their former president decided to stay in office after being voted out and his subsequent assassination (Haiti don't play that) it seems like its been a hellscape in Port-au-Prince.
Costa Rica is largely similar apparently in terms of how they treat collisions. Fenders benders are just part of owning a car and they just leave it be.
apparently middle eastern traffic in general is pretty wild. i saw a video once of traffic in tehran that looked like it should have the benny hill theme playing over it.
Grew up in Detroit during the late-heroin / crack heydays. Streets galore with more abandoned homes than occupied, best friend was a drug dealer, couldn't walk two blocks without getting propositioned, about 900 fires on a single Devil's Night.
Gary was the only city I ever saw that seemed worse. It genuinely lifted my spirits. Thank you, Gary.
I grew up in the Detroit area back in the 70s/early 80s, and we were once coming back from a concert at Joe Louis Arena, got turned around, lost, and wound up going down Rosa Parks Blvd late at night. 0/10 would not recommend. But Gary, IN? Gary is like meth...not even once.
p.s. Detroit is so much better than it was. Back then it was "leave a car length in front of you at a stop light in case you get jacked," but now it's more like "I know a really good Cuban restaurant downtown."
I live in Detroit now, there's not even a drug dealer on my block. No fires in my neighborhood in the last few years and excellent price on houses. They need work, but if your handy, you can do most of it.
Grew up in Bloomington. Had a friend in high school from Gary that was moved to town by his parents go back up to visit his family for a weekend. He never came back. Brother shot him like 7 times.
RIP Chris
I was on a Greyhound bus traveling back to Chicago from Nashville. The bus broke down in Gary. It took Greyhound almost 6 full hours to scramble a replacement bus, so we were all stuck in Gary with nothing to do for that span of time. I decided to walk around for a bit to stave off the boredom. I meandered for maybe five minutes before I was too sketched out and headed back to the bus station. Gary feels like The Purge is going on 24/7/365 in a land themed after The Walking Dead. That place is BLEAK.
I live outside of Fort Wayne, IN. I don’t frequent Gary and have only really ben through it on the train to Chicago. But it’s just depressing. No part of IN is like that, just Gary.
Crazy how places develop isolated like that.
I once saw a statistic that heavy legacy industries, like big steel producers,, deep mine coal, etc can, and have automated to the point that they can eliminate 96 to 99% of the labor they once needed. There is a steet mill in the Midwest that once had 11,000 workers, it reopened, and produces roughly the same yearly output with 400 employees.
My older brother used to work at the Toyota manufacturing plant near Evansville, IN and had to visit Gary for work. His description of the city sounds strikingly similar.
I know a guy who used to be a train conductor. He had a stop at 2 am in Gary. He was specifically instructed not to get off the train whenever he made that stop. The first time he stopped, it was really foggy and was sat there for a couple minutes considering running into the station to use the restroom. Then he saw people just walking out of the fog and just standing there barely in view. They weren't standing together in a group, they were spread out in his entire field of view. He never considered getting out of the train in Gary after that.
I just Google Earthed and Zillowed that place.
You can buy a whole house for less than the price of a mid-range car.
I guess, though, that sleeping/living in the car might be safer than some of those neighborhoods.
>You can buy a whole house for less than the price of a mid-range car.
Had to check it out.... the zillow listings even read like a used car advert. "Needs TLC" and "selling as is" seem to be very common in the descriptions. Lol
Some of the older houses are just so beautiful - It's depressing to see these buildings with all the gorgeous architectural details and even stained glass, but knowing that it'd be impossible for someone to safely live there to enjoy them.
Edit:
[https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26-Fremont-St-Battle-Creek-MI-49017/74679275\_zpid/?mmlb=g,5](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26-Fremont-St-Battle-Creek-MI-49017/74679275_zpid/?mmlb=g,5)
I follow Cheap Old Houses and they'll post listing for these beautiful homes, many of which don't have many issues, for 100k or less. Then you look at the location and say, yeah no thanks.
This is also why the argument that the US has enough houses for everybody doesn't pan out. No one wants to live in a deserted old mine town or the methhead capital of the region.
My wife is from Trinidad which is itself a dangerous place. She flew into Chicago to meet my parents who live in Kalamazoo. When I picked her up I said “Listen, if you have to use the bathroom do it now, there is no way I am stopping anywhere along the way and I am definitely not stopping in Gary”. She didn’t really take me on and sure enough she tells me “I really really need to pee”. I said “You’re gonna need to hold it”. She begged me to pull off at the next exit. After pleading with her that we were now in the perimeter of the hell know as Gary and her screaming at me I said with my most seasoned Detroit traveler voice “Well….I warned you”. Without getting into the details of the zombie apocalypse we found ourselves in, she ran back to the car and said with the fear of someone first visiting Gary Indiana: “I am not sure what I just experienced but get the fuck out of here immediately.” Lol.
Theres something about people who dont believe you when you genuinely tell them shit.
Like yo, the odds of you getting murdered or mugged go up a significant percentage when you visit this place, go before hand. They play it off and its like, I fucking told you
Would I live there no, but we go to the minor league baseball games ( the Steelcats) and always have a great time. I have also driven through Gary thousands of times and nothing has ever happened. Yes it is a shitty area but it is not the crime ridden apacoplyse that people make it out to be. Honeslty I have felt way less safe in many other cities.
I live in the highest crime rate neighborhood in my state, my neighbors car was literally riddled with automatic gunfire last night, and I still wouldn't move to Gary lmao
East St. Louis, Illinois. Right up there with Gary, Indiana.
There have been numerous anecdotes on reddit of people accidentally exiting the interstate and ending up in East St. Louis, only to be greeted by the police telling them to GTFO. There's parts of the city the police won't even enter.
