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Duly noted. While I disagree that riding a bus is inherently more dangerous than driving, I will not try to persuade you onto any public transit
Hi HandsUpThumbsDown--
Riding a bus, by itself, isn't inherently more dangerous than driving. But when you pack thirty people into an area the size of your living room, you get stuff like this
Philadelphia does have a pretty high homicide rate though, 4-5 times higher than the US average, and 10 the homicide rate of Canada (the Toronto area is around average). Around here, it's quite possible the increase in traffic related safety from being in a bus instead of a car is greater than the decrease in safety from being around people who ride the bus.
Although the homicide rate in the US is around 4.5/100k/year, for traffic related fatalities, the death rate is 12. In Philadelphia though, the homicide is around 20. It's more complicated than that though, the risk of getting killed is much lower if you're not involved in crime, and it is lower still if you're in a car, separated from the public, but how much lower/how low was it in the first place if you're not involved in crime? You're also probably going to be safer in a bus than a car if there's an accident. The traffic related deaths also include pedestrians, which you don't have to worry about driving. I guess I just think it's interesting how people rarely consider the amount of people who die on the road when they drive.
Anyways, I biked home at midnight today and thought I'd keep an eye out for whether there were any females walking outside. I didn't see any alone, but these was one pair walking together, plus two male/female pairs. The only vehicles I saw around campus were a few taxis, I was able to spot females in two of them. So I guess women here might be uncomfortable walking home alone at midnight... although it's a small sample and midnight is quite different from 6pm (when it's already dark), or even 9pm.
Riding a bus, by itself, isn't inherently more dangerous than driving. But when you pack thirty people into an area the size of your living room, you get stuff like this
Whew that is some crazy stuff, sadly you can tell what part of town that stuff occured in or where the bus is headed or coming from. One bad apple can cast a negative image for otherwise normal people.
With that said, those women on the bus in that video, didn't fit the description of the women I saw late night Chicago. Specifically north of downtown near Arlington and Lincoln park.
Riding a bus, by itself, isn't inherently more dangerous than driving. But when you pack thirty people into an area the size of your living room, you get stuff like this
Yes Ive seen videos like this before. I've never experienced it however. I have been in car accidents though. No matter though - it's not really the sort of thing that should be examined anecdotally. I'm certain that fatal car accidents occur at a rate far higher than incidents like above.
I also disagree that people in a crowded space is the cause of violence.
My aunt doesn't drive, and this is not a good city for public transportation. She was very careful to select a neighborhood where she could safely walk to the grocery store, bank, drugstore, etc.
I would take public transportation, but the routes just don't work for me so I drive everywhere.
The biggest dangers here for the pedestrians and bus riders are the idiots who keep plowing into bus stops or hitting people that are trying to cross the street.
I also disagree that people in a crowded space is the cause of violence.
Hi HandsUpThumbsDown--
I'm going to have to stick to my original statement. Saying that people don't become more aggressive when it gets more crowded flies in the face of just about every scientific experiment out there. A quick Google search of the phrase "crowding causes aggression" reveals a whole wealth of articles that have been written on the subject. Here's one, which accurately states that crowding is a major factor (but not the only one) that causes it.
There are three environment stressors that have been found to increase aggression: (1) Temperature (2) Crowding and (3) Noise. Stress is cumulative. It builds over time, growing in strength, causing frustration, anger, feelings of powerlessness and the inability to relax...
There have been several studies on crowding, from subjects in cities to housing projects to rooms. Where there is overcrowding, there will be not only increased aggression, but also depression. In other words, as living space shrinks, tempers, aggression and depression are likely to follow.
And here's the link they cited on crowding causing aggression: link
And if you had come up and talked to her, she probably would have jumped out of her skin!
Next time I see a woman walking alone late at night in my neighborhood, should go up and talk to her to see if you're right?
In recent memory, the weirdest person I saw late at night near my place was an odd looking man in his 30s who seemed to be talking to himself. Turned out he was using a handless cellphone.
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