No matter where the hell you are, never let your guard down. I live in a fair sized town in Tennessee but by no means is it large. Of course people associate the southeastern united states with Southern Hospitality and kindness. Crap happens here too. A guy was stalkin this lady and finally one day he went psycho and shot her front of the Belk department store and then killed himself. Some dude in the "ghetto" got shot in front of a liquor store and the guy that killed him said "he looked at me funny". Crap happens no matter where you are.
Hell I had my own incident one time. A truck followed me home once. I was drivin home from work and was behind this Tacoma. I was behind a while and was not tail gating. At one point this douche brake checks me but I wasn't even close enough for it to do anything. I didn't let off the gas. Well I get to a redlight. He's turnin left and I go straight. I turn into my neighbor hood and see this dude turn in too and cut his headlights off. I get home and see this guy pass my driveway. I ran in and grabbed my rifle, affixed the bayonet and ran to the front door with it. Guy caught an eye full of my Lee Enfield No.4 Mk.1 with a bayonet and never came back. I kept the bayonet in my car for a week.
I still wanna go over there and teach. This story doesn't scare me none. But then again I'm a fair sized 19 year old southern boy that can whomp some ass when he has to and I'll be a bigger 22-24 year old when I plan to go so I can't exactly end up in the same situation here. When I go, I'm gonna treat it just like livin here. I'll unlock my door only when I go through it (front or back door to wherever I'm living) and lock it back as soon as I get through.
If I have a car there, the keys will never be left in it when I'm not unless I park it in front of my place real quick so I can run in grab soemthin and come back. My kinda car is targeted for thefts a lot but not necessarily in this area. Many Civics like mine have engine swaps (mine does too) and are stolen to get those engines and other parts. My car is beat up plus it's in this area so I don't worry about leavin my driver door locked too much (the lock is busted on the outside) but If I lived over in murfreesboro or in Nashville my doors would be locked no matter what. My old car I went ahead and always locked them cause it had power locks and the both locks worked fine inside and out.
Always be careful. Even though nothing ever happens in my neighborhood (nice middle class neighborhood, SUBURBAN WHITE BOY HERE!!!!
) I still keep my guard up at night. Usually if I take the dog for a walk at night, I have a fair sized blade in my pocket or a heavy MagLight flash light.
Damn, I rambled again, didn't I? Bad habit.