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If You See These 50 Things In A Neighborhood, Folks Online Suggest You Run Immediately
It's been said that if you see women jogging in a neighborhood after dark, there's a high chance that it is a safe place. It's not a hard-and-fast rule, but rather a rough indicator of the level of safety in a particular area.
Perhaps a better way to look at it is "what are the signs that a neighborhood is potentially dangerous?"
Someone wondered this exact thing recently and decided to ask people online. The response was somewhat overwhelming, with thousands adding their personal ideas of "red flags" to the replies. While a few should be taken with a pinch of salt, others are things that you might want to pay attention to next time you're out and about.
Bored Panda has whittled down the list to a few answers that you can scroll through before you step out the door. We've also done some of our own research to find out what points to a neighborhood being less than savory. You'll find that info between the images. Don't forget to upvote the ones you agree with, and feel free to add your own suggestions in the comments section down below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Jokes aside, your proximity to healthy food can be a strong indicator.
Low-income areas are often classified as food deserts; places where fast food chains are abundant but grocery stores and fresh produce are scarce. If there are ten liquor stores and no place to buy an apple, that’s a red flag.
Dr Jimmy 03 5 months ago
Old newspaper guy here...I wish I'd copyrighted the term, "food desert." Visited a bunch of them back then. The term, and the concept, stand.
Nadine Lynch 5 months ago
Great picture to use for this post, as everyone knows that Japanese convenience stores are particularly deadly.
BrunoVI 5 months ago
There are much easier ways of identifying "low-income" and low income is a terrible proxy for unsafe.
ॐBoyGanesh 5 months ago
It’s actually an excellent proxy not only for safety regarding crime, but also standard of living and exposure to environmental risks. It’s a reality we have accept in order to open dialogue and advocate for change. — https://odphp.health.gov/healthypeople/priority-areas/social-determinants-health/literature-summaries/poverty
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You should never take your personal safety for granted. This doesn't mean be paranoid 24/7, but rather have an awareness of what's happening around you and take certain steps to avoid becoming a victim of crime.
Whether we like it or not, some areas are safer than others. And there are some ways to tell which ones you're more likely to find yourself in trouble in.
The most obvious one is to look at the local crime stats. Authorities release these and detail the types of crime and number of incidents in a particular place. If you notice high levels of frequent reports of theft, vandalism, or violent crimes, consider yourself warned. These are major red flags.
RELATED:
#2
Chris Rock: if it’s the middle of the day and you see women in gym clothes… you in a nice neighborhood. If it’s the middle of the day and dudes are hangin around in gym clothes… get the hell out of there.
Saltypepper 5 months ago
Truth,I live in an area like that,they know who you are from just being the round you're ok they won't bother you ,buuuut if they don't recognize you or you are not know you'll be questioned probably jumped or worse...
#3
Lived for 13 years in one of the worst parts of Paris. So my experience is…
Human feces. If human s**t where they aren’t supposed to, run.
ॐBoyGanesh 5 months ago
Sadly, this is part of the reason I no longer live there permanently. I was born & raised in the city, 3rd generation & my mom still lives there. I rented my house, which I inherited from my grandparents at 22, when the tech boom began to bust mid-oughts. I’m back bi-monthly to help my mom out and it breaks my ♡ just how disgusting the city has become. Almost worse is that all the true creatives, artists & musicians, were priced out of living in the city to make room for Elon-loving, Rogan-worshipping tech bros.
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sturmwesen 5 months ago
week before last I was talking to 2 women walking their dogs... we started with the usual...xyz doesn't pick up dog poop, dogs rolling in disgusting stuff, etc... then comes: human feces at the bushes on the opposite side of the soccer field. WE ALL knew which bushes we were talking about. for years there seems to be someone s******g next to the off leash area...not anywhere near park benches or soccer fields but in the middle of the recreational area. and yes: it's human poop, not dog poop
Another glaring sign is evidence of gangs or gang violence. You might spot graffiti with gang symbols on walls, or notice groups of gang members hanging around. If the place makes it into the news often because of frequent gang-related incidents, you'll want to have your high alert turned full blast if you're planning on visiting or living there.
Coming from a city with high levels of gang violence, my personal tip is to contact a resident of the area, or even the police, before planning your journey. Find out where the current hotspots are, what route is safest to get in and out. As an added level of protection, you can ask someone familiar with the place to meet you and escort you in and around.
#4
What is closer to your home; a 'cash for gold' spot, or a grocery store?
Lyoness 5 months ago
No idea why you were downvoted for making a comment that's true so here's an upvotee to bring you to zero.
