can I just say how unbelievably safe I feel in Pittsburgh? (crime, house)

[Geeo]

Back to the original question: yes, I feel safe, but that also means that I exercise common street smarts when I'm out, lock the car at all times, put everything in the trunk, and lock the doors and windows to the house when I'm gone. I live in the city and have never had a problem. I'm amazed, though, when there is a crime wave in a small town nearby with house break-ins, that it turns out that the people left their garage doors open all day and even at night!

[SteelCityRising]

I never feel uneasy living here. Then again after reading this thread I want to buy one of those steering wheel locking clubs. The only thing of value kept in my car overnight is loose change for the meters (usually $5.00 maximum).

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Geeo

Back to the original question: yes, I feel safe, but that also means that I exercise common street smarts when I'm out, lock the car at all times, put everything in the trunk, and lock the doors and windows to the house when I'm gone. I live in the city and have never had a problem. I'm amazed, though, when there is a crime wave in a small town nearby with house break-ins, that it turns out that the people left their garage doors open all day and even at night!

Actually, there was a rash of burglaries in an area near my house, and it turned out that's how the burglars were getting in, through open garage doors. Apparently people also left the door from the garage to the house unlocked. When we first moved to this 'hood, lots of people did that. It's not the norm now. We never did b/c DH has power tools in the garage, we have bikes, garbage, recycling, just about whatever you'd want!

[PittsburghHomecomer]

As someone from Denver, Co I might have to agree with you. Pittsburgh is nicer. But seriously crime is everywhere. Proper caution is always prudent. I think the reason Denver is worse then Pittsburgh is that their gangs are bigger, meaner, and Denver is the center of practically all drug trafficking through a majority of the West.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Eh? In the last 5 years Pittsburgh has had either nearly the same or higher crime than Denver:

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime...nsylvania.html

http://www.city-data.com/crime/crime...-Colorado.html

Strangely enough Pittsburgh always gets credit for being super safe, yet it's solidly in the middle of the pack as far as cities of its size go. The people who think it's super safe must live in rich neighborhoods.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Strangely enough Pittsburgh always gets credit for being super safe, yet it's solidly in the middle of the pack as far as cities of its size go. The people who think it's super safe must live in rich neighborhoods.

Worrying about having your car broken into or your house vandalized doesn't make a city "unsafe". It means its property crime/quality-of-life crime is too high.

Worrying about being shot at random in a drive-by gang initiation or being the target of the "knockout game" as you walk down the sidewalk to work DOES make a city "unsafe". It means its VIOLENT crime rate is too high.


C'mon, man. Even in Carrick, which you ballyhooed about on here while living there, you mean to tell me you honestly had fear for your personal safety? I'm a delivery driver, and while I don't keep excessive amounts of cash on me I also never fear anyone attacking me, even at night, and even in the non-gentrified neighborhoods like Garfield and Wilkinsburg.

With rare exception (i.e. the black-on-white racial intimidation ambush last night down in California, PA, for example) there's almost never any RANDOM violent crime here. If I was shortchanging my meth supplier or trying to bully an established heroin dealer off of one of his blocks? Well, yeah, of course I'd be living each day like it might be my last.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Worrying about having your car broken into or your house vandalized doesn't make a city "unsafe". It means its property crime/quality-of-life crime is too high.

Worrying about being shot at random in a drive-by gang initiation or being the target of the "knockout game" as you walk down the sidewalk to work DOES make a city "unsafe". It means its VIOLENT crime rate is too high.


C'mon, man. Even in Carrick, which you ballyhooed about on here while living there, you mean to tell me you honestly had fear for your personal safety? I'm a delivery driver, and while I don't keep excessive amounts of cash on me I also never fear anyone attacking me, even at night, and even in the non-gentrified neighborhoods like Garfield and Wilkinsburg.

With rare exception (i.e. the black-on-white racial intimidation ambush last night down in California, PA, for example) there's almost never any RANDOM violent crime here. If I was shortchanging my meth supplier or trying to bully an established heroin dealer off of one of his blocks? Well, yeah, of course I'd be living each day like it might be my last.

Uh, I'm pretty sure having crimes committed against you can absolutely make you feel unsafe....

Also yes, in Carrick a lot of people feared for their personal safety. I heard gunshots at few times a week in the summer (one was literally right outside my window, woke me up out of a dead sleep). A guy pulled a gun on my father, my neighbor got jumped and beaten to a pulp, my brother's friend was shot, the cops came into my parents house guns drawn looking for someone who didn't live there, a neighbor literally found a dead body in a yard in Beltzhoover... I could go on. There is a reason I moved and life in certain parts of the hilltop is worlds away from "gosh golly gee I don't have a laundromat on Polish Hill, woe is me!"

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Strangely enough Pittsburgh always gets credit for being super safe, yet it's solidly in the middle of the pack as far as cities of its size go. The people who think it's super safe must live in rich neighborhoods.

Everything is relative to where a person comes from.

[quackxp]

While I feel safe in my Ross Township neighborhood. I still make sure the garage door in closed and the front door locked when I go to bed. Normally if the door is shut it locked but I still check it.

I also keep my car locked and valuables out of sight in addition I don't walk around in public with headphones in.

My philosophy is don't be an easy target.

[Faerunner]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Worrying about having your car broken into or your house vandalized doesn't make a city "unsafe". It means its property crime/quality-of-life crime is too high.

I suppose it matters more to someone who owns their home.