Places you felt most on edge in your life

[obua]

3 minutes ago, Tazio said:

A friend got his watch cut off his wrist by a young teenager in Rio, rather foolishly he chased after him shouting “thief”. Two cops appeared and ran with him and caught the young lad in a side street. They then proceeded to start laying into the young lad with their full length batons. My mate then jumped between them asking them to stop so the cops cuffed the kid and radioed for a car. He reckons if he hadn’t intervened they might have killed him. 

It is a mad place. Like most large cities it’s driven by the tourist money ,the kids are doing anything to survive, although they probably don’t get to keep the loot.

[Ehllhayapeh]

Yes urban beach near V and A. Complete supposedly with beach volleyball 😎

[Tott]

6 minutes ago, Ehllhayapeh said:

Yes urban beach near V and A. Complete supposedly with beach volleyball 😎

Dundee birds playing beach volleyball?

 

Now theres a sight to behold 🙂

 

Who is looking after there grandkids when this is going on?

[graygo]

3 hours ago, Ehllhayapeh said:

Weve got the V&A and an urban beach now and been voted best city to live in Scotland.

 

Plus we have 2 flights a day from the airport these days.

 

You need to watch that Edinburger superiority complex youve got going on there 

 

🤗

 

Did you not bugger off to South America and somewhere in Asia before that? 😁

Edited April 11, 2020 by graygo

[hmfc_liam06]

Visited DC last autumn. We were staying in an Airbnb along the east end of H Street. We were going to the Redskins game which meant a metro ride. Opened up Google maps and the nearest metro was a 2 mile walk. No problem, was glorious sunshine so the walk is all good.

 

What Google maps doesn't advise you is that it's going to take you through a ghetto. Gangs sitting outside houses, all black. We must have been approached a good 3 or 4 times asking if we wanted to buy drugs, every time we answered no we were met with threatening abuse. The more we walked the deeper in we got, I was genuinely starting to get a little terrified. Then, our walk meant we approached one of the gangs in order to pass. One stood up, stood in front of us and said "you're in the wrong part of town cracker" and basically indicated he was armed and we had better gtf out of there.

 

Genuinely never been so petrified in all my life. 

[alicante jambo]

On 10/04/2020 at 00:48, LeftBack said:

Actually another true story and @alicante jambo was there... Was in alicante and the family were ill and i went to a quiet bar to watch the British lions. I admit i had a hearts top on. I got a beer and this guy turned and said oi you come here... I did have a wee wobbly until @alicante jambo pulled up his sleeve, showed me his tattoo and said you are sitting with us big man.... And i think we got quite drunk..! 

Hey mate it sounds about right for me. If i see any jambos i will always invite them into the company. Not sure who you are right enough but glad we  had a good bevvie.

[auldreekiesfinest]

21 hours ago, highlandjambo3 said:

At the height of the troubles in Bosnia, a winter run from the port of split to Bosnia required a run over some rather high mountains, dodgy narrow roads and shear drops.  Going down the other side of a narrow mountain road which was icy in a warrior vehicle  (27ton tracked troop carrier) my driver was a numptie and instead of using the automatic gear box in low gear to control the vehicle he was constantly on and off the brake so, at one point we slid across the road and came to a stop with about 1/3 of the front of the vehicle hanging over a sheer drop of about 600foot.
 I drove the remainder of the way.

Were you staying onboard an RFA ship at the time?. We had one based there for years with Army living onboard. 
speaking of Split and at the height of the war there, found that to be a very dodgy place. Genuinely there was only a few places we felt safe to go. I remember A few of us playing pool in a bar, it was pretty busy and some guys (who turned out to be local mafia) standing nearby. The English guy i was playing against had his cue hit by accident and the guy apologised, my very pissed up mate decided to rattle the cue off this guys back in response whilst swearing at him incessantly. That of course caused bother and we had to grab him and get him out of there as we were told by the barman and some of them just exactly who they were. There’s a lot of narrow streets around there so safe to say we ran for a fair bit just to ensure we got away.

Strangely Split got better during visits over the years and now I’d say it’s a favourite place I’ve seen during time at sea.

[Deodato]

12 hours ago, Tazio said:

Of anywhere I’ve been in the states Washington is right at the top in terms of the number of homeless people you see. I remember going for a stroll on day and was amazed to see one of the big parks at the end of one of the great avenues being used as a tented village for homeless people who’d built their own improvised shelters. 