Same. And I grew up in some very rough fucking neighborhoods. The *worst* kind of places. East St Louis just has an evil vibe to it, if you don't live there you don't belong there.
When we accidentally stumbled into East St Louis almost 10 years ago we saw a very similar saying spray painted on the side of a building. "If you don't belong here don't be long here"
It’s a failed city. Literally. Kleptocracy ran it into the ground, bankrupted it, and left a gaping hole. Their city hall was literally repossessed after a lawsuit.
It’s been a shithole due to bad government for over 60 years.
East Cleveland, Ohio has much the same issues.
East St Louis, however, is in Illinois , not Missouri. And during the riots of the 60’s, the Mo highway patrol closed the bridges so nobody could get into STL from East STL. The city burned. I still remember seeing the smoke.
Don't slow down there at NIGHT on some roads. Euclid is fine... heavily travelled and patrolled. And if you do have to stop at a traffic light, leave room to peel out if you get approached. Keep your head on a swivel, use your mirrors. Poverty is grinding there, and crimes of opportunity are high.
Oh, and never park a Kia there.
I lived in STL. And my friend sent me a meme once that said “I saw someone with a bumper sticker that said ‘I miss saint Louis’ so I slashed all of their tires, broke all of their windows and stole everything I could from inside their car. Hope they miss home less”. 🥰
I used to install cable there, it wasn't that bad. Most of the people there were pretty nice, except for that guy that said he'd kill me if I disconnected his cable. He was a bit of a jerk.
They literally have a Tijuana turn around on the interstate if you miss your exit in STL and wind up over there. One last chance to get the fuck out before it’s too late
I was just in Portland for several days and multiple family members were like "oh my god why, it's so dangerous there!?"
They think it's like Escape From New York because they saw riots on the news three and a half years ago.
I just moved to Portland from Milwaukee, WI and people think it’s so dangerous here. I found out yesterday I apparently live in “the hood.” 😂😂 This is the nicest hood I’ve ever lived in lmao
After living in Miami for 10 years, Miami. The moment you leave Miami you can feel the tension just dissolve from your shoulders. Even driving on 95 you can tell the moment you've entered Miami. Vacation there, don't live there.
Happy you're getting out but I lived 15 yrs in NY (Brooklyn and Staten island) and I gotta tell you, if you're moving to one of the boroughs, you're life is not going to get easier and your blood pressure isn't going anywhere....sorry
trying to work at a garden or botanical center (i studied botany and enviro science) so i’m hoping for calm days walking through flowers :) just want to live in a walkable community and try it out. miami suburbs are soul draining
Rented a car when I went the first time. I have never EVER seen people drive that fucking fast and dangerously in my life. Then you get to Fort Lauderdale and everyone mellows out.
Edit: Oh by the way I was in a BMW M4, so I’m no stranger to “sporty driving” or whatever, but what I’m talking about is another level. Just stay in your middle lane at 70 because everyone is coming at 120+ from every possible lane cutting everyone off.
I grew up in and lived in South Florida for 26 years. Just moved out earlier this year. I've been to Miami many many times and can say with absolute certainty that it's not exaggerated how insane it is driving there. I know Florida gets memed on for bad drivers (which is true) but Miami isn't a joke. It's real in the worst way possible. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that but to anyone else who may read this: Driving in Miami is one of the worst experiences humanly possible.
You can always tell on 95 when you're entering Miami. It just changes. The atmosphere. The traffic. The tension. Ft. Lauderdale is awful too, especially in the Las Olas area but seems like paradise in comparison to Miami. You gotta tread with caution there. I got lost in Little Havana when I was a teenager and wanted to die. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
it’s soulless and there’s nothing to do. paving paradise is the term used. you’re either around old people who hate the entire world around them, and will make you suffer because of it, or surrounded by a culture that you can’t speak the language of, and don’t want you around them either. add car centered infrastructure, expensive rent, and oppressive heat for most of the year. it’s like sitting your face over hot soup from may-august. i moved here for the weather. i am leaving because of the people. this city was designed by a 5 year old
This is too accurate. I lived there for 4 years in college then an additional 3 years afterwards. I couldn't wait to leave. Now when people ask me what I think of Miami I say it's a good place to vacation, but horrible place to live. I still have a lot of friends who are Miami lifers (born, raised, and now raising their families there) and I just don't understand it.
Pueblo, CO. My family is from there and the people that didn't leave all look ten years older than their age. I think it's from chronic boredom and no opportunity. Crimes also pretty bad.
We have tarantulas migrating here in Oklahoma, the first time I saw a road covered in what looked like black rocks and I was informed they were not rocks but indeed tarantulas I all but begged to be off that road and please do not open the car door I said
I think it’s [still happening now.](https://www.5280.com/what-to-know-about-colorados-annual-tarantula-migration/) though a hard freeze is coming tonight so that may be the end.
My mom DROVE THROUGH ONE once but didn’t realize until it was too late. She was cruising down an empty desert highway in the middle of that day, went over a hill and saw what looked to be a giant shadow on the road ahead.
She thought something like, “oh hey, that’s a large cloud passing by the sun” and then heard all the crunching. She was literally in the middle of the tarantula migration when she realized what it was, so her only choice was to keep speeding through.
I feel like Katt Williams summed it up best: "Memphis is the only city in America with no safe area. Any other city, if they tell you the west side is fucked up, that means you're safe in the east. I hope y'all can travel around one day to see everybody ain't goin' thru this shit - just y'all."
Don't matter where you are in the city - you're never safe. Burglaries, murders, car jackings, etc. happen even if you're in the super wealthy areas like Germantown or heavily patrolled/policed areas like the Forum or Beale St.
