I don't have the patience to read all the replies (
) so I'll just make my point: I think the statistics about crime rates et cetera are a bit purposeless because, as was mentioned at some point in this thread, there's a difference between
being safe and
feeling safe. I think what Marek and others tried to communicate was that no matter what the statistics show,
we feel safe on our streets. I can wander through the shady alleys in the middle of the night without fear in Helsinki and I didn't feel at all worried in Amsterdam, München or Rome either. Even if the statistics show I'm more safe in the States, I felt a bit uneasy about walking in New York after dark. It's better to live happily for years and then one day get mugged than to live in constant fear even if nothing happens. Just my $.02.