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ILoveMySon 5 months ago
My sister chose to forgo college and immediately enter the workforce. She worked at a check cashing business for a few days and decided to enroll in classes. Not only was it a dangerous area but she saw firsthand where she had almost missed an opportunity. Great aunt left a small stipend for her education.
#5
Confederate flags in the yard. When my wife and I bought our house, we required a minimum one mile buffer zone to the nearest confederate flag. Which was tough, because we were looking in semi-rural Florida.
keyboardtek 5 months ago
We retired to a small town in the foothills of North Carolina and my main concern was white militia groups and MAGA/Trump support. Been here three years and even though the town is 2/3 Republican voters, have seen only a couple of pro Trump signs and no sign of any militias. No confederate flags. Even had a nice No Kings protest!
Michael Largey 5 months ago (edited)
North Carolina is becoming more purple despite the anti-democracy initiatives of the MAGA GOP.
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Leekier 5 months ago
In the U.K. the equivalent would be the Union flag or the England flag. Mainly these are some sort of nutter; normal people can be patriotic without flag waving.
CultOfBambi 5 months ago
Absolutely - I used that as a gauge when I was house-hunting a few years back. Having that flag up is mostly okay if there's a big football tournament on - but in my experience, people who have them up year-round are just advertising their bigotry.
Load More Replies... basmilko 5 months ago
Yup, I live in FL and my next door neighbor flies that exact flag under his American flag. At least he stopped flying his Trump flag.
Tropical Tarot 5 months ago
Trump flag across from my mom's house. It's a relative unfortunately.
Load More Replies... #6
I was house hunting. The neighbor had their grill chained down on their back porch. I noped out of there.
Other things - bars on windows, unkept yards, cars that obviously can’t move, everyone has a loud dog in the yard.
Saltypepper 5 months ago
Alot of Chicago neighborhoods are like that loud dogs,( usually a pit bull) bars on windows ,grills chains down .. so why would you think south Africa, you go to any ghetto in the u.s. you'll have that
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 5 months ago
Lots of properties in upper-class areas have fences around the whole yard.
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Another warning sign might be a high level of police activity in a particular area. We're not talking visible policing, or routine patrols. What we mean is sirens wailing, lights flashing. And the cops responding to incidents. Often.
In less safe neighborhoods, you could also notice a lot of neglected homes or buildings. While this doesn't always indicate high levels of crime, it can... Broken windows, peeling paint, overgrown yards, or structural damage often point to a lack of community investment.
#7
If there are more than six potted plants by multiple front doors, you’re in an HOA with competitive neighbors. Get the hell out before they recruit you to their church bake sale!
Damned_Cat 5 months ago
If people have a lot of plants out in front of their homes, it means that your neighborhood doesn't have a bunch of weirdos that steal plants. Always a plus!
Barbara Wilcock 5 months ago
I have lots of potted plants. I dont understand. If you buy your own home, how can others tell you what to do
Remi (He/Him) 5 months ago
It's a joke. A bit of a jab at the HOA culture, but mostly a joke
Load More Replies... Michelle C 5 months ago
Maybe we just like plants. I have a neighbor who started a business out of her home and she has been quite successful. She just loves gardening and always has. She is also one of the sweetest people you will ever meet!
Saltypepper 5 months ago
I WOULD NEVER live where there is a H.O.A. way to controlling it'd drive me insane, nobody is gonna tell me what I can or can't do with my OWN HOME I PAID FOR .
Crystalwitch60 5 months ago
Erm I have LOAD of potted plants in my front garden!! and I’m in uk no HOA , we in this little village just like our gardens to look nice I grow all my annual flowers in pots , back garden is a veggie plot n two poly tunnels n also wild life friendly, n yup I hve pots on my bloody door step issue with this , 😂that be a u issue me I just love flowers ,
Saint_Zipcodus 5 months ago
Possibly true for the US. Not necessarily true for the Netherlands.
#8
The more abandoned shopping carts the worse the neighborhood. Also bars on church windows.
Emilu 5 months ago
We don’t have this now because you have to put a $1 or $2 coin in to get a trolley (or a token etc) which is only given back when the trolley is returned. Pain in the a*s, but has definitely helped with random trolleys everywhere.
Fabulous chocolate cookie 5 months ago
Here most people found ways to prevent inserting $ coins by having plastic-coins, the rounded side of a key or just breaking the little chains.
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Pyla 5 months ago (edited)
People have shopping carts in neighborhoods because they don't have transportation and have to push them home.
CA Hyde 5 months ago
They can always bring them home - but never bring them back! Lazy thieves.