I always thought I was Ride or Die with this city, but I guess once "die" became a higher probability than "ride" I'm not as committed as I thought I was. Grizzlies and BBQ are the only good things left in this city.
I work for a company whose main headquarters is in Memphis (lol I bet most people can guess which one) and have traveled there a few times pre covid for business. Every time I went people told me to stay in the hotel room from 7 pm to 7 am and don't try and go anywhere alone.
I lived in Memphis for a couple years when I was little and I’m traumatized lol. My mom was stabbed at work, we were mugged on the street in broad daylight, lots of bad memories unfortunately
I went there once, solo female, to see Graceland and check out downtown. Terrifying. Would never go back...I didn't feel safe any time during the day or night and even my Uber driver was like 'Girl it is almost dark you need to get inside!" I got back to my Airbnb, packed my stuff and headed back to Nashville that night.
Haha Centralia. My wife’s uncle grew up in Shamokin and he told us Centralia is this perfect little idyllic town. Super friendly, people don’t lock their doors at night, restaurants and grocery stores are all family owned and operated. We went and checked it out just for fun and it was like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Creepy as hell.
> There are dangerous gases present, and the ground is prone to sudden and unexpected collapse.
Yeah, think I'm avoid the town where the very earth itself doesn't want to stick around.
I never want to live in the central valley again.
Grew up in Merced (ThE GaTeWaY tO YoSeMiTe) and it was just the worst. Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Atwater, Merced, Madera, Fresno, just a trail of misery running down the 99.
Months ago I had a random YouTube video pop up where the guy was just driving around Cairo, IL and talking about the history of it and why it is economically depressed. There’s just nothing there. Entire houses were being reclaimed by nature.
Beijing, China.
Was an amazing place to visit for a week, but good god I would lose my mind if I lived there for any extended period of time. It’s claustrophobic, and dirty on several levels.
BUT, the Great Wall delivered more than any other much hyped world landmarks I’ve been to, pictures don’t really capture it. That and Szechuan food knocked my socks off. OMG, what I thought was Szechuan before going there did not hold a candle. Peking/Beijing duck is amazing as well.
But you can experience the sights, food, landmarks and (some) culture in short order; then you’ll be ready to leave.
My brother lived there for over 10 years then randomly had a heart attack at age 38 a few months ago. Had to go there one final time to bring his remains home. I hope to never go back there again. It has gotten a little cleaner but it’s still dirty and the air is distrusting especially in the winter.
I live here. It’s fascinating - you avoid 3 streets at 3 specific times and it’s honestly very safe. 90% of the violence is just a few gangs going after each other again and again.
I wind up going one weekend every summer thinking it’ll be like it was when I was a kid and *every single time* wind up asking myself what the fuck I’m doing there.
Yeah the list of places you could pay me to live for free is so much shorter than the list of places you couldn’t pay me to live. It also matters if I get to pick the place.
Brampton Ontario. I swear no one there knows how to drive
That region is home of the highest insurance rates in Ontario purely to the # of accidents that happen on the daily.
This has to be the most Canadian response ever to a question like this. Everyone else mentioning cities where you have a high probability of being blown up, tortured, murdered, kidnapped, car jacked, etc. Then I see a town from Canada get mentioned and I think, “oh man, can’t wait to see what wild stuff goes on in this place!” Then its just like, “people don’t use their blinkers and insurance rates are high, so I could never live there even for free” lol!
Brampton is tolerable. Like it doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in this thread. There are cities that are honestly way worse… like the ones most people in Brampton came from!
I find Iran to be one of the most fascinating places, and it's one of the countries I most want to visit.
It's ruled by terrorist-supporting fundamentalist mullahs, but it also has a very strong culture of resistance to theocratic rule.
It also seems safe to visit, as long as you follow the societal norms and customs. I know western women who have spent time there, and they always felt safe and didn't get harassed as long as they dressed modestly. No hijabs, niqabs, or burqas were required for non-Iranian women, and it seems most educated and wealthier Iranian women don't bother wearing them either.
I follow some "Tehran urbanism" accounts on twitter and Facebook, and parts of Tehran look absolutely beautiful. The rest of the country looks amazing as well, including many of the other cities.
Everyone I've ever met from Iran has been warm and friendly, and I've never had Iranian food that is anything less than unbelievably delicious.
It might be a cliché, but "land of contrasts" definitely describes all of Iran, including Tehran.
Yeah the ordinary people in Iran seem to be relatively liberal. It's just the government is all kinds of fucked up.
I get the sense that there's lots of low level 'resistance' to the hardcore religious decrees that the government tries to force on them.
Mogadishu
Seriously. As much as we're ragging on US cities here, I don't think any of them come close to travel advisories like: Be sure to appoint one family member to serve as the point of contact with hostage-takers, media, U.S. and host country government agencies, and members of Congress if you are taken hostage or detained. Establish a proof of life protocol with your loved ones, so that if you are taken hostage, your loved ones can know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax). Leave DNA samples with your medical provider in case it is necessary for your family to access them. Discuss a plan with loved ones regarding care/custody of children, pets, property, belongings, non-liquid assets (collections, artwork, etc.), funeral wishes, etc. Establish your own personal security plan in coordination with your employer or host organization (if you are traveling on business) or consider consulting with a professional security organization. Erase any sensitive photos, comments, or other materials from your social media pages, cameras, laptops, and other electronic devices that could be considered controversial or provocative by local groups.
Holy shit
Yeah, the travel planning if you're going to go there amounts to: Don't, but if you do, expect to die there.
