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I did notice more homelessness now than 5 years ago but there seem to be less interaction coming from them. There seem to be fewer squeegee men and aggressive panhandling than before. Like I said they have always been there in the 'cool' places where international tourists like to go and most cities are doing sweeps or other things to keep them away from the parts of town that see a lot of tourists.
Yes, makes sense. It's hard to envision more homelessness 5 years ago. Aggressive panhandling seems to be based on location and mere "chance".
Anyway, while every attempt may be made to "cover up" the situation, eventually things do reach a breaking point. At that point, it's either dealt with successfully or things start to go into a tailspin. Based on everything I've seen in recent years, my guess is the latter. It seems no one wants to be accountable, conscientious or self-examining.
Some of the people on here should also heed the advice to turn off the news and stop going down YouTube rabbit holes. San Francisco is not fully recovered but it’s more than safe to visit. I was there in November and while downtown is a little bit empty, the rest of the neighborhoods were very vibrant and well worth visiting and I never felt unsafe.
Live your life, if you want to visit the US, come, hundreds of millions of us are living here and most of us are doing just fine. Social media and the news has made too many people into terrified hermits afraid of their own shadow.
Some of the people on here should also heed the advice to turn off the news and stop going down YouTube rabbit holes. San Francisco is not fully recovered but it’s more than safe to visit. I was there in November and while downtown is a little bit empty, the rest of the neighborhoods were very vibrant and well worth visiting and I never felt unsafe.
Live your life, if you want to visit the US, come, hundreds of millions of us are living here and most of us are doing just fine. Social media and the news has made too many people into terrified hermits afraid of their own shadow.
I see where you are coming from. It is best to observe the World that is around you. Unfortunately, my observations are showing an increase in homelessness.
Of course, that doesn't mean one has to automatically go paranoid over it. These are things that need to be dealt with in a general manner. And that is the aspect where I see many people going wrong. The more you see it around, the more you get "used to it" (or for some people, they just blame the homeless and attempt to flee). But, of course, the more you also realize that the system is broken and in need of repair.
You can only shove so much "under the rug" before the situation will need addressing.
OP, you have to be aware that the majority of posters on this forum are older and on the regressive end of the political spectrum. They watch crazy news shows and believe what they are told by propagandists.
I'm old, but I'm not scared, and I don't watch any crazy news shows on either side of the spectrum. I road trip all the time, and I'm a single female. I got Covid after travelling in a MAGA area of Iowa (have pics to prove the maga-ness) but other than that I've never had a bit of trouble anywhere. I'm White, though. If I had darker skin I'm sure I might have encountered some hard stares, but probably not more than that. Last summer I traveled with two Black women and I didn't observe that they encountered any problems at all. If they did they didn't say anything to me about it.
So go on your road trip, and have loads of fun! The vast majority of us are friendly and calm and enjoy meeting tourists. Just follow the regular rules for being a good tourist (don't complain about or make fun of the people and places you see while you're here and don't be pushy or gross) and you'll be fine.
Echoing 601 - random data point here - I just spent some time in Europe - and had conversations with folks there who told me things I didn't know about the USA here. Meaning - it was totally fiction. The news over there about us over here has ruined a generation of young people, it seems (perhaps an exaggeration - but the point is there...).
The things they told me about my own nation, neighborhood, state, politics, and poverty, crime, and guns - and many other things - really had me struggling to "defend" myself - which is not really the word - but that's what it felt like.
If the OP is - like many Europeans - informed ONLY by the media, I understand their (not totally valid) concern.
OP - the things that are on the news are ON the news because they are uncommon. The boring day to day stuff - the life that 99.9% of us live here - is NOT on the news - because it doesn't get clicks or viewers.
Echoing 601 - random data point here - I just spent some time in Europe - and had conversations with folks there who told me things I didn't know about the USA here. Meaning - it was totally fiction. The news over there about us over here has ruined a generation of young people, it seems (perhaps an exaggeration - but the point is there...).
The things they told me about my own nation, neighborhood, state, politics, and poverty, crime, and guns - and many other things - really had me struggling to "defend" myself - which is not really the word - but that's what it felt like.
If the OP is - like many Europeans - informed ONLY by the media, I understand their (not totally valid) concern.
OP - the things that are on the news are ON the news because they are uncommon. The boring day to day stuff - the life that 99.9% of us live here - is NOT on the news - because it doesn't get clicks or viewers.
This totally, and hey, I live in Texas! Come through the US! It should be mutually enjoyable!