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PeepPeep the duck 5 months ago
Armadale WA - my bff had a house on this street where taxis, Ubers and delivery drivers won’t come near. It was laden in trolleys and full of action - like guys riding bikes with massive air conditioning units to get what ever they were getting. Funny one was we were sitting in my bffs lounge room and some random crack lady walks in looking around everywhere except to the left where we were sitting 😂 her giant bulldog (who’s actually a giant teddy bear an not aggressive ) comes bolting out and crack lady runs screaming down the street.
Jerzy Janeczko 5 months ago
Is is even true in the parking lot of stores on the edge of the service deserts.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
My wife's old parish was offering gun lessons. Hushed up, of course.
keyboardtek 5 months ago
In the town I used to love in the thrives would steal all the copper pipe from a churches HVAC system!
Pyla 5 months ago
Ooooh, Bored Panda brought the rācists out of the woodwork!
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#9
Payday loan stores. They specifically target low-income neighborhoods. It’s an extremely predatory practice.
The same applies to abandoned structures. "If you see a lot of buildings and homes in [the] area that have been empty for many months to a year, it might be a sign that [the] neighborhood is dangerous," warns home security company SafeWise.
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has previously said that “research links foreclosed, vacant, and abandoned properties with reduced property values, increased crime, [and] increased risk to public health and welfare.”
#10
A friend of mine told me "If you see bars on the windows, leave before it gets dark. If you see bars on the second floor windows, leave immediately,".
Atom Bohr 5 months ago
In some regions it's really normal though. Lots of buildings around where I live have bars on all the windows on every floor. I've lived here 6 years and in the summer I have my windows and balcony doors open 24/7 for months, as a woman living alone. It's safe here, but it gets really hot, so ventilation is essential
#11
Cars parked on the street with a flat tire or tires that haven't moved for months. .
Michelle C 5 months ago
Thankfully, there are maybe five houses in my development like this. Fortunately, they are okay neighbors otherwise except for one or two people who come to mind.
#12
The only stores are family dollar and dollar tree bc the bigger stores left the area due to theft.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
There are ton's of Dollar tees in nice suburbs. Some well of older ladies are very frugal. We have one down the road and we are very low crime. Same with Dollar tree. I go to the dollar tree for ladles and such for pot lucks where I know I'll never get it back.
Damned_Cat 5 months ago
My area has plenty of "good" shopping centers and grocery stores, but the market closest to my neighborhood just recently created a closed off section for the laundry supplies and the baby supplies and food. A special cashier has to buzz you in and won't let you out until you pay for any items you select inside the enclosure. They also locked up ALL the liquor, not just the expensive stuff. So many neighbors are having a flapdoodle fit over the optics of having a store with these security measures.
A lack of streetlights can also be a red flag. "Adequate lighting is crucial for preventing crime and ensuring residents feel secure in their environment. Dim or non-functional streetlights make the area feel unsafe, especially at night," explains another home security site, AOSU.
#13
The local mcdonalds has 1 inch thick bulletproof glass
and when the local police cars are f****d up (dent, accidents, etc).
Kit Black 5 months ago
I honestly think the scariest~ I am in the wrong neighborhood ~ that I have ever experienced was taking a wrong turn in NYC (pre-cell phones) trying to find my way back, and drove past a police car with no wheels, up on blocks - with the engine still running and the lights still flashing...
ILoveMySon 5 months ago
Two of my brothers in law were cops. One in Brooklyn and one in Nassau County, Long Island. There was a police escort at the funeral for my MIL. It was quite evident which cars were from Brooklyn. My Brooklyn BIL cop was a MUCH better officer than the other who is a POS and married into the family.
Joanne B 5 months ago
Of course it would be evident. Some cars said NYPD and other cars said Nassau County PD. I live right on the Queens-Nassau border, all the cop cars I see are in good shape. (I’m not making any judgement on the quality of the cops.)
Load More Replies... #14
Trump signs on the yard.
SchadenFreudian Psychology 5 months ago
That’s a sign of a VERY bad neighbourhood. Don’t pull into their driveway if you need to get turned around; they’re liable to shòot you.
Don Adams 5 months ago
True. We had a local politician shoot a door dash driver who was walking up the driveway to ask directions.
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Tamra 5 months ago
Yes, yes...the people who thought a felon would be great as president are surely trustworthy. 🤣🤣🤣
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Grace Sssssss 5 months ago
Some people are truly not safe in a MAGA neighborhood. You think a trans Latina walking down your street isn't going to get bullied or worse before she can get out?
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#15
Street lights, side walks, bins etc are all broken/rundown. The council has already repaired them so often they’ve now given up.
Edited to add: rich neighbourhoods won’t hide their cameras, they want people to know they’re being recorded. Poor neighbourhoods hide their cameras lest they get stolen or destroyed.