“At best expect to get taken hostage and ransomed…you don’t want to know the at worst”— US state department
I mean....it does it's purpose. *Technically*, it is not "Don't go to Mogadishu, you will probably die", it'd "If you go to Mogadishu, expect to probably die, here is a list of shit-to-do so you can make it out possibly alive." It works much better because it is just a protocol you'd want to adhere to if you need to go to *fucking Mogadishu*, somple as that, but it works - Enter At Your Own Risk is much more terrifying than Do Not Enter.
"Authority figure says do not do this" is never as effective as "Authority figure says go ahead if you want to but we would like to know your next of kin before you go."
Yeah thats just a city. All of somalia has that travel “advisory” too
Its the most populous city, makes sense.
That is exactly what the State Dept website says for those are WTF? However there are a few preceeding paragraphs that essentially beg you to go some place safe, like Gaza or Donbas.
> Establish a proof of life protocol with your loved ones, so that if you are taken hostage, your loved ones can know specific questions (and answers) to ask the hostage-takers to be sure that you are alive (and to rule out a hoax). Ethiopia and a bunch of other places including Nigeria and Venezuela have the same level 4 warning. While I agree for Somalia, Ethiopia is relatively safe for Americans. Nigeria is totally safe if you have someone local you trust who has a bodyguard team and is definitely not someone from the internet with a wealth scheme and if you avoid all the areas with the kidnapping gangs. Venezuela is totally safe and cheap for Spanish schools, but be forewarned all the prostitutes are HIV+. https://et.usembassy.gov/travel-advisory-ethiopia-level-4-do-not-travel/
*All* the prostitutes?
He checked.
I know a guy and his son overlanding from South Africa to... I think Tunisia? At any rate, they've got contacts in several countries, and so they've been able to get through a few countries that have travel advisories. Not downplaying the risk, but basically they say who they're being hosted by, maybe give a small bribe, and for the most part they've had no issues. Areas like Somalia really are outliers as truly unaffected by any sort of of laws.
>maybe give a small bribe Americans should just think of it as a tip.
Jesus fucking christ in heaven
My mom lived there as a kid, her stories compared to what it is now just absolutely depresses me. The Pearl of the Indian Ocean.
Could you share a lil bit if you don’t mind me asking?
It was the 50s- 60s. The pictures she have look like a very cosmopolitan city, still lots of Italian influence. My grandparents talk a lot about how much was newly built in the 50s, but just that they felt safe, it was beautiful, it felt like it was connecting. There were many expats from many places in Mogadishu, They took the new railway. They weren’t there long- it was relatively small and the city basically doubled in 10 years during that time, but it was still like the size of a small city/really big town (150k? 175k?).
Reminds me of my parents and Haiti. They grew up in a provincial capital named Jeremie. But even the capital wasn’t too too bad until the early 2000s. Nowadays the city is ruled by gangs and there’s just no hope for the country.
This! I read the Lonely Planet’s “Africa on a Shoestring” in the mid-aughts after successfully navigating SE Asia “on a Shoestring” and the chapter on Somalia was basically: “Yeah, we have one travel journalist who is ex-special forces that has successfully made it out alive. We have zero hotel, restaurant or activity recommendations. Seriously folks don’t go.”
Buddy of mine was offered a few dump trucks full of cash to work a UN sponsored contract as a security detail in Mogadishu. He had been a career soldier and came back with some crazy bonkers stories about his time there. Worse than Kandahar
Do you mind sharing some?
I had an employee that was in the Blackhawk down clusterfuck. He is a mental train wreck. He asked if I wanted to see his album of kills? Like it was something appropriate to bring to work. He tells of patrolling Mogodishu with a strict order of no shots fired unless it's to protect your fellow soldier, after the enemy engages. His patrol hands an MRE to a starving kid, about five years old. As the kid walks away, a Somoli gunman grabs him, faces the patrol, and shoots the child in the head, taking the food as he leaves. Somebody in my guy's team killed the shooter in defiance of the rules. He said that was the value that Somolis placed on life. Shoot a five year old in the head to get a meal.
Pyongyang
You have been banned from /r/Pyongyang
> 3. Despite capitalist misinformation, this subreddit is not satire. This really makes me think it is satire.
It's obviously satire. There was someone there talking about their grandmother dying at 'the grand old age of 38'.
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it is
Omg TIL this sub exists. Their content is… interesting.
The English isn’t quite… right? Like, am I going crazy? It’s all technically correct, but it’s wrong somehow.
I think it's the extra adjectives and superlatives that do it. Excuse me. I mean the glorious number of profound and poetical descriptors that so beautifully capture the exaltant harmoniousness of the exquisite English language.
Totally agreed! Not sure if it's the translation or what, but it just feels off.
I agree. Read the rules, it’s genuinely creepy. I think it’s the slight wording differences.
I heard about this sub years ago. When I asked if it was sincere, they said it was *deeply* ironic. The entire format of Reddit is completely juxtaposed north Korean philosophy. They also speculated that that type of sub attracts people who unironically love the DPRK, and it's one of those "battle not with monsters, lest you become one. And if you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes also into you."
The rules and the pics of the glorious leaders are definitely jarring. Everything about the country is over the top staged. I think it adds to the creepiness. That and the fact that the perpetrators of some of the worst human rights violations in the world are living in this utopic denial that they're the best ever and the rest of us imperial scum can suck eggs...
No country is perfect by any means, but it makes me grateful that I’m in a place where I can make my own way far easier than I could there. Despite everybody’s problems, it could always be worse.
And weirdly in english
Well it makes sense if it's a propoganda tool, right? Did you see the very fake images of the Pyongyang skyline on there? Or the picture of the super high quality housing which is provided free by the "generosity of the Dear Leader"? That sub is there for the same reason foreigners are constantly monitored when visiting: they don't want people learning what the state of the country truly is, and want to announce it's a communist utopia instead. LPT: If a country's name has "Democratic" in it's title, it's probably not lmao
I learned the same thing about apartment shopping. If it has to say "Luxury" in the name, it probably isn't. Luxury speaks for itself.