 

You should try San Francisco, even more extreme. Estimates of between 18,000 and 30,000 homeless in the downtown area - many of which (and this is not BS) were bussed into the city from neighbouring states, especially the state of Nevada. The argument being that the mild climate suits them better. Disgraceful.

[Unknown user]

9 hours ago, Ehllhayapeh said:

Weve got the V&A and an urban beach now and been voted best city to live in Scotland.

 

Plus we have 2 flights a day from the airport these days.

 

You need to watch that Edinburger superiority complex youve got going on there 

 

🤗

 

Well maybe, except Edinburgh is far superior to Dundee. I thought the V&A was shite btw, but then I'm used to decent sized places with loads of exhibits in a nice city 😛

 

 

On topic..

I lived in salford for 3 years, a good couple of pubs spring to mind, mostly knocked down now thankfully. Moss side in general had a right feral, ominous feel to it, I was glad I was only ever there with known faces in cars.

[Stu_HMFC]

9 hours ago, jonesy said:

That’s a pity.

 

I lived and worked in Tunisia, about an hour outside the capital, in 2011/12 (came back for the cup final!). Quiet, safe place with mostly friendly folk. Helps if you can chat a wee bit in Arabic or French.

I think speaking the language would help . 
 

it all started at the airport of plane collect bags told what number of bus to get on some big fella grabbed our bags and taken to the bus . I was pre warned about this and them always looking for tips I had nothing on me it was all in my rucksack ready to change into Diners when got to the bank over from the hotel had a couple quid in pocket gave the fella that he went mental showing me a £20 note what another Brit gave him 😂 the bags were dumped at the bus and he ran off back to the arrivals door to try again . 

[Stuart Lyon]

On hearing we were going to San Francisco my cousin's husband (ex Scots Guards bandsman) recommended we visit the Edinburgh Castle pub in the city. Well we had a nervous walk through the Tenderloin area with some weirdos hanging about and it was most unsettling with my wife becoming increasing afraid. We got to the pub and it was closed. It was a real dump to look at but I suppose if you are with a number of other soldiers it wouldn't be a problem for my cousin's husband. The other weird thing was that this desperate area is just of the main cable car drag and is surrounded by good and safe areas.

[Marvin]

On 09/04/2020 at 20:05, gjcc said:

Walk home through deepest darkest Niddrie after a night out. 

 

Piece of piss

I raise you being amongst hordes of huns in the former Gorgie Road end after my mate thought he'd do me a "favour" and bought 2 tickets against the unwashed sometime in the late eighties. 

or

Walking to Queen Street station after beating Gretna at Hampden. Feck me you really do meet some weirdos.

Edited April 11, 2020 by Marvin

[Jambos_1874]

Probably when I was in Chicago and especially in Baltimore. Got off at the wrong stop in south Chicago and it was a pretty rough looking area - could not wait for the next train to arrive. Baltimore is just really run down and it was apparent as soon as I hit the city limits on the bus. It was weird walking around being almost the only white person.

[Tazio]

1 hour ago, Deodato said:

 

You should try San Francisco, even more extreme. Estimates of between 18,000 and 30,000 homeless in the downtown area - many of which (and this is not BS) were bussed into the city from neighbouring states, especially the state of Nevada. The argument being that the mild climate suits them better. Disgraceful.

I’ve been to SF and it didn’t seem as bad as Washington. Maybe it’s heightened by the surprise of it being the capital of such a rich nation. 

[highlandjambo3]

1 hour ago, auldreekiesfinest said:

Were you staying onboard an RFA ship at the time?. We had one based there for years with Army living onboard. 
speaking of Split and at the height of the war there, found that to be a very dodgy place. Genuinely there was only a few places we felt safe to go. I remember A few of us playing pool in a bar, it was pretty busy and some guys (who turned out to be local mafia) standing nearby. The English guy i was playing against had his cue hit by accident and the guy apologised, my very pissed up mate decided to rattle the cue off this guys back in response whilst swearing at him incessantly. That of course caused bother and we had to grab him and get him out of there as we were told by the barman and some of them just exactly who they were. There’s a lot of narrow streets around there so safe to say we ran for a fair bit just to ensure we got away.

Strangely Split got better during visits over the years and now I’d say it’s a favourite place I’ve seen during time at sea.