But sometimes the signs aren't always obvious. Often, the biggest warning sign that you're in danger lies within. If you feel something is off, you're anxious and your gut is just telling you to leave, then it's best to pay attention.
Always trust your own intuition. You'll be surprised at how much you actually already know without even realizing it.
#16
Call about pizza delivery. If they don't deliver to your complex after 10, you're not getting a good deal on an apartment. You live in a danger zone.
Saltypepper 5 months ago (edited)
When I worked at pizza hut there was an apartment area with about 5/6 complexes in one area we did not deliver too even during day it was so dangerous
Don Adams 5 months ago
That is not the point. If they refuse to deliver after a certain time, you are not in a particularly safe area.
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#17
Run down car, run down car, run down car, Lamborghini, run down car, RUN!
#18
Bars on windows, toys left in yards, cars on blocks, toddlers wandering around alone outside, pitbulls everywhere, p**n shops, check cashers, chain link fences especially in front yards.
Mobey Drunk 5 months ago
Pitbulls are actually very sweet, if their treated well. I have one and he's very nice.
Mike F 5 months ago
Some folks just don't want anyone to have privacy, apparently. I'd love to have a chain link fence all the way around so I could just turn the puppy out to run.
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#19
I'm good at this game because I've spent my whole adult life balancing affordable housing against my desire to not experience larceny.
If the gas station sells more tall single cans of beer than varieties of 6 pack.
If any person walks past with an open beverage in a paper bag.
If the big dogs aren't on leashes or have giant collars, and the little dogs aren't well groomed.
If all the steps are crooked.
If anybody has inside furniture on the outside of their house.
A metal barrel.
A truck pulling a trailer of random metal detritus.
A lack of landscaping.
Tumble weave blowing around
Shoes on the telephone wires.
Graffiti on the gas pumps.
Towel/bed sheet/cardboard curtains
If the homeless people don't get told to "move along" every 12-24hrs.
People in wheelchairs who aren't clearly traveling from a condo or house to a local store or coffee shop.
No coffee shops.
Businesses that list everything they sell on the outside of the building.
Bars that don't have names.
If it's a weekend and you can't hear any lawn mowers.
Gas cans that aren't in a shed.
WindySwede 5 months ago
Also, A metal barrel. So anyone that have a Cybertruck?
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Janos Schumacher 5 months ago
No coffee shops? I live in a nice neighborhood. It's about 2 miles to the nearest coffee shop. Sometimes there are people in wheelchairs. I am near an Ethiopian grocery store. Is that OK? My front steps are missing their railing. Is that OK? My neighbor has a nice, well behaved, big dog that sits on the front lawn, without a chain and never leaves the lawn. Is that bad or good. This is a super panicky list written by a frightened kitten that is likely president of their HOA.
Leekier 5 months ago
This is a weird post! I know it’s specifically talking about the US but the rest of the world isn’t that different. There are many areas of the U.K. where you won’t hear lawnmowers because it’s terraced housing, many houses are old and over the decades steps get worn, let alone a century or two; I understand brownstones in the US are similar. I don’t actually understand what they mean by landscaping; gardens that you pay someone to work on? So has he got something against people who do their own gardening? People in wheelchairs do a lot more than shop and drink coffee and I’m pretty sure the same applies in the US. Similarly civilised places support people who’re homeless rather than harass them; I’ve a feeling that many Americans would agree with this. I do now live within walking distance of 4 cafés but only for the past few months; I spent close to 70 years without a local café without the world ending!
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Kit Black 5 months ago
No, no, he spelled it correctly for what he was trying to say 🤣
Load More Replies... Saltypepper 5 months ago
Gas station that sells single cigarettes or a glass rose and steel wool for 3 bucks in a paper bag..
#20
You see a grown man riding a child’s bicycle, leave.
Rachel Reynolds 5 months ago
in the lower middle class neighborhood we used to live in there was a guy who lost his license but would drive his kid's Power Wheels Jeep to the liqueur store. I wish I was joking.
Daniel Atkins 5 months ago
It is usually a riding mower in the town i live in. The mowing season in Oklahoma is so long it is hard to say who has a dui or are they traveling between jobs.
Load More Replies... #21
I'm in the UK and live in one of the least desirable parts of my city. I'd say litter everywhere, fly-tipped items with a 'council aware' sticker on them (bonus points if the item, with sticker, has been there for months), more mobility scooter users than walkers (I exaggerate, but it feels that way), the charity box in the local convenience shop is chained down (but some genius still tries to steal it), teens in face mask, beanie, hoodie and puffer jacket even during the current heatwave, dogs left outside barking all day, dog s**t everywhere, broken glass everywhere ('people pissing on the stairs, you know they just don't care' - sorry, I couldn't resist), when your dog picks up a mouthful of human feces on his walk (I'm counting 4 times it's happened to us so far), neighbours I have never seen out of nightie, dressing gown and slippers, and of course the ubiquitous working age men gathering from around 8am to 5pm to drink on the corner of the street.
