Did you feel safer in Canada or in the U.S.?

[trailmix 77]

My Husband and I had a conversation about this this other day.

When we were living in Florida, in a small city outside Orlando (Lake Mary) we lived in a first floor apartment and then in a bungalow (house).

I never opened the window in the apartment, we just kept the airconditioning on all the time and maybe opened the living room window twice in the house. Now in the winter it does get cool enough that it would be quite comfortable to sleep with the window open - but since it was all first floor, I didn't feel comfortable doing that.

Here we leave the bedroom window open all the time (again, first floor). Now this may just be because we are more comfortable in Calgary, it may be because Orlando is one of the most crime ridden cities in the U.S.! However Lake Mary has a relatively low crime rate.

So I guess we feel safer here.

Do you feel safer in Canada or the U.S. - and why?

Edited September 8, 2009 by trailmix

[Danu 19]

I definately feel a bit safer here, door is unlocked during the day etc...that said though I do drag the dogs through the whole house if I come home after dark Down there I doubt I will ever leave the door unlocked. Wes has already been mugged in the parking lot of the building he's in which makes me worry sometimes. I imagine I will be much more like you were in Orlando, even though we will be on the 2nd floor...cuz its just too easy to get into his building.

[JillA 2]

Definitely Canada, hands down!!

I lived in Oakville, Ontario which is a very safe little town. Low crime, hardly any and I never hesitated to go for walks at night, alone and never felt threatened.

Here, in Philadelphia the crime rate is so high. I don't feel safe at all, especially at night. It's odd but I hear so often about sexual crimes here than I did back home, you hear about a new rape almost every day. Even female joggers in the trails around here, in broad daylight get attacked. I would never go for a walk in the trails alone here, but I did at home all the time. Here I am fearful of being attacked as it happens so frequently. My husband doesn't like me to be in the city alone at night, he'll always come pick me up or whatever. So it's more sexual crimes I fear here, than robbery or shootings although you hear alot about those too. Sometimes I wish I was back in my bubble living in Oakville where I feared nothing really!

Side note - I don't even live in the city, about 30 minutes north. Even though I live in the burbs, I still don't feel safe here. One time I looked up the registered sex offenders in my town and I was aghast.

Edited September 8, 2009 by JillA

[Malrothien 6]

The US (I'm sure I'm going to be the only one to say that). I was born and raised in Florida (lived in Orlando, too, given that's where all my Dad's family is). Sure, my life has had patches of crime (Grandfather was shot 5 times in an armed robbery in WPB), but y'know what? It can happen anywhere. My Dad's father lived in the middle of nowhere in Florida, and his house was robbed.

We leave our sliding glass door open here in Vancouver, only because we're on the 3rd floor and you'd have to gain access to the first floor patio to use a ladder.

Now why don't I feel safe in Van? There has been so much gun violence, random kidnappings, and death here in the past 2 years. We had two people murdered in our neighborhood alone in the past 6 months! An elderly lady was kidnapped from the skytrain station by our house at 3pm in the afternoon.

[domegirl1978 1]

When I used to live in South Florida I ALWAYS used to say I felt safer living in Montreal. There is NO WAY I am walking outside at one or two in the morning in South Florida alone. Here in Montreal I felt safe in most parts of the city at any hour of the day. Walking downtown at 1am by yourself in Montreal was a piece of cake as the streets are always full of people.

There is way too much crime down in South Florida for my liking and I'm not too pleased about moving back there. Although I will be living in Boynton Beach (near West Palm), and its not so bad there when it comes to crime, I still don't feel super safe. I've heard some creepy stories from people living in my area. I'm totally getting a taser. That and a very well trained dog. My SO won't allow me to get a gun so the taser and dog will have to do.

Also, they just keep building and building in my area. I remember as a kid it was totally different. Now I feel like a sardine in a can with so many things cropping up. It seems like there is no breathing room with buildings and people all on top of each other and more people means more opportunity for crime.

I read the newspapers from my area in Florida online from Montreal everyday and the murder rate is also incredible. Montreal police had to deal with 29 murders in 2008. The year before that we had 42. Compare that to cities of the same size like Philly which has about 400 murders a year and Phoenix that has about 200 a year. The county where I live has over 100 murders a year. UGH. Still not that great of a number if you ask me.

Oh, I also forgot to mention that within the area we live there are quite a few half-way houses and drug rehab centers scattered throughout the county. I'm all for people getting better and off drugs. But the ones that don't follow through with the programs have a tendency to commit crimes for drug money like breaking into houses or cars.

I like Florida and all but I really am going to have to get used to watching my back alot more there than I do here in Montreal.