No, we were staying at the UN HQ near the port, our vehicles were 3 days overdue getting to the port by ship so we had no alternative but to wait with a skeleton crew (commander, driver & gunner), the rest of our mob got transported by truck (borrowed from Dutch troops) up to Vitez where we were based........if was fekin cold.

[The Gorgie]

Went with my Celtic supporting cousin to the celtic v fenerbache game. Buying food and drinks, paying the wee tramp not to damage my car while totally forgetting my wallet was Union flag. Few wee ******s with balaclavas on thinking they were the IRA followed us for a bit after the game. The car key was at the ready just in case 😂

[ri Alban]

Might well be driving a private hire from tomorrow. Still deciding whether or not to do it.

[davemclaren]

22 hours ago, Swanny17 said:

The time I got on the wrong subway train, an express one, and ended up in Harlem with several bags of designer gear. I was shitting it, but more out of ignorance and thankfully no one so much as looked in my direction. I just crossed to the other side and came back down again. 

Similar experience for us in 1992 in NewYork for the first time. Wanted to go two stops but got on an express train by mistake  When, eventually, we got off at the next stop you feel a bit conspicuous in your I Love NY t-shirt, shorts, white socks and white trainers amongst the guys and gals from the hood. Straight over to the other platform and back on the first train to anywhere...

[Stu40]

Philadelphia.

Everywhere just felt very sketchy.

I met a pal when I was there. He took us to the restaurant villa di Roma.

Next time I seen it was on the film The Irishman.
It did look different in the film 😀

[scott herbertson]

5 hours ago, Stuart Lyon said:

On hearing we were going to San Francisco my cousin's husband (ex Scots Guards bandsman) recommended we visit the Edinburgh Castle pub in the city. Well we had a nervous walk through the Tenderloin area with some weirdos hanging about and it was most unsettling with my wife becoming increasing afraid. We got to the pub and it was closed. It was a real dump to look at but I suppose if you are with a number of other soldiers it wouldn't be a problem for my cousin's husband. The other weird thing was that this desperate area is just of the main cable car drag and is surrounded by good and safe areas.

 

 

I was staying in a hotel just off that area right at the start of the HIV crisis I decided to explore a bit despite the hotel warning me to turn right  not left as I exited. Had to step over what appeared to be dying people just lying  in the street and the hard stares of some pretty grim looking guys, and that was at 11am. Wouldn't have repeated that walk at night

[hmfc_liam06]

13 minutes ago, Stu40 said:

Philadelphia.

Everywhere just felt very sketchy.

I met a pal when I was there. He took us to the restaurant villa di Roma.

Next time I seen it was on the film The Irishman.
It did look different in the film 😀

 

Got to say, I didn't find Philly sketchy at all.

[Stu40]

4 minutes ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

 

Got to say, I didn't find Philly sketchy at all.

👍

I don’t think we found the good bits.

its like other places mentioned in the thread. A lot of them I thought were great 😂

[hmfc_liam06]

1 hour ago, Stu40 said:

👍

I don’t think we found the good bits.

its like other places mentioned in the thread. A lot of them I thought were great 😂

 

Didn't have a "big city" feel to it, thought the city centre was fine. Done a couple tours and frequented many a bar

[Deodato]

36 minutes ago, hmfc_liam06 said:

 

Didn't have a "big city" feel to it, thought the city centre was fine. Done a couple tours and frequented many a bar

 

Try South Philly, were the Italian community holds it down. That city's got some history, and much of it stems from the South Philly powerbase. Police with long leather (err... German'esque) boots on, yep - Philly did that. Helicopter gunships to take down a housing project ...they got that locked too. I've spent tons of time there and the more you learn the more warped it gets. Take this trailer as an example, it is not fiction. It happened. 

 

 

[Locky]

On 10/04/2020 at 21:05, Caramoon said:

Wow. Some of these stories are really scary sh*t! I wonder sometimes if we really are in danger in some situations or if it is all in the head and reputation preceding the places and stories people have previously told us about a certain place influences our way of thinking. Who knows. I'm no expert.Doubt it personally but the mind boggles. Hopefully our survival instincts will see us safely through these edgy times.

I'd certainly agree with that. My aforementioned Paris trip was just days after a knife attack by a terrorist. Made me feel very vigilant.

[Tazio]

In terms of adding to my stories about the US a lightly funnier one. 
 