Despite all of that, after living here 11 years I'd say it's still fairly safe (touch wood), just a depressing, deprived s**t hole.
#22
For me, I was driving in Oakland CA. Looking for a store i wanted go to. I didn't know the city very well and this was pre navigation. We'll I made a few wrong turns and ended up in a neighborhood and came up to a stop sign in front of an elementary school where there was five 20 something guys just standing on the corner all with 40oz's. This was like 11:00am. One of them even said "look at this guy, he must be lost." Yes, yes I am.
Ace 5 months ago
What exactly does a "40oz" refer to? Yes, I realise it's a liquid measure (2 UK pints, as it happens) but what sort of drink comes in such large sizes?
Forrest Hobbs 5 months ago
"this was pre navigation."? Seriously? I mean Columbus might have missed his intended destination back in 1492, but navigation was pretty well developed even then. 😁
#23
A prevalence of unmowed lawns, a lack of grills or patio furniture, people of working age loitering around during the business day, lots of Pitbulls, no kids playing outside or biking around outside of school hours, lots of litter, and more.
Basically if the residents don’t care to make their community look nice or can’t because their stuff will get stolen, that’s a red flag.
Kit Black 5 months ago
Why are you looking in everybody's backyard at their patio to see whether or not they have patio furniture?? That's creepy. You are definitely in the wrong neighborhood if you go creeping around in somebody's backyard to look at their patio, because you, my friend are going to leave in the back of an ambulance.
White Sauce Hot Sauce 5 months ago (edited)
I don't know where you live, but some backyards can be seen from sidewalks or alleyways without actively snooping.
Load More Replies... Barbara Wilcock 5 months ago
So if you dont have time to mow your lawn. It's a c**p area. Lack of grills. This is the most American thing I've read. 🙄🤔🤣🤣
Little Bit 5 months ago
Unmowed lawns and lack of patio furniture. My lawn doesn't get mowed as often as I like because I work full time, raise my kids, keep up with all my other household chores and I'm full time carer to my elderly mother. I do enjoy gardening but there are not enough hours in the day or when I do have the time i just don't have the energy. It gets done when it gets done. I don’t have patio furniture because it just becomes a magnet for bird s**t. Maybe you should realise that some people have challenging circumstances and not be so judgemental.
Leekier 5 months ago
It’s like when people are criticised for not cooking everything from scratch; quite often they simply don’t have time. When I worked I didn’t have have time for gardening or cooking because I was working full time, supporting elderly relatives and a disabled adult child. Now I'm retired and an orphan with only one person to support I’m able to cook and garden to my heart’s content.
Load More Replies... Michael Largey 5 months ago
We have a neighbor who parks a pick-up truck on his front lawn. When he can't see the pick-up truck, he knows it's time to mow the lawn. (Or at least think about it.)
Nikole 5 months ago
You live in Indiana, right? Yeah, that sounds accurate…
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Kabuki Kitsune 5 months ago
Hate to be that person, but this one is situational. At least when it comes to unmown lawns. If you live in a city that has a major military base in it (regardless of type), then you can expect to see this quite a bit with people who live off base and whom are deployed.
#24
If it’s my neighborhood, it’s the people shooting up out in the open. While mostly harmless, it does lead to a lot more erratic behaviour.
#25
An abundance of storefront churches.
keyboardtek 5 months ago
I used to repair church organs and those storefront churches always freaked me out. I always worried they would not pay me.
Jerzy Janeczko 5 months ago
Many are fronts for most anything besides a church. Back in my day several in the area were unregulated bars. Live bands at times, not really that secret.
#26
In the UK;
The high street is bookies, takeaways, phone case shops and Turkish barbers.
And in residential areas; a reedy guy with two big dogs required by law to be muzzled (that aren't) that he has absolutely zero control over. Also piles of discarded furniture in the unkempt front garden.
Chewie Baron 5 months ago
Brixton (South London) has a M&S and is always seen as a bit of an oxymoron. It was back in the day, Brixton was the well to do genteel area, whilst its near neighbour Clapham was the ne’er do well ruffian. Now, it’s seen as the other way round. But to their credit, M&S have stuck by. Ruston and they remain there to this day. Which is nice.
Load More Replies... #27
When you feeeeel some eyes SOMEWHERE are always watching you but you don't see any people.
If you've been around bad areas growing up you should have a radar for this vibe. If you don't you've probably been mugged before or had your head held down in a bathtub with the water running.
