Well most of our metropolitans cities have defunded our police, so it's now open season for us to re-enact The Purge.
Many people just love guns. They are everywhere - just watch our movies and TV. Guns are sold in every city, used to be many large chains like Walmart would sell them, and most sporting good stores. Some people carry Rosary Beads, some people carry a Glock. A few carry both. "Always Prepared" is a motto many live by in the US, and carrying a weapon is the same as keeping 1-3 month's supply of water and food. "Gun ownership is the act of owning a gun, either legal or illegal. In 2018, Small Arms Survey reported that there are over one billion small arms distributed globally, of which 857 million (about 85 percent) are in civilian hands.[1][2] The Small Arms Survey stated that U.S. civilians alone account for 393 million (about 46 percent) of the worldwide total of civilian held firearms.[2] This amounts to "120.5 firearms for every 100 residents"
The best thing you can do is live and work in a safe area. But with increasing wealth disparity and bad macro economics, many are forced into lower standards of living and that can result in social unrest and increased crime. Also there seems to be a general dislike for the wealthy among many people. I would assume most violent criminals would have a firearm or knife. Also, in the US, you cannot use a firearm as a show of aggression unless it is in defense—you would be charged with a crime. I’ve lived in cities in the past with very high property and violent crime. Also have experienced burglary and vandalism. One time someone used a glass bottle as show intimidation against me but I was able to escape. Never had an issue while with the cars. But I try to avoid parking in bad areas. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Wihtout going into too much detail I got robbed 2 weeks ago in a very affluent area. No issues other than them taking some stuff but it could have certainly gone wrong. I was on a trip otherwise I would have been carrying.
God I love living in a place with no need for a gun in my car. Sent from my SM-G930F using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I suppose one of the big differences in terms of dynamics is that in the US you are allowed to defend yourself with a defensive weapon. I don't think, btw, you can feel safe at all driving in london a very expensive car--especially if you are wearing an expensive watch. I mention this because you say "what sort of country do you guys live in". Well the answer is both can be just as dangerous for innocent victims--one--though--give people the right to defend themselves. Unlike the UK where women are not even allowed to carry mace. And, of course, as such, you have all kinds of street muggings in London where people on mopeds are following drivers of nice cars or approaching people on the sidewalk and stealing their watches at knife point. Often violently. And often in very nice areas. I personally know several people who have had this happen in Chelsea and Mayfair. Many of which in broad daylight. The perpetrators know that: A) there is little chance they are caught, B) the person they are robbing has been barred legally from having any way to defend themselves aside from their own fists which they would be silly to use against someone with a knife. I would argue that in that in London you can well expect an aggressor if you are driving a nice car and wearing a nice watch--and while maybe an alien concept now--if in the UK you were allowed to carry a defensive weapon people would most certainly do that. Even if not a gun--it would be awfully handy to have mace in the car or in your pocket. Obviously a gun would be far more effective. Personally I find it shocking that the odds have been stacked so in favor of criminals in London. And--indeed--car thefts and knife point robberies are basically an epidemic in London.
In London if you get a spot of road rage you are unlikley to be shot at due to people not carrying a firearm in the car.......,and if you are unfortunatly one of the rare (but as a result well publicised) people to be mugged and loose a watch, you will not be shot at (mistakenly or intentionally) , or have the need to make a (possibly mistaken) decision to shoot someone that may be aproaching you looking as if they may be about to rob you. Apart from war zones I beleve this option is only acceptable in the US. Again its not a criticism of the way things are in the US, in fact it may be nice to be able to just kill someone who is robbing you, but its just not acceptable in Europe.......maybe one day ! A quote from Chicago police below................. These are just some of the people shot and killed in suspected road rage incidents in recent weeks. Others have suffered severe injuries, including a toddler left with a critical head injury following an apparent dispute over "somebody not letting somebody into a lane of traffic," Chicago police said of the April shooting. So far this year, as of June 7, a person has been killed or injured in a suspected road rage shooting on average every 18 hours in the United States, according to an analysis by Everytown for Gun Safety of data compiled by the Gun Violence Archive.
You can’t shoot someone unless they pose a deadly threat to you. There should be no confusion otherwise you’ll probably end up in jail. The laws also depends on the state/province you are in at the time. Like, in some states you are not allowed to shoot fleeing perpetrators. Some states allow you to stand your ground in your home, others may not. If anyone breaks into my house at night, I have to assume they pose a deadly threat to my family. It’s just not what sane and normal people do. You probably don’t have to worry about get shot while driving. You can avoid road rage by driving away. More likely when you are in the transitional periods entering and exiting the vehicle is when you could be attacked. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
Or you can get rammed by another driver or perhaps stabbed which seems the preferred method in the UK. Many ways of harming others, guns are just one. Being able to carry and protect yourself in what will likely be a rare and very unfortunate situation is ideal.