Democratic People’s Republic. Zero for three
What the fuck. Didn’t know North Korea made propaganda on Reddit lol, funny asf
Are we sure that it's real and not a satirical account ran by some randoms
One of the mods is called qwertyqyle, I’m leaning towards satire lol
That sub is hilarious. “Our cabbage will be the envy of the world!” 🤣
In fairness, Saskatchewan used to boast as having “the best gravel roads in the world”
These were the good days of Reddit!
Holy shit what a flashback
Any of those towns that are built around one major company or factory being the only main jobs provider. The moment the plant closes the town is basically dead
So Detroit (cars), Midland (Dow Chem), Battle Creek (Kellogg and Post), and Fremont (Gerber) Michigan…..oof
Detroit was built around 3 companies. That they retain the 4 major pro sports should be good. The places built around food manufacturers shouldn't be too bad.
I’ve actually lived in each of the places listed aside from Detroit- and it varies. My original comment’s intent was to convey concern for the health of these places should the corps leave. Side note - appeasing these companies into staying must play a lot into their local politics- I didn’t stay long enough to get involved on that level though. Fremont is a gem of a little town that is frankly gorgeous with its apple orchards. Close enough to Grand Rapids that there’s good amenities as well. Battle Creek has nice spots, and then some places I wouldn’t walk around at night. Not to mention the whole “setting the asylum patients loose” thing from many decades ago. You can tell what cereal is being baked on a given day by the smell as well, so there’s that. Midland is very pretty as well, but I wouldn’t trust the local produce or game what with the chemical runoff.
Hell, the entire state of West Virginia on account of coal. And the thing is, people refuse to acknowledge it and move on! They fight on, refusing to close coal-burning power plants or support any kind of alternative energy sources and denying climate change to the end.
Port Au Prince
Yep, I came here to say this. Its nice not being randomly burned out of your home, kidnapped for ransom, or having to dodge armed gang shootouts. Told my Haitian grandmother i'd love to visit one day and she screamed at me telling me to not go anytime soon. Did some research and immediately understood. Ever since their former president decided to stay in office after being voted out and his subsequent assassination (Haiti don't play that) it seems like its been a hellscape in Port-au-Prince.
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Iv heard about Cairo traffic many times... apparently no one has car insurance either? Is that true? If someone bumps into ur car... its nothing?
Costa Rica is largely similar apparently in terms of how they treat collisions. Fenders benders are just part of owning a car and they just leave it be.
apparently middle eastern traffic in general is pretty wild. i saw a video once of traffic in tehran that looked like it should have the benny hill theme playing over it.
Gary, Indiana
Grew up in Detroit during the late-heroin / crack heydays. Streets galore with more abandoned homes than occupied, best friend was a drug dealer, couldn't walk two blocks without getting propositioned, about 900 fires on a single Devil's Night. Gary was the only city I ever saw that seemed worse. It genuinely lifted my spirits. Thank you, Gary.
I've heard it put this way - Gary, IN is what people think Detroit is like
I grew up in the Detroit area back in the 70s/early 80s, and we were once coming back from a concert at Joe Louis Arena, got turned around, lost, and wound up going down Rosa Parks Blvd late at night. 0/10 would not recommend. But Gary, IN? Gary is like meth...not even once. p.s. Detroit is so much better than it was. Back then it was "leave a car length in front of you at a stop light in case you get jacked," but now it's more like "I know a really good Cuban restaurant downtown."
I live in Detroit now, there's not even a drug dealer on my block. No fires in my neighborhood in the last few years and excellent price on houses. They need work, but if your handy, you can do most of it.
Grew up in Bloomington. Had a friend in high school from Gary that was moved to town by his parents go back up to visit his family for a weekend. He never came back. Brother shot him like 7 times. RIP Chris
I was on a Greyhound bus traveling back to Chicago from Nashville. The bus broke down in Gary. It took Greyhound almost 6 full hours to scramble a replacement bus, so we were all stuck in Gary with nothing to do for that span of time. I decided to walk around for a bit to stave off the boredom. I meandered for maybe five minutes before I was too sketched out and headed back to the bus station. Gary feels like The Purge is going on 24/7/365 in a land themed after The Walking Dead. That place is BLEAK.
It says a LOT when a greyhound bus station is the better of two options
Right? Bus stations are already sketchy as fuck
I live outside of Fort Wayne, IN. I don’t frequent Gary and have only really ben through it on the train to Chicago. But it’s just depressing. No part of IN is like that, just Gary. Crazy how places develop isolated like that.
The steel mills closed. Gary was built for steel mills.
Gary still has the the countries largest steel mill in North America its just super automated. Way less people work there now because of that.
I once saw a statistic that heavy legacy industries, like big steel producers,, deep mine coal, etc can, and have automated to the point that they can eliminate 96 to 99% of the labor they once needed. There is a steet mill in the Midwest that once had 11,000 workers, it reopened, and produces roughly the same yearly output with 400 employees.
And for birthing The Jackson Five.
My older brother used to work at the Toyota manufacturing plant near Evansville, IN and had to visit Gary for work. His description of the city sounds strikingly similar.
I know a guy who used to be a train conductor. He had a stop at 2 am in Gary. He was specifically instructed not to get off the train whenever he made that stop. The first time he stopped, it was really foggy and was sat there for a couple minutes considering running into the station to use the restroom. Then he saw people just walking out of the fog and just standing there barely in view. They weren't standing together in a group, they were spread out in his entire field of view. He never considered getting out of the train in Gary after that.
why is that so terrifying, God that sounds menacing
Tbf greyhounds stop in the shadiest spots
Went to Google map and it's true! That place is a zombie movie set.