We were driving from LA to San Diego so set off at around 9am on a Sunday morning. Our sat nav took us through a rough looking Mexican neighbourhood but it was fairly quiet on the streets. We were sitting at a red light and my wife started laughing for some reason and when I asked why she told me to look down all the streets from the junction. It was then that I spotted what was amusing her so much. There were 4 groups of mariachi musicians in full outfits all walking towards the crossroads we were at, obviously heading off to a gig of some sort. Very odd sight though. 

[Locky]

I must be a sadistic **** because I haven't enjoyed a thread this much for a long time.

 

I alluded to my Brussels trip earlier in the thread, but a post on Twitter has just made me recall it a little more in depth. I call it a trip, it wasn't really as I think we only spent about 6 hours in the city, and 2 of them seeking refuge in the train station. I would still like to perhaps go back, but it was more my girlfriend on edge. Brussels was the connection between our journey from Cologne to Paris, and I deliberately staggered the train times so we could see some of Brussels. Once we'd got off the first train, we dumped our bags in lockers and decided to explore. As Belgium had also experienced a lot of terrorist activity, there were armed police everywhere. We left one exit of the station and turned right and walked through a pretty dingy looking area. Turns out it was Anderlecht. I contemplated going to find the stadium, but very quickly we realised how seedy and awful this area looked. Easily the worst place I've seen, and we did feel a little on edge. Think I was walking around in an Ajax top which didn't help.

 

Got back on track, and headed towards the centre of Brussels. There was trade union protests on all over the city, hence an even bigger armed police presence. Could hear explosions around us, which I assume were just flares and fireworks and stuff, but it scared the shit out of my girlfriend, and you couldn't help but think that it was maybe a bomb or something. Once we were back in the station, that's when we got constantly hassled by panhandlers. Then due to rail strikes, our train was cancelled. I went to the ticket office to query what was going on and which train we'd have to get instead, and some boy was hanging about trying to get us to pay him money to take us to Paris in the car. Poor guy might have been genuinely offering, but he just seemed very suspicious, and given the day we had, the last thing I wanted to do was get in a car in Belgium with a total stranger. Plus, I'd already paid for my train tickets.

 

I was in London and walked across the bridge the week after the stabbings just before Christmas. I love London, and never really feel out of place or that, but the minute we got to the bridge and seen the floral tributes and stuff, it did sort of put the shivers down you. It was the Friday evening as well, exactly one week since it happened.

[Doctor FinnBarr]

48 minutes ago, Locky said:

I must be a sadistic **** because I haven't enjoyed a thread this much for a long time.

 

I alluded to my Brussels trip earlier in the thread, but a post on Twitter has just made me recall it a little more in depth. I call it a trip, it wasn't really as I think we only spent about 6 hours in the city, and 2 of them seeking refuge in the train station. I would still like to perhaps go back, but it was more my girlfriend on edge. Brussels was the connection between our journey from Cologne to Paris, and I deliberately staggered the train times so we could see some of Brussels. Once we'd got off the first train, we dumped our bags in lockers and decided to explore. As Belgium had also experienced a lot of terrorist activity, there were armed police everywhere. We left one exit of the station and turned right and walked through a pretty dingy looking area. Turns out it was Anderlecht. I contemplated going to find the stadium, but very quickly we realised how seedy and awful this area looked. Easily the worst place I've seen, and we did feel a little on edge. Think I was walking around in an Ajax top which didn't help.

 

Got back on track, and headed towards the centre of Brussels. There was trade union protests on all over the city, hence an even bigger armed police presence. Could hear explosions around us, which I assume were just flares and fireworks and stuff, but it scared the shit out of my girlfriend, and you couldn't help but think that it was maybe a bomb or something. Once we were back in the station, that's when we got constantly hassled by panhandlers. Then due to rail strikes, our train was cancelled. I went to the ticket office to query what was going on and which train we'd have to get instead, and some boy was hanging about trying to get us to pay him money to take us to Paris in the car. Poor guy might have been genuinely offering, but he just seemed very suspicious, and given the day we had, the last thing I wanted to do was get in a car in Belgium with a total stranger. Plus, I'd already paid for my train tickets.

 

I was in London and walked across the bridge the week after the stabbings just before Christmas. I love London, and never really feel out of place or that, but the minute we got to the bridge and seen the floral tributes and stuff, it did sort of put the shivers down you. It was the Friday evening as well, exactly one week since it happened.

 

The only good thing about Gare du Midi is the tram/metro station to whisk you further into town. Anderlecht really is a shithole!