When I got my first Ferrari (F430), I was driving around in the city at night time and some crazy person started trying to ram into me. I saw them coming and had to cross the line into opposing traffic (not many cars, three lanes both side) and brake hard to avoid getting hit. I think they were driving a beat up Prius. I followed them and they made a right into a gas station. I didn’t enter the lot and just got their plates, reported it to the police and continued my drive. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
I would beg to differ on a few points, respectfully: 1. Crime is absolutely not well publicized in the UK (at least not in London)--that is part of the problem. Unlike the US, the press does not have access to the arrest reports. Further, many of the crimes go totally unreported in London due to the police basically admitting they don't go after these crimes. The people I know who report crimes--only bother to do so for insurance purposes. I have never met so many people that have had cars stolen (especially range rovers) or have been robbed as in London. The met police keeps "statistics" but those are a joke and contain almost zero detail. Further, while you may not be shot---it is not exactly nice to have your face sliced open. In fact, often when criminals in London use knives they are extremely violent because they don't have the control they would have over the victim had they been carrying a gun. 2. It is pretty unrealistic and rare for someone to get shot mistakenly for approaching someone without warning. Further there is massive disincentive to do that----who would want to risk jail time for that? Not sure why you think that behavior is "acceptable" in the US. It may be that there was a nuance or non-literal aspect of your point I didn't understand. 3. I would hardly use Chicago as the "prototype" for "how things are" in the US. It is a massive anomaly in the US. That would be like citing Newham UK, where there were over 700 knife crime incidents in a place with 350K people in the year 2019.5 to 2020.5. Certainly there are areas of the US where crime is a major issue--but I would argue this has nothing to do with guns and more to go with a very sad social and moral degradation happening in the US. Finally, I certainly understand how Europeans or the English could find it foreign to have guns just as Americans find it super strange that the police in the UK are substantially unarmed. Much of this difference, though, is simply attributable to perspective.
I take your points Galt, and well put. One minor detail, while there is an epidemic of Range Rover thefts in the UK (and Europe), fortunatly 99% are taken while parked and empty due to the pathetic ease of which the transponders in the key can be cloned by a thief. So bad is the problem that there are now huge loadings on your insurance if you own certain models of Range Rover. The problem exists with other models/manufacturers but the car of choice for the thieves seems to be the RR, which are rarely ever seen again.
The salient question is this: Regardless of whatever the probability is that you'll have a violet act perpetrated on you (in whatever country you reside), would you rather be armed, or unarmed when and if it happens?
Very true---the range rover for some reason is just so easy to steal. So funny to walk around london and see brand new range rovers with the "club" steering wheel lock device on them.
Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. The number of illegal shootings by concealed carry holders in the US has to be pretty close to zero. Every living thing on this planet has the “right” to defend its life. They use claws, teeth, venoms, and exotic toxins to name just a few. Humans, from Homo Habilis (the tool maker) and on use tools to manipulate their world. We have pretty poor claws, teeth, etc. to defend ourselves, in fact we are pretty puny. If an animal wishes to attack me I claim my right as a living thing on this planet to defend my life with the best tools I can have at my ready disposal. If a “human animal” wishes to do the same to me I claim the same right. What beggars belief is that ANY human on this planet would think you don’t have that same basic right as a lizard. I just can’t fathom it. Animals don’t stand around waiting for their “police” to arrive and protect them as they cower and piss all over the ground. They fight with the best weapons they have.
I tend to disagree as it does depend on which country you reside in. South Africa (which I know quite a bit about) has the same number of murders as the USA and a population 7 times less. Carry a gun in Johannesburg IMO puts you in a worse position than not. The general thought is to hand over the keys (with your hands up) and walk away in a carjacking (of which there are 20000 per year (with the US having 34000 per year)) as any altercation however insignificant would most certainly result in a tragedy as the carjackers have a different view of the value of life and getting caught than say in the US. Arming yourself in your home - in case of a home invasion - warrants a fire-arm as well as home security as that is a more controllable environment. BTW: Again South Africa has more burglaries than the US (1.2m vs 1m). So yes the country you reside in does make a difference as well as the situation you may find yourself in.
The open borders make me a little nervous as my city is about 200 miles away from Mexico and anyone from any country is allowed in. On top of that, Government wants to fire unvaccinated police… More often than not, criminals will have the jump on you. Then you have to react with compliance or counter attack. If they see you as a deadly threat then you’ll probably get killed. You definitely don’t want to draw in a disadvantaged position without the skills to do so. But at the same time, you never know if the insane are out to kill for the fun of it. On a side note, looks like Traxnyc just got held up and lost his Richard Milles in Downtown New York. Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app