Most Dangerous Region

[Rackbone]

Beaumont, Texas
East Saint Louis, wherever that is
Gary, Indiana
Detroit

 

[Rackbone]

but honestly, the only trouble I ever really get is from rednecks. Black Folk usually leave you the fuck alone and Mexicans, even the gangbangers, usually will give you a ride.

not trying to make this a race thing. just for the most part, rednecks from the south are the absolute worst. They seem to really have it out for anyone not like them.

 

[Maxxwest]

Jersey and nyc are rough stops to be stranded in. But I think LA is the worst. Fucking townies will kill ya

 

[urchin]

Northern California (specifically Anderson), northern Idaho,and eastern Oregon if you're a person of color. Those are horrible places.

 

[Hillbilly Castro]

Northern California (specifically Anderson), northern Idaho,and eastern Oregon if you're a person of color. Those are horrible places.

Seconding northern ID also if yr visibly queer / trans. Had to defend myself from nazi scum at the MT border.

 

[sandpaper cowboy]

It seems like you're more likely to get picked up by a drunk or nutjob in the south.

 

[Johnny Maddox]

So, my mom and I got to talking about dangerous areas to travel through. She's convinced that the Midwest states are too dangerous to hitch through versus what I said was more dangerous, the Southern states. It's all relative really but it got me thinking, what areas do the rest of you find dangerous or shady?

Jersey for sure has the worst most dangerous states anywhere I've been. Trenton. Camden. Patterson. Irvington. They're all warzones

 

[tennesseejed]

Jersey for sure has the worst most dangerous states anywhere I've been. Trenton. Camden. Patterson. Irvington. They're all warzones

Have to agree with this. In certain parts of Jersey we were swarmed by crackheads too haha.

Edit: But I have also never been to alot of other places that i'd imagine to be pretty rough. Like Gary, IN, and parts of LA.

 

[Hillbilly Castro]

Jersey for sure has the worst most dangerous states anywhere I've been. Trenton. Camden. Patterson. Irvington. They're all warzones

This times a thousand. The amount of heroin there is insane.. there are many towns in MA and CT that approach this level of postindustrial burnout (Holyoke, New Haven) but Jerz takes the cake.

 

[WanderLost Radical]

Any big city is kinda sketchy, imo. that's why I tend to avoid them. Lots of tweakers, and very few good spots to sleep makes it wayy more dangerous.

 

[tennesseejed]

Any big city is kinda sketchy, imo. that's why I tend to avoid them. Lots of tweakers, and very few good spots to sleep makes it wayy more dangerous.

Yep, I have generally had alot better travel experiences (hitching, flying signs, nicer people) in more rural areas. The higher the population of an area, the more likely for you to get fucked with in my experience. Don't get me wrong though, have been through some small towns with A TON of sketchy tweakers

 

[benton]

Statistically, violent crime rates in the South are considerably higher than the rest of the US.

 

[Deleted member 16034]

New Orleans is one of the only cities I've seen where the people can be assaulted (Stabbed, raped, beat to shit) and the assailant is the one protected by the community, even if the community KNOWS that the assailant actually did it.

I heard Oakland can be dangerous. I've never felt super sketched out while being there, but I might not go there often enough to know what I'm talking about.

 

[Rob Nothing]

Trenton NJ gave me the creeps, as a white guy.. nothing happened to me the few times I drove there though.

The east coast, generally, makes asshats and would-be thugs here in the west look like clowns in comparison. It's a whole other F888ing world out there.

Austin TX, actually. In spots... Slaughter siding for instance is pretty bad. Gangs patrolling for train riders.. colored folk that hate whites.

Memphis was weird, but I think because I was so alien there they probably pitied me more than anything. I walked from Canada yard to Marion, through west Memphis.. but by that time was limping so again, probably looked more pathetic to the white-haters than deserving of a beat-down.

Same experience in Houston as in Memphis.

Only rolled through El Paso, but was enough to get an impression..
And never been to East St Liou but I have had some sketched out experiences in Sacramento and Bakersfield.. Like I said above though, probably wouldn't even compare to the danger over in the east states.

Ive gone to limping a particular way when I'm alone and passing through a bad area. Glad to look like a gimp so long as it keeps me alive.

 

[pewpew]

Any big city is kinda sketchy, imo. that's why I tend to avoid them. Lots of tweakers, and very few good spots to sleep makes it wayy more dangerous.