[domegirl1978 1]

OH MY GOD! Jill. I did the same thing when I lived in Florida years ago. Looked up the sexual offenders in my area and WOULDN"T YOU KNOW IT! I knew 3 of them personally. I almost peed my pants I could not believe what I was looking at. Two of them were customers at my parents business and one of them was my local pharmacy photo lab guy. FRIGGIN' CREEPY. And YES, they are everywhere in my area where I live as well. Its scary to see all those little sex offender dots on a map so close to where you live.

[JillA 2]

OH MY GOD! Jill. I did the same thing when I lived in Florida years ago. Looked up the sexual offenders in my area and WOULDN"T YOU KNOW IT! I knew 3 of them personally. I almost peed my pants I could not believe what I was looking at. Two of them were customers at my parents business and one of them was my local pharmacy photo lab guy. FRIGGIN' CREEPY. And YES, they are everywhere in my area where I live as well. Its scary to see all those little sex offender dots on a map so close to where you live.

EWWW you knew 3 of them, that's sick. I'm sure I've ran into some at the grocery store, pharmacy, etc. The dots are all over the map, some close to home. And when I see the offense like pedophile, rape, etc. it makes me SICK

Edited September 8, 2009 by JillA

[The Dude 206]

There are more people in the state that I live in (38 million) than all of Canada (33 million). So, by shear numbers, not even taking account the prevalence of guns in America vs. Canada, you're going to have a significantly higher rate of crime. Personally, I feel safer in the United States. I am more aware of the laws and my surroundings here. I know what to look for and how to spot things to avoid. I am much more oblivious of things in Canada.

[Dan and Ali 3]

I haven't moved to the US yet, but we're in the process and I've visited many times. My fiance is from Utah (SLC) and I definitely feel safer in Utah than I do in Canada (Edmonton ... which is slowly but surely becoming Canada's crime capital ). However ... I've visited other parts of the US and (Louisiana, Texas, and California specifically come to mind) and I definitely felt safer in Edmonton than I did there ... so, in conclusion, I think it really depends on where you live!

[The Dude 206]

I've been to Montreal twice in my lifetime. The first time I was there was in 1999, and I got robbed. Police wouldn't even bother taking a report. The second time I went was in March of this year for my wifes interview at the consulate. Straight out of the train station, a uniformed police officer gave us wrong direction to our hotel, which was intentional I suspect. How else do you give perfectly exact WRONG directions? When we finally got to the hotel, we unpacked and wanted to look around downtown for a nice restaurant for dinner. We walked no more than 5 minutes, only to find the police cleaning up the last bit of a small scale riot downtown. I don't see myself returning there ever again.

[domegirl1978 1]

Hey Naked Smurf. Sorry to hear you had these problems in Montreal. The majority of people I know have had an amazing time when they've come here. It sucks you had to go through that.

[trailmix 77]

I've been to Montreal twice in my lifetime. The first time I was there was in 1999, and I got robbed. Police wouldn't even bother taking a report. The second time I went was in March of this year for my wifes interview at the consulate. Straight out of the train station, a uniformed police officer gave us wrong direction to our hotel, which was intentional I suspect. How else do you give perfectly exact WRONG directions? When we finally got to the hotel, we unpacked and wanted to look around downtown for a nice restaurant for dinner. We walked no more than 5 minutes, only to find the police cleaning up the last bit of a small scale riot downtown. I don't see myself returning there ever again.

Well Montreal is a law unto itself

I guess I kind of think it is more about perception than real facts. I mean i'm sure Lake Mary is quite a safe place and I know Calgary is no disneyland - we have had a huge influx of people from elsewhere - both good and bad - which always makes for an interesting mix and generally an increase in crime. Where there is money so shall the thieves go.

That said, I have never really felt safe in the U.S. - even when we have travelled to Spokane to visit family.

Edited September 8, 2009 by trailmix

[Peachey 10]

I feel just as safe where I am now (Sudbury) as in Lancaster PA. There's not a TON of crime here in Sudbury, and most times they are amateurs (almost across the street from me there was a "drive by" shooting a few months ago... would have been scary, except they used shot guns...)

Varba's been talking to me about getting a gun when we buy a house... I'm not sure about that. Even with training, locking up the gun, keeping it unloaded I would still be scared to have it go off accidentally.

[Malrothien 6]

Trail, I'm just curious and not trying to be a snot in any way.

Why do you feel the way you do? Is it because of the perception in Canada of what a "dangerous" place the US is and that's what you grew up being told?

[dutchmatt 1]

Maybe Canadians feel more comfortable in Canada because they're used to it - that's what they know? Like if someone grew up on the south side of Chicago - they might not mind going for a stroll at 2am, but some dude from Nova Scotia might piss his pants at the thought.