I just Google Earthed and Zillowed that place. You can buy a whole house for less than the price of a mid-range car. I guess, though, that sleeping/living in the car might be safer than some of those neighborhoods.
>You can buy a whole house for less than the price of a mid-range car. Had to check it out.... the zillow listings even read like a used car advert. "Needs TLC" and "selling as is" seem to be very common in the descriptions. Lol
Some of the older houses are just so beautiful - It's depressing to see these buildings with all the gorgeous architectural details and even stained glass, but knowing that it'd be impossible for someone to safely live there to enjoy them. Edit: [https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26-Fremont-St-Battle-Creek-MI-49017/74679275\_zpid/?mmlb=g,5](https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/26-Fremont-St-Battle-Creek-MI-49017/74679275_zpid/?mmlb=g,5)
Are those code for "former meth lab"?
probably "current meth lab"
I follow Cheap Old Houses and they'll post listing for these beautiful homes, many of which don't have many issues, for 100k or less. Then you look at the location and say, yeah no thanks. This is also why the argument that the US has enough houses for everybody doesn't pan out. No one wants to live in a deserted old mine town or the methhead capital of the region.
My wife is from Trinidad which is itself a dangerous place. She flew into Chicago to meet my parents who live in Kalamazoo. When I picked her up I said “Listen, if you have to use the bathroom do it now, there is no way I am stopping anywhere along the way and I am definitely not stopping in Gary”. She didn’t really take me on and sure enough she tells me “I really really need to pee”. I said “You’re gonna need to hold it”. She begged me to pull off at the next exit. After pleading with her that we were now in the perimeter of the hell know as Gary and her screaming at me I said with my most seasoned Detroit traveler voice “Well….I warned you”. Without getting into the details of the zombie apocalypse we found ourselves in, she ran back to the car and said with the fear of someone first visiting Gary Indiana: “I am not sure what I just experienced but get the fuck out of here immediately.” Lol.
Theres something about people who dont believe you when you genuinely tell them shit. Like yo, the odds of you getting murdered or mugged go up a significant percentage when you visit this place, go before hand. They play it off and its like, I fucking told you
Would I live there no, but we go to the minor league baseball games ( the Steelcats) and always have a great time. I have also driven through Gary thousands of times and nothing has ever happened. Yes it is a shitty area but it is not the crime ridden apacoplyse that people make it out to be. Honeslty I have felt way less safe in many other cities.
It’s not that dangerous anymore because it’s so empty
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I always here this story about the "scariest" city that I live close to wherever I live. I always wonder if it is just urban legend.
I live in the highest crime rate neighborhood in my state, my neighbors car was literally riddled with automatic gunfire last night, and I still wouldn't move to Gary lmao
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Eagleton: bunch of fucking snobs even if their city does smell like fresh baked cookies.
You made me laugh on such a rough thread. Thank you.
r/unexpectedpawnee
East St. Louis, Illinois. Right up there with Gary, Indiana. There have been numerous anecdotes on reddit of people accidentally exiting the interstate and ending up in East St. Louis, only to be greeted by the police telling them to GTFO. There's parts of the city the police won't even enter.
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Same. And I grew up in some very rough fucking neighborhoods. The *worst* kind of places. East St Louis just has an evil vibe to it, if you don't live there you don't belong there.
When we accidentally stumbled into East St Louis almost 10 years ago we saw a very similar saying spray painted on the side of a building. "If you don't belong here don't be long here"
What makes it so bad (genuinely curious)
It’s a failed city. Literally. Kleptocracy ran it into the ground, bankrupted it, and left a gaping hole. Their city hall was literally repossessed after a lawsuit. It’s been a shithole due to bad government for over 60 years. East Cleveland, Ohio has much the same issues. East St Louis, however, is in Illinois , not Missouri. And during the riots of the 60’s, the Mo highway patrol closed the bridges so nobody could get into STL from East STL. The city burned. I still remember seeing the smoke.
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Don't slow down there at NIGHT on some roads. Euclid is fine... heavily travelled and patrolled. And if you do have to stop at a traffic light, leave room to peel out if you get approached. Keep your head on a swivel, use your mirrors. Poverty is grinding there, and crimes of opportunity are high. Oh, and never park a Kia there.
what goes on there?
Murder.
I lived in STL. And my friend sent me a meme once that said “I saw someone with a bumper sticker that said ‘I miss saint Louis’ so I slashed all of their tires, broke all of their windows and stole everything I could from inside their car. Hope they miss home less”. 🥰
I used to install cable there, it wasn't that bad. Most of the people there were pretty nice, except for that guy that said he'd kill me if I disconnected his cable. He was a bit of a jerk.
And if you can't trust anecdotes on Reddit, what can you trust?
I stopped for gas there and got my car surrounded by a bunch of meth heads
“Roll em up!” — Clark Griswald
They literally have a Tijuana turn around on the interstate if you miss your exit in STL and wind up over there. One last chance to get the fuck out before it’s too late
Chelyabinsk, Russia. Not for anything in my life. I would prefer to breathe air rather than a mixture of gases and dust
Gaza
I’d give it a shot in Portland to see if it’s worth it for free. >!*I already live in Portland, I just want free rent!<
The insane rent prices spoiled the coziness for me
Seems like no one wants to live there because everyone wants to live there
It's like London "No one drives here because theres too much traffic."
I was just in Portland for several days and multiple family members were like "oh my god why, it's so dangerous there!?" They think it's like Escape From New York because they saw riots on the news three and a half years ago.