Echoing 601 - random data point here - I just spent some time in Europe - and had conversations with folks there who told me things I didn't know about the USA here. Meaning - it was totally fiction. The news over there about us over here has ruined a generation of young people, it seems (perhaps an exaggeration - but the point is there...).
The things they told me about my own nation, neighborhood, state, politics, and poverty, crime, and guns - and many other things - really had me struggling to "defend" myself - which is not really the word - but that's what it felt like.
If the OP is - like many Europeans - informed ONLY by the media, I understand their (not totally valid) concern.
OP - the things that are on the news are ON the news because they are uncommon. The boring day to day stuff - the life that 99.9% of us live here - is NOT on the news - because it doesn't get clicks or viewers.
The issue with this particular OP is that if he were a typical European news consumer then the mass shootings should be more on their radar this year than BLM protests which happened more than 2 years ago. This tells me that this is either someone who consumes only right wing media or a troll.
On the general topic of road trips I'd say things haven't changed much between now and 10 years ago as far as the driving part of it goes. The only noticeable changes are that city amenities are more widespread nowadays even in small to mid sized metros, and that downtown areas of major cities have taken hits from covid shutdowns and the loss of office workers from work-from-home. As far as the social aspect of it if you're traveling as an early twenty couple and go to places with similar demographics then of course people open up to you quickly, but if you're 35+ and still want to enjoy a similar result at the same social setting then you are being unrealistic. I also can't say for sure but there might be a difference between the relative sociability of millennials vs Gen Z.
The only drawback to this is the absolute beatdown that is driving I-70 across Kansas. Pretty sure the drive from Salina to Denver violates the Geneva Convention's ban on torture. That is a miserably boring and ugly stretch of interstate.
The entirety of Interstate 20 demands to be recognized for its incomparable efforts to promote boredom and ugliness!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Easternman
I also sensed a negative energy from black people towards us that I never before. Everyone seemed to be on the edge if that makes sense. It seemed like something happened between that 4 years and race relations became stirred up in the US very badly.
BLM came into prominence during the rioting in Ferguson, MO over the police-induced death of the "gentle giant" Michael Brown (of "hands up don't shoot" fame). This was in 2014 and, in my observation, started a negative trend in race relations. Things took a much larger turn for the worse as a result of the George Floyd riots of 2020. My experience with race relations was that they had been slowly but steadily improving for quite some time, but have now gotten worse.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Easternman
Would it be a real threat for us when sleeping in roadside or inner city motels to be randomly attacked?
As others have said, your choice of lodging can make a big difference between an enjoyable night's sleep and a miserable, even dangerous night. My go-to is Hampton Inn, or Drury Inn where available; also Spring Hill Suites. As a very general rule of thumb, you're better off in a Hotel (interior hallways) than a Motel (exterior hallways). There are exceptions, of course, but this is a good starting point if you have nothing else to go on.
Personally, I find that most large cities in the U.S. have become dangerous, annoying, or at least unpleasant. (Cue the urban apologists who will say that I'm just an old out of touch white guy. Whatever, I have my opinions, same as everyone else.) You're better off sticking to the suburbs, or the national parks. That said, you're still likely to have a good time if you come here and take a road trip. You just have to be more aware of your surroundings than used to be the case.
The only drawback to this is the absolute beatdown that is driving I-70 across Kansas. Pretty sure the drive from Salina to Denver violates the Geneva Convention's ban on torture. That is a miserably boring and ugly stretch of interstate.
Yes, that is so true. I know, since I've driven on I-70 through western and central Kansas. It's so bad and boring I'd rather drive on two lanes on Highway 51 in northwest Oklahoma to get to Colorado. At least there are buttes periodically rising to see to interfere with the boredom. But that ends before arriving to the Oklahoma panhandle. Anyway, no need for European tourists to get on Highway 51 in Oklahoma. Instead, get your kicks on old Route 66. Much of it still exists through Oklahoma, including classic rural landmarks to see, like the Round Barn for starters. A lot of Europeans make it a point do just that.
Last edited by Kenworthy53; 05-16-2023 at 12:51 AM..
Social media has had 10 more years of negative influence.
That’s where the attitudes and divisiveness probably come from.
Also might partially explain mental health problems.
Social justice types are also more zealous, leaving the rest of us on edge and exhausted by it all. Not saying people necessarily talk about it more in public, sometimes they do, but they certainly wear it on their sleeves a lot more, so to speak.
Otherwise, it’s not drastically different other than a noticeable uptick in homelessness.
Housing prices are freakishly absurd.
Last edited by sub; 05-16-2023 at 11:16 AM..
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