#28
A lot of liquor stores and pawn shops. Store fronts with bared windows. Trash everywhere.
Jerzy Janeczko 5 months ago (edited)
After 33 examples that repeat the same basic points over and over I think even the naive among us got it !
#29
Stray dogs.
Missy Moo Moo 5 months ago
Ha - come to Australia, all stray dogs are collected by the council
#30
Drove down a street in broad daylight and saw a man walking a big dog while carrying a baseball bat. We were looking at rentals, so we were going kind of slow. The man stopped walking to stare at us going by. Nope, not renting there.
Nicola Mawson 5 months ago
I was looking to buy a house. So I asked a random teenager what the area was like because I was "looking to buy a house". He disappeared down the street to get some stuff to sell me. When my mind kicked in, I left
#31
Kids wearing ski masks in summer is always bad.
Pyla 5 months ago
Elijah McClain was minding his own business. Trash board panda, you have hired trash to write this.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
Sad that I don't have to google his name to know who you're talking about. That was so horrific and tragic. Between this and the thread about Hispanics I don't know what is happening to BP!
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Khavrinen 5 months ago
Probably not. Just because they never matured doesn't mean they count as "kids".
Load More Replies... Leekier 5 months ago
It says a lot about you if you object to anti fascists
Load More Replies... #32
Someone absolutely blasting music from a portable speaker. .
Auntriarch 5 months ago
Ah, that'll be Mr Auntriarch with his car window wound down
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#33
Go to the corner store. Look for 1) Roses in glass tubes 2) an actual magazine rack with p**n mags 3) the clerk is behind glass.
Khavrinen 5 months ago
BP is not known for being good at matching photos to stories.
Load More Replies... #34
Dudes wearing hoodies in summer. I live in Atlanta. If I wore a hoodie in the summer, there’s a California Raisin inside.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
Omg we are middle aged white people. My husband will start the day in joggers and a hoodie and never take it off. Because of his job he is either in a lot of heat or cold. I was like that in florida as a teen. sweatshirt and shorts when the temp is in the 80's.
Leekier 5 months ago
I’m from a city in the North East of England, we were the opposite; camisoles, miniskirts, bare legs and high heeled sandals in 6 inches of snow! The principle’s the same though; style beats the climate every time when you’re young
Load More Replies... Little Bit 5 months ago
I know loads of people who wear hoodies in the middle of summer, yet in the winter go about in shorts, T-shirts and flip flops.
Don Adams 5 months ago
It was a marketing push in the 80's by the California Raisin Association. Claymation animated raisins with legs and arms, a long with musical instruments. They grooved to "I heard it through the grapevine". The fact that they were made to emulate Black jazz musicians was a tad problematic.
Load More Replies... Michelle C 5 months ago
This seems to be a trend among late Generation Z and early generation Alpha children. I see younger people wearing hoodies all year where I am and nobody’s getting hurt.
#35
Grocery stores have a lot of things locked up. You get yelled at by people having mental health issues.
Littlemiss 5 months ago
We have supermarkets that lock up makeup, pregnancy tests, flea treatment.
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#36
If you see people wearing non seasonal clothing, working age men sitting around middle of the day, lots of litter, seeing payday loan shops, thrift stores.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
You don't need to know why, you just need to know that it's not a suitable place to buy/rent a house/flat/whatever.
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#37
Burning oil drums, 1980s action movie street gangs howling at the moon, other make believe s**t that people nowadays like to pretend their cities are like.
NoRestfortheQWERTY 5 months ago
I saw what Manhattan was like in the late eighties. There were worse places in New York City, but even that borough was dangerous and the fear was real. I admit that I haven't been back to the United States for a little while, but crime's still below the levels it hit in the seventies, eighties, and early nineties. Some things have actually, you know, improved, at least a bit.
#38
Bunch of dudes on every corner goin "aayyyo". What you need? What you need?
keyboardtek 5 months ago
Any vicinity that has large numbers of idle unemployed males is a potential violent zone. Too much testosterone and too little intelligence.
#39
The streetlights start looking really intense and bright. Made the wrong turn when driving through the city and ended up seeing the change from regular looking streetlights to ones that look like they will make the entire area bright as midday.
ƒιѕн 5 months ago
More likely the change over from sodium vapor streetlights to led streetlights.
MontanaMariner 5 months ago
Yeah. Old school HPS bulbs make the orange glow, we had them on fishing boats in Alaska. Newer lights are also better aimed at the ground to prevent light pollution. Poorer areas get the updates last.
Load More Replies... Littlemiss 5 months ago
It means the area had better lighting because you need to be on the look out for trouble. Cause its hidden and waiting to pounce.
