This really isn't true for much of Europe. There aren't 'dangerous areas' in Germany, Ireland or the UK, that compare to the extreme risk profile of skid row in LA or San Francisco, or the projects of many American cities. The degree of ghettoisation in the US, as well as of course the wealth disparity, outstrips anything in most of Western Europe.

One notable exception would be a 100 metre stretch of road near the Frankfurt central station. Berlin is safe, but one or two places are getting sketchy.

A part of the issue, allegedly, is that the Taliban cut Europe’s heroin supplies when it burnt the poppy fields, and addicts have turned to harder drugs. You certainly see a lot more broken people around, even if they don’t seem dangerous.

I’d have to disagree with you on the stretch of road near Frankfurt HBF.

Sure, it’s a tad dicey in comparison to other streets in Frankfurt but it’s in no way comparable to what I’ve experienced in SF.

From my experience (I visit multiple times a year as my dad lives there) the homeless people and drug addicts in Frankfurt largely keep to themselves and just sit outside the subway together, albeit taking drugs.

It was for me. The main difference was that it was a small stretch of a side street at 11PM versus a whole city block in the middle of the day. SF was bad!

That’s fair, everyone’s experience is unique to them I guess. Maybe you had a unlucky encounter. I generally feel pretty safe around the area at any time of day/night. SF on the other hand, I definitely felt a bit like I had to be on guard most of the time.

I’ll never forget the fact that the lady in the Thai restaurant I visited literally locked the door and you had to knock in order to enter. Craziest thing I’ve ever seen. I feel safer wandering the streets of Delhi and Meerut in the early hours than SF at noon.

what is a harder drug than heroin?

Fentanyl is 20-40x more potent.

Krokodil

Most Eastern European cities are safe. They don't have big immigration, either.

I can't comment about other capitals but there are entire neighborhoods in Bucharest where police just doesn't go in. Same in Brasov - and these are just my two Romanian examples. I know it's common to blame the immigration for the issues, but let's not forget part of Western immigration also comes from the Eastern Europe.

If there are entire neighborhoods in Bucharest and Brasov, then name them. I suspect that this is complete hyperbole, because when I think of the worst and most shunned neighbourhood in Cluj – Pata Rât where the Roma population was gathered to dwell on a rubbish dump – it isn’t a dangerous, no-go area by USA or South American standards at all. I and fellow cyclists have often passed through Pata Rât at night when returning from cycling trips in the surrounding mountains, felt no danger when stopping to chat with some kids in the street curious about the bike, and the real danger is merely the fumes of burning plastic. Quite a few tourists and Erasmus students also go to get a look at that neighbourbood.

Living there, I don't believe you. I went often in Ferentari and never had trouble.

Most western European cities that I have visited are safe and they have big immigration. I think low immigration might be a factor in some cases, but the big thing is having a working social security net that gives people opportunities when they're down. That improves safety in all cases.

>big thing is having a working social security net that gives people opportunities when they're down.

Bruxelles, Amsterdam, Paris have welfare. And that attracts the wrong people. I wouldn't want to wander in many neighborhoods in those cities. Budapest, Warsaw, Bucharest, Belgrade, Sofia, Prague are much safer.

> Bucharest, Belgrade, Sofia

the problem in eastern europe isn’t violence. it’s cars.

the deaths/injuries in those specific countries from car accidents is greater than general deaths/injuries in western countries from any reason (violence, cars, etc).

Most of car related deaths or accidents are happening outside of cities.

You'll be most probably fine even in the sketchy neighborhoods in Sofia, e.g.

https://youtu.be/2qmpfsW-J34?si=wR7FyFv8ocnVCJLC

The car accidents problem is real, though ... there's the half-serous saying that accidents of this type are our form of mass-shootings.

It's not welfare that attracts people but the better economic prospects. No idea about Bruxelles and Amsterdam, but I work in Paris and it is quite safe.

> The wrong people

TIL I am "the wrong people". Ok then. Have a nice life.