[Marvin]

Walking through Orange County in Florida around 1996  that was an experience especially when you can hear gun fire every 10 minutes.

[Fxxx the SPFL]

Two times both on holidays first Grand Canyon taking picture on the edge at the top of the South Rim stood on a pebble and nearly went over, second one was on holiday in Gran Canaria me, wife and two kids did a camel trip up some mountain the kids (8, 10) were sitting on the camel me and the missus in a chair either side going up my chair was hanging over a massive drop down into a gully nearly  myself on both occasions.

[redjambo]

Another story on here just reminded me of one I experienced when I was in Athens, getting a taxi back home with my lassie after visiting an art exhibition opening. I knew that there was going to be trouble that day (there were riots all the time at that point) so I wanted to get out of the taxi before the centre of the city and take a long hike to avoid the trouble. I was outvoted by my lassie and the taxi driver who assured me we could get home through the centre, no problem. The taxi driver tried to avoid the crowds by going up narrow side streets but then eventually gave up and told us he could go no further. We got out of the taxi and looked down the street to see masses of rioters with masks, weapons and the like. We looked in the other direction to see the riot police coming towards us. The driver had only gone and dropped us off right between the both of them. A short and frantic run later and we managed to avoid the imminent clash, but that moment when we realised that we were between the two and it could spark off at any moment was squeaky bum time to say the least. I don't know what happened to the taxi driver.

 

 

[EIEIO]

On 10/04/2020 at 13:34, the general said:

Reggae Sunsplash in Montego Bay 

Boy pulled a gun out on me and girl i was with fainted 

Luckily this caused a bit of a scene so we Nashed 

Boro away with Hearts the first time was hairy too

That Boro away game was scary one of my mates was lifted and had stitches in his ear from a polis dog, he was getting a kicking but the Boro fans ran away and the dog attacked him. Newcastle after the game was quite scary too even though there was a busload of us.

[EIEIO]

Marseille can be pretty scary. As a 12/13 year old kid I used to get the train from Haymarket back to Lithgae after we'd played Rangers and Celtic at Tynecastle. In the 70s old firm used to bring anything between 10 and 20 thousand fans to these games, bottles and cans thrown at you spat at and called a fenian or orange ******* by men of all ages. Still despise Rangers and Celtic fans.

[IronJambo]

Probably New Orleans whilst wandering too far East of the French quarter whilst looking for a bar that Kermit was playing Trombone at. Thankfully it was still daylight but it was pretty grim. We stumbled into this very welcoming looking sports bar. It was actually really decent inside and a good place to watch football of you're of that mind when you're away.

 

Next up would be the centre of Cape Town on a bank holiday Monday. Nothing really dodgy, but the streets were deserted with only aggressive beggars and security guards armed with assault rifles left.

 

[muldoon74]

On 11/04/2020 at 10:31, ri Alban said:

Might well be driving a private hire from tomorrow. Still deciding whether or not to do it.

Been threatened more as a private hire than as, a prison officer.. 

[Jamhammer]

The Gauntlet in Broomhouse 😀

[Locky]

28 minutes ago, Jamhammer said:

The Gauntlet in Broomhouse 😀

My dad often mentions someone getting shot through the door there.

[J.T.F.Robertson]

I'm a  Mill regular when I'm back and rarely is there any bother but a few years ago it kicked off big time. (I later heard it was guys from Oxgangs) 

Anyway, can't remember being so shocked, (couldn't knock snow aff a dyke) even had to take a tom tit in their bog cubicle, which is testament to my fragility at the time. 

Wee May, RIP, came out from behind the bar and I went over to usher her back when SHE said she'd come out to get me out the way.

 

[Cruyff]

On 11/04/2020 at 08:56, Smithee said:

 

Well maybe, except Edinburgh is far superior to Dundee. I thought the V&A was shite btw, but then I'm used to decent sized places with loads of exhibits in a nice city 😛

 

 

On topic..

I lived in salford for 3 years, a good couple of pubs spring to mind, mostly knocked down now thankfully. Moss side in general had a right feral, ominous feel to it, I was glad I was only ever there with known faces in cars.

Edinburgh makes Dundee look like the Gaza strip. 

[Jamhammer]

11 hours ago, Locky said:

My dad often mentions someone getting shot through the door there.

I was in with my late father in law playing pool and they were closing. Barman comes over and goes, “If you don’t pack it in now I’m telling every **** in here you’re English”

I packed it in. Even though I’m Welsh