Load More Replies... #40
Broken windows theory.
A prevalence of broken windows shows the community doesn't care to repair/replace them as it doesn't make sense to do so. Graffiti, cars abandoned in public, etc.
Leekier 5 months ago
I live in a really nice area, low crime, up to our eyeballs in cafés, two nice park in walking distance and an ex-stately home which is now a museum. All of the glass on a neighbours back porch has been replaced by plywood for years; the owner is an elderly widow whose husband died mid renovation.
#41
You know there are a lot of poor people and d**g users around if you see any signs on poles that say “CASH FOR DIABETIC TEST STRIPS.”
For our European friends: yes, this is a real thing in the US.
K_Tx 5 months ago
I googled and found that there is a black market for the strips for people without insurance. If I understand correctly, people can get them super cheap or free through their insurance and then sell them. These buyers then sell them to people without insurance for a profit. Is this correct?
Load More Replies... #42
Iron bars on the doors and windows
If the clerk is behind bulletproof glass
If there’s a check cashing place
What’s locked up at Walmart.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
We live in one of the safest suburbs in Ohio, Democrat mayors for decades. There used to be one next to a grocery store before the laws changed and they closed.
#43
The pitbul : golden retriever / golden doodle ratio.
#44
Traveling for work and saw a first.
A post office r that was locked up like a bodega in the hood. Bulletproof glass and only accepting mail with one of those turnstile things.
Seen it in many a bodega but never a us post office location (not an ups store or anything like that).
#45
Nice area - grown ups on road racing bikes wearing spandex
Opposite - grown men in street clothes on BMXs .
#46
This is applicable in South Carolina, and probably most of the American Deep-South; the higher the ratio of mopeds to cars the worse the area (unless you’re in a college town).
Nils Skirnir 5 months ago
Town and rural areas in the South have the highest crime rates in the US. Especially murder rates
#47
There was a neighborhood I lived near, some twenty years ago on the East Coast of the USA. If you went there at night, you'd see cars acting d**g-dealer-y: e.g., lurking in alleyways with their headlights off but their engines running. I didn't go there at night.
MontanaMariner 5 months ago
You don't come to BP for their journalistic integrity.
Load More Replies...
#48
Playing dice on the sidewalk is a good indicator.
Edit: I’m speaking from experience, i grew up in the ghetto as a white kid and I was definitely the minority.
michael Chock 5 months ago
White being a minority does not mean unsafe. It does mean cops will profile the area and make more arrests, extending the lingering affects of jim crow.
#49
Cars parked in the yard. Right by the front door.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Common here in France. It seems the concept of built in cupboards is unknown (even in new builds), so people install shelving in their garage and use it as a store room, thus the car sits out front.
Michelle C 5 months ago
Some neighborhoods have street parking only. Some neighborhoods that have both driveway parking and street parking maybe where larger families reside or they have visitors who park in the street all the time. My community is home to many families whose non-resident family members visit all the time.
#50
Fences in the front yard tells me it's a really rough area.
Although walls with a gate in the front yard tells me that they're in a tax bracket I'll never know.
Rick Murray 5 months ago
Over here, heavy duty fencing isn't to keep people out, it's to keep things in. Hunting dogs, goats, the odd pet cow...
General Anaesthesia 5 months ago
A white picket fence, the American dream. Replacing it with something needing a bit less maintenance might just be smart.
Michelle C 5 months ago
They might just be near a lakefront or their entire community is built like that because it’s more recent – 1970s or 1980s. They might even be historic. I live very close to a lot of areas like this, and the communities are historic to some degree, if not entirely historic.
MontanaMariner 5 months ago
Nonsense. My entire neighborhood have fenced front yards. Cheapest house for sale around here is $600k+.
#51
Years ago, my wife and I checked in late at a Holiday Inn in Washington, DC. The parking lot had a high, chain link fence.
After checking in, we were walking through the lobby to go out and get a bite to eat. An employee at the hotel stopped us and told us to drive to where we wanted to go, not to walk. We were told it was not safe to walk outside after dark.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
Especially what goes on at the White House, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court.
Load More Replies... #52
Proximity to a police station.
Of the police station is in a strip mall, that is the worst sign.
#54
Graffiti sprayed on kids' toys sitting on lawns, phone poles, etc. Little kids standing around in groups smoking. A WAY too nice playground (they always build the best public parks in the worst areas for some reason). Used syringes in the street gutters.
Emma London 5 months ago
Way too nice playground = "We should do something about this!" without actually doing anything about this (like correcting crappy residental zoning planning, better schools, safe after school hobbies, work centers, communal centers, free daycares....)