Pretty much sums up this thread...It's common sense to avoid the cities mentioned in this thread. I tend to like to stay where homebums won't be, like at all. Which is probably the main reason I rarely run into travelers (hitch hiker ones) but I'm ok with that if it means I can stay away from trouble as much as possible. Sometimes I do have to bite the bullet and rush thru a big city but I won't stop for breaks or anything that day. As long as you wake up early when the normal people are going to work, and get thru the city before 2pmish, it's all good.


That being said, Chicago I stayed near the water, but apparently still took me 3 days because I had to avoid the south west at all cost and go around going north lol, still a ton of homebums but I bet not nearly as bad.


Jacksonville FL, This one was pretty easy since I had my bike at the time but still North Jacksonville was pretty ghetto and didn't help that my dog was snapping at every 'gangstas' feet, luckily I the worst was just a very angry stare down. Downtown was ok but the North side was sketchy as fuck. I was probably being more paranoid but just really felt uneasy...Also the cops are dicks....you know it's a shitty area for travelers when I got kicked off property twice for charging my phone aka "stealing electricity" =/ . Which is why I tend to ask the clerks and store managers now days just so I can feel comfortable.


Albuquerque NM, This was an ok experience, never felt threatened or uneasy and people were generally nice but the homebums were everywhere and was littered with trash 360 degrees. I got my electronic bag stolen but that was my fault I guess. Felt like using the tarp that night and I guess it was sticking out? Not sure, but it was gone the next day and fond a few chargers spread out about 20 feet from where I was sleeping. So I guess a little off topic but there's a reason why I keep moving even if I see one homebum in a town or city, just don't trust them and tends to make me look bad as well lol....Probably came off as a douche by saying that but idc, think most if not all travelers agree we have standards when it comes to meeting new people on the road....mostly just a quick look at gear, hygiene and the way they carry themselves, neatly packed and organized...pretty much not walking around with a shopping cart and looking all depressed.


I will say this, There really is no bad parts in Colorado, almost laughable when people told me to stay away from this and that bad area lol.....I mean it's Colorado...


Anyways, sorry for the rambling...but it's just common sense to stay away from places like Detroit or Chicago, and if you absolutely have to go thru a big city, ask around or Google what are the bad areas, usually the south parts, and stay on the outskirts if possible or leave extra early before all the tweekers start running around the streets, walk fast and no breaks lol.

 

[Ranger]

Prince George, B.C.(Canada) is brutal and definitely my least favourite way point....

 

[Synchronicity]

I will say this, There really is no bad parts in Colorado, almost laughable when people told me to stay away from this and that bad area lol.....I mean it's Colorado...

Have you ever been to Pueblo, CO? I felt uneasy as fuck there. Walking through dingy neighborhoods with used needles littering the ground. While hitching got middle fingers, spit at, and shit thrown at me. Took me ages to get out of. Not a friendly place.

 

[Rob Nothing]

Pueblo was hands down one of the friendliest towns I went through this winter.
Just goes to show how mileage can vary out there. Everyone is different and so everyone gets treated / comes out with a different experience.

I get the sentiment, "all cities are shitty and or dangerous". But in the context of danger there really is a huge difference between someplace like Portland or Seattle and somewhere like pine bluff, for instance, or el centro, or Nola, or e st Lou.. there are places you don't want to go alone, or at all.. depending on what you look like, no matter how much common sense you think you have. To me that is what this thread is about.

 

[SammyG]

So, my mom and I got to talking about dangerous areas to travel through. She's convinced that the Midwest states are too dangerous to hitch through versus what I said was more dangerous, the Southern states. It's all relative really but it got me thinking, what areas do the rest of you find dangerous or shady?

Definitely Missouri. Fuck missouri.

 

[pewpew]

Yeah I went thru Pueblo about a month ago, I didn't care for it much but I already had some money and stayed in a motel the 2 days I was there, and usually when I do that I like to soak up as much TV and wifi as possible lol. So I can't say whether I had bad or good experiences with it, seemed pretty decent but it was getting to the shithole areas with trash everywhere, and I didn't care for how the town was set up near the interstate like that and all, other than that, it was ok. That sucks you got shit thrown at you and spat at tho, I guess that does makes sense about everyone has different experiences but I still wouldn't fuck with Detroit or New York at all lol.