How safe is where you live?

September 28, 2016

I grew up in a fairly loud neighborhood. For a while, I even had a thought that our house was kind of out of place in relation to the families living around us, until I just learned how to adjust and ignore. There were mornings I would wake up to the noise of some couple cursing at one another about some fight I'd figure out upon further hearing them; or mornings I'd get up to Christmas songs and jingles from another house that might be thinking that it's their duty to wake up the whole neighborhood. Then at some really late nights, we'd hear people chasing someone or fighting probably caused by  some who consumed too much alcohol. Well, most days and nights can be peaceful.

Do we feel safe in that neighborhood? Yes, relatively. We'd been victims of petty thefts. Some items like pair of slippers and shoes were taken from our veranda a few times, and other items like broken electric fans and small appliances, even my bell lyre. Nevertheless, we learned to live and just let it be after all those instances. We never leave our shoes and slippers just lying in the veranda, and we also put a lock on our gate from then on. The stealing stopped, but the noises from the houses around us - they're still there but could be ignored.

Fast forward to where I live now with my husband. Yes, the kingdom puts a lot of restrictions to its citizens and residents, given that it is an Islamic country, but those restrictions do good to its people in general. Particularly, Riyadh is a safe city. And from my observations, I haven't seen loud places here because it seems there aren't any. Even when you visit parks - parks can really be crowded especially during weekend but you won't hear the people talking loudly to each other. Occasionally, you will hear the children laughing while playing but it is not annoying. Laughter is a sweet sound. Furthermore, whenever we pass by the amusement parks inside the mall, it's rare to hear the kids riding some wild rides scream. I don't know how they do it, but imagine braving a roller coaster without letting out a shout. It must take some practice to do that.


We live in a residence where only families are allowed. Most of the establishments here are segregated into two groups: bachelors and families/ ladies. That segregation also mostly applies to housing. Our neighborhood is generally peaceful, that's why I try to keep down the noises in our room, e.g. sometimes, I tell my husband to play the guitar gently so we won't disturb the neighbors. We don't have much of a problem in our residence. Do we feel safe here? Yes, definitely. We do not have worries that someone will break into our flat and steal our properties. Until recently, our car's rear quarter glass was smashed - someone broke in the car and took the spare tire in the trunk. If the hood was opened too, the battery might have been taken as well. Good thing that the hook in the hood was messed up for long, and it would be difficult to open it without knowing my husband's technique. We were so worried that night thinking who would've done it and what if they come back. We had the glass fixed and bought a spare tire.

We did not report the theft because it might be too much of a hassle for us. We just hope that it won't happen again, because we won't let it happen again. Once we find an affordable car alarm system, we'll have it installed. We heard stories from my husband's colleagues about thefts like what we experienced, others were even worse. In the meantime, we check on our car every night after isha (Muslim's last prayer time), park it near the lit streets, and pray that we won't be victimized again.

Our recent experience made me look up the crime rates here in Riyadh. With the crime index of 21.08, it ranked 362nd out of 384 cities around the world according to Numbeo. Specifically, the following rates were listed below. Generally, crimes were rated low to very low. I quite agree to the results of this survey. I was also interested to see how the Philippines was rated in the site - it shows the summary below.
Numbeo survey crime rate philippines saudi arabia
Survey from Numbeo
Crime rates in the Philippines is twice as Riyadh. Personally, I worry a lot of getting mugged or robbed even in public places especially when in Manila.  I am always on guard of my possession when commuting and even just walking in the street or malls. I even try to dress as normal as possible so I won't be the prospect of thieves. Bad people are everywhere and sometimes you'll never know when you will be in the receiving end of their actions.

Crimes happen everywhere even in safest places. So, how can we stay safe where we live? I don't have the answers to that but so far, I believe that awareness, prevention, and protection are key points in staying safe. Keep safe, be aware, and take care! :)

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Interesting articles to read on:

:: In Town vs. Country, It Turns Out That Cities Are the Safest Places to Live 
:: The Root Cause of Crime 
:: Staying Safe When You Live in a Bad Neighborhood

2 comments:

  1. So true. Riyadh is a safe place. Did you know that I ride taxis to home even at night? But I only do that on times when my husband can't pick me up because he has overtime work. That happens once in 3-4 months, I think. Yes, crimes happen everywhere, even in safest places or places with peace-loving people. We just have to pray often.
    *So glad I get to visit your blog, finally! :)

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  2. Hi Beth! I just found your comment today! Take care when you ride taxis. We had an alarm system installed in our car na. :)

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