#55
The closer a white lawn chair is to the street, the further you should be from that street.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
OMG. I live in a very safe neighborhood in the suburbs. Our elderly but active neighbors down the road still have those chairs and sit in them regularly. This is just a bunch of racist trope I'm reading.
#57
Eerily empty streets, especially at night.
#58
Grown age men walking around with backpacks nowhere near a university.
Emma London 5 months ago
Tourists, backpakers, hipsters? Do men not need to carry things around anymore?
#59
No sidewalks .
Michael P. 5 months ago
There are also no sidewalks in wealthier neighbourhoods too, but not for the same reasons. One, it might lower property values and bring in "undesirable characters". Two, they live in one of the biggest cities in the country but portray themselves as small town folks who will fight tooth and nail if the city wanted to to install one.
Michael Largey 5 months ago
I live on a one-block street. The sidewalk ends half-way down the street.
#60
Inspirational murals. The more inspirational, the more in danger you are.
#61
Basketball courts.
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What do you think ?
Pyla 5 months ago
gosh, the white entitled girl puts up a classist piece of junk. Well done, Robyn.
UKGrandad 5 months ago
You're giving her two co-authors, Ieva and Jonas, a pass, then?
Load More Replies... BrunoVI 5 months ago
It's funny the way BP stumbles over itself trying to demonstrate how enlightened they are about race, and then they publish this incitement to associate poverty with criminality. I lived in a VERY self-congratulatorily progressive, cosmopolitan city and everyone spoke of dangerous parts of town. It always boiled down to "You'll get m******d! There are black people there!" The funny thing is that the crime hotspots were predominantly white shopping malls and other places where stupid white people brought large amounts of cash. Similarly, Anacostia in DC is not where people get m******d; it's the neighborhoods like Kalorama and Embassy Row where cash-waving people get drunk.
Ace 5 months ago
The racism of which you speak is in no way implied by the posts here. As for the association of extreme poverty with criminality, well yes, are you suggesting that it's not the case?
Load More Replies... 
Jorge Gonzalez 5 months ago
Another one is how friendly are the cats. Where people are mean cats tend to be very wary of unknown people. Where people are nice you see cats napping without a worry in public places and parks
michael Chock 5 months ago
They forgot confederate flags and oversized US flags. Sundown and stand your ground are real.
Michelle C 5 months ago
Respectfully, ethnicities and social classes have nothing to do with the characters of the people described. Their choices reveal who they are.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
This was put together by MAGAts, right? I've never read so many racial stereotypes and just plain wrong statements on BP ever.
Little Bit 5 months ago
I live in the UK. You know an area is bad when even the police refuse to go there.
Peeka_Mimi 5 months ago
I had to stop reading this implicitly racist and explicit classism. I live in North Aurora and yes we are poor and are surrounded by abject poverty, but that doesn't mean we are bad people.
Pyla 5 months ago
gosh, the white entitled girl puts up a classist piece of junk. Well done, Robyn.
UKGrandad 5 months ago
You're giving her two co-authors, Ieva and Jonas, a pass, then?
Load More Replies... BrunoVI 5 months ago
It's funny the way BP stumbles over itself trying to demonstrate how enlightened they are about race, and then they publish this incitement to associate poverty with criminality. I lived in a VERY self-congratulatorily progressive, cosmopolitan city and everyone spoke of dangerous parts of town. It always boiled down to "You'll get m******d! There are black people there!" The funny thing is that the crime hotspots were predominantly white shopping malls and other places where stupid white people brought large amounts of cash. Similarly, Anacostia in DC is not where people get m******d; it's the neighborhoods like Kalorama and Embassy Row where cash-waving people get drunk.
Ace 5 months ago
The racism of which you speak is in no way implied by the posts here. As for the association of extreme poverty with criminality, well yes, are you suggesting that it's not the case?
Load More Replies... Jorge Gonzalez 5 months ago
Another one is how friendly are the cats. Where people are mean cats tend to be very wary of unknown people. Where people are nice you see cats napping without a worry in public places and parks
michael Chock 5 months ago
They forgot confederate flags and oversized US flags. Sundown and stand your ground are real.
Michelle C 5 months ago
Respectfully, ethnicities and social classes have nothing to do with the characters of the people described. Their choices reveal who they are.
LookASquirrel 5 months ago
This was put together by MAGAts, right? I've never read so many racial stereotypes and just plain wrong statements on BP ever.
Little Bit 5 months ago
I live in the UK. You know an area is bad when even the police refuse to go there.
Peeka_Mimi 5 months ago
I had to stop reading this implicitly racist and explicit classism. I live in North Aurora and yes we are poor and are surrounded by abject poverty, but that doesn't mean we are bad people.
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