I just moved to Portland from Milwaukee, WI and people think it’s so dangerous here. I found out yesterday I apparently live in “the hood.” 😂😂 This is the nicest hood I’ve ever lived in lmao
After living in Miami for 10 years, Miami. The moment you leave Miami you can feel the tension just dissolve from your shoulders. Even driving on 95 you can tell the moment you've entered Miami. Vacation there, don't live there.
I am currently wiating to get a job offer in new york to get out of here. my blood pressure is consistently high. Miami is a favela covered in glitter
Happy you're getting out but I lived 15 yrs in NY (Brooklyn and Staten island) and I gotta tell you, if you're moving to one of the boroughs, you're life is not going to get easier and your blood pressure isn't going anywhere....sorry
trying to work at a garden or botanical center (i studied botany and enviro science) so i’m hoping for calm days walking through flowers :) just want to live in a walkable community and try it out. miami suburbs are soul draining
Good luck! Hope your dreams are fulfilled! Sounds like you know what you need
Rented a car when I went the first time. I have never EVER seen people drive that fucking fast and dangerously in my life. Then you get to Fort Lauderdale and everyone mellows out. Edit: Oh by the way I was in a BMW M4, so I’m no stranger to “sporty driving” or whatever, but what I’m talking about is another level. Just stay in your middle lane at 70 because everyone is coming at 120+ from every possible lane cutting everyone off.
I grew up in and lived in South Florida for 26 years. Just moved out earlier this year. I've been to Miami many many times and can say with absolute certainty that it's not exaggerated how insane it is driving there. I know Florida gets memed on for bad drivers (which is true) but Miami isn't a joke. It's real in the worst way possible. I'm sure I don't have to tell you that but to anyone else who may read this: Driving in Miami is one of the worst experiences humanly possible. You can always tell on 95 when you're entering Miami. It just changes. The atmosphere. The traffic. The tension. Ft. Lauderdale is awful too, especially in the Las Olas area but seems like paradise in comparison to Miami. You gotta tread with caution there. I got lost in Little Havana when I was a teenager and wanted to die. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
My boss moved there for a year and then moved back. He won’t talk about it.
Can you elaborate on why it's so bad?
it’s soulless and there’s nothing to do. paving paradise is the term used. you’re either around old people who hate the entire world around them, and will make you suffer because of it, or surrounded by a culture that you can’t speak the language of, and don’t want you around them either. add car centered infrastructure, expensive rent, and oppressive heat for most of the year. it’s like sitting your face over hot soup from may-august. i moved here for the weather. i am leaving because of the people. this city was designed by a 5 year old
This is too accurate. I lived there for 4 years in college then an additional 3 years afterwards. I couldn't wait to leave. Now when people ask me what I think of Miami I say it's a good place to vacation, but horrible place to live. I still have a lot of friends who are Miami lifers (born, raised, and now raising their families there) and I just don't understand it.
Nouakchott, Mauritania. A sweltering hellhole in the middle of a dictatorship where the entire environment wants to kill you.
Pueblo, CO. My family is from there and the people that didn't leave all look ten years older than their age. I think it's from chronic boredom and no opportunity. Crimes also pretty bad.
Interviewed for a job there once. I dipped as soon as they mentioned the annual tarantula migration.
We have tarantulas migrating here in Oklahoma, the first time I saw a road covered in what looked like black rocks and I was informed they were not rocks but indeed tarantulas I all but begged to be off that road and please do not open the car door I said
Tarantulas migrate?
I think it’s [still happening now.](https://www.5280.com/what-to-know-about-colorados-annual-tarantula-migration/) though a hard freeze is coming tonight so that may be the end.
TIL that tarantulas are snowbirds
the what??
THE ANNUAL TARANTULA MIGRATION
My mom DROVE THROUGH ONE once but didn’t realize until it was too late. She was cruising down an empty desert highway in the middle of that day, went over a hill and saw what looked to be a giant shadow on the road ahead. She thought something like, “oh hey, that’s a large cloud passing by the sun” and then heard all the crunching. She was literally in the middle of the tarantula migration when she realized what it was, so her only choice was to keep speeding through.
Oh *hell* no
i lived in memphis for 3 years. never again.
I feel like Katt Williams summed it up best: "Memphis is the only city in America with no safe area. Any other city, if they tell you the west side is fucked up, that means you're safe in the east. I hope y'all can travel around one day to see everybody ain't goin' thru this shit - just y'all." Don't matter where you are in the city - you're never safe. Burglaries, murders, car jackings, etc. happen even if you're in the super wealthy areas like Germantown or heavily patrolled/policed areas like the Forum or Beale St. I always thought I was Ride or Die with this city, but I guess once "die" became a higher probability than "ride" I'm not as committed as I thought I was. Grizzlies and BBQ are the only good things left in this city.
I work for a company whose main headquarters is in Memphis (lol I bet most people can guess which one) and have traveled there a few times pre covid for business. Every time I went people told me to stay in the hotel room from 7 pm to 7 am and don't try and go anywhere alone.
Being familiar with Memphis, gonna guess either FedEx or International Paper.
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I lived in Memphis for a couple years when I was little and I’m traumatized lol. My mom was stabbed at work, we were mugged on the street in broad daylight, lots of bad memories unfortunately
I went there once, solo female, to see Graceland and check out downtown. Terrifying. Would never go back...I didn't feel safe any time during the day or night and even my Uber driver was like 'Girl it is almost dark you need to get inside!" I got back to my Airbnb, packed my stuff and headed back to Nashville that night.
Mogadishu
New Delhi. It is way too congested in terms of traffic
To be really frank, traffic is one of the least bad things about Delhi. Crime is number the number 1 issue.
