Post from Tim:
Romanians have lived through some tumultuous years since 1987 - years full of political disarray, riots, strikes, food shortages, revolution, and the executions of former leaders Nicolae Ceausescu and his wife. And though more recent times have brought stability and relative prosperity, petty crime, and street scams still curse parts of the country.
These facts buzzed through my head when I entered a Bucharest camera shop and struck up a conversation with the clerk, who warned me about the unsafe reputation of the neighborhood. But when I mentioned that I lived in Washington, D.C., he awoke to a whole new level of fear and told me that Washington was a hard place to live - that it is REALLY unsafe. I laughed and realized, as I have so many times this year, that he was probably right. So many would-be travelers fear crime abroad and choose not to leave home, when all along they would probably be safer here than in their own backyards.
These facts buzzed through my head when I entered a Bucharest camera shop and struck up a conversation with the clerk, who warned me about the unsafe reputation of the neighborhood. But when I mentioned that I lived in Washington, D.C., he awoke to a whole new level of fear and told me that Washington was a hard place to live - that it is REALLY unsafe. I laughed and realized, as I have so many times this year, that he was probably right. So many would-be travelers fear crime abroad and choose not to leave home, when all along they would probably be safer here than in their own backyards.
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