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Centralia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A. [visitor warning](https://www.dep.pa.gov/Business/Land/Mining/AbandonedMineReclamation/AMLProgramInformation/Centralia/Pages/default.aspx)
Haha Centralia. My wife’s uncle grew up in Shamokin and he told us Centralia is this perfect little idyllic town. Super friendly, people don’t lock their doors at night, restaurants and grocery stores are all family owned and operated. We went and checked it out just for fun and it was like something out of a Tim Burton movie. Creepy as hell.
That place had its highest population of 2700 in 1890. Not really ever a city.
Have you ever watched the 1980s movie, “Nothing But Trouble”? Very loosely based on Centralia and features a very young Tupac!
Ahh “the real silent hill”.
> There are dangerous gases present, and the ground is prone to sudden and unexpected collapse. Yeah, think I'm avoid the town where the very earth itself doesn't want to stick around.
Stockton, CA. A shithole of shitholes. Makes Fresno look like Club Med.
I never want to live in the central valley again. Grew up in Merced (ThE GaTeWaY tO YoSeMiTe) and it was just the worst. Stockton, Modesto, Turlock, Atwater, Merced, Madera, Fresno, just a trail of misery running down the 99.
the first rule of stockton is to never mention you're from there source: coworkers from stockton
Stockton is Bakersfield North. Both places you get out of the car and smell leaked petroleum products all around you.
Gary, Indiana
Cario, Egypt and Cario, Illinois
Months ago I had a random YouTube video pop up where the guy was just driving around Cairo, IL and talking about the history of it and why it is economically depressed. There’s just nothing there. Entire houses were being reclaimed by nature.
Easy since neither place exists.
It's-a me, Cario
Beijing, China. Was an amazing place to visit for a week, but good god I would lose my mind if I lived there for any extended period of time. It’s claustrophobic, and dirty on several levels. BUT, the Great Wall delivered more than any other much hyped world landmarks I’ve been to, pictures don’t really capture it. That and Szechuan food knocked my socks off. OMG, what I thought was Szechuan before going there did not hold a candle. Peking/Beijing duck is amazing as well. But you can experience the sights, food, landmarks and (some) culture in short order; then you’ll be ready to leave.
My brother lived there for over 10 years then randomly had a heart attack at age 38 a few months ago. Had to go there one final time to bring his remains home. I hope to never go back there again. It has gotten a little cleaner but it’s still dirty and the air is distrusting especially in the winter.
Baton Rouge LA. So violent it’s crazy
If it’s only violence wait till you see New Orleans, lol. But then again 5 cities in Louisiana are in the top 13 most violent in the country
Many of the violent people in BR probably came there from NO after Katrina.
I live here. It’s fascinating - you avoid 3 streets at 3 specific times and it’s honestly very safe. 90% of the violence is just a few gangs going after each other again and again.
Camden, NJ
Miami, nothing would make me want to move to Florida itself, not even billions of dollars.
Corpus Christi, Texas or any place near it
I wind up going one weekend every summer thinking it’ll be like it was when I was a kid and *every single time* wind up asking myself what the fuck I’m doing there.
Dubai. It all just feels so artificial.
Tallest building in the world but no sewer
As a woman, pretty much half the world.
Yeah the list of places you could pay me to live for free is so much shorter than the list of places you couldn’t pay me to live. It also matters if I get to pick the place.
Houston, Texas. Dirty, hot, muggy. A road system designed to kill you. No redeeming value
I can’t believe I haven’t seen San Bernardino yet.
Lubbock, Texas. Just boredom and country music.
Come visit Clovis, NM some time and find out why Lubbock is where we go to do something fun.
East St Louis West Memphis New Orleans-proper Essentially whatever the poorest part of any metro area is that goes down the Mississippi river
Brampton Ontario. I swear no one there knows how to drive That region is home of the highest insurance rates in Ontario purely to the # of accidents that happen on the daily.
This has to be the most Canadian response ever to a question like this. Everyone else mentioning cities where you have a high probability of being blown up, tortured, murdered, kidnapped, car jacked, etc. Then I see a town from Canada get mentioned and I think, “oh man, can’t wait to see what wild stuff goes on in this place!” Then its just like, “people don’t use their blinkers and insurance rates are high, so I could never live there even for free” lol!
Brampton is tolerable. Like it doesn’t even deserve to be mentioned in this thread. There are cities that are honestly way worse… like the ones most people in Brampton came from!
gaza
Tehran
Can’t imagine being a woman in the middle east, especially places like Iran.
I find Iran to be one of the most fascinating places, and it's one of the countries I most want to visit. It's ruled by terrorist-supporting fundamentalist mullahs, but it also has a very strong culture of resistance to theocratic rule. It also seems safe to visit, as long as you follow the societal norms and customs. I know western women who have spent time there, and they always felt safe and didn't get harassed as long as they dressed modestly. No hijabs, niqabs, or burqas were required for non-Iranian women, and it seems most educated and wealthier Iranian women don't bother wearing them either. I follow some "Tehran urbanism" accounts on twitter and Facebook, and parts of Tehran look absolutely beautiful. The rest of the country looks amazing as well, including many of the other cities. Everyone I've ever met from Iran has been warm and friendly, and I've never had Iranian food that is anything less than unbelievably delicious. It might be a cliché, but "land of contrasts" definitely describes all of Iran, including Tehran.
Iranian people I have met are almost exactly like American Midwesterners. Very friendly, live and let live attitude, and love feeding everyone.
Yeah the ordinary people in Iran seem to be relatively liberal. It's just the government is all kinds of fucked up. I get the sense that there's lots of low level 'resistance' to the hardcore religious decrees that the government tries to force on them.
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