I have lived in the Washington DC metro area for about 10 years. I have been fortunate to have had only a few scary experiences here (not counting the daily risk of driving here which has taken years off my life!!!). When my mother questioned my wisdom in heading off alone in a trailer I started laughing. Yes, there are risks in traveling alone, but I figure I am statistically safer on the road with a little care than I am in some of the neighborhoods I have called home. (anyone been wakened in a campground by the police searching under your window for the weapon from a knife-fight?).
I have driven about 15,000 miles alone or with a few friends, camping or staying in little cheap motels and never had a problem. I have been threatened or harassed in small "safe" towns I have lived in and big cities like NY and DC. The only time I have had safety issues when traveling has been when I have been on the road for business and done things that most city dwellers consider safe, such as taking cabs or walking in well-traveled areas. On the road, though, I have only run into 4 and 6 legged critters.
An old roommate and I went on a power-camping trip (5 days, 4 states) a few years ago through the Smokies and along the NC/SC coast. First we stopped in the Smokies where the signs everywhere warned not to feed the bears. We saw none.
Second stop was the beautiful SC coast. Beautiful RV park full of snowbirds not yet headed north. The signs warned not to feed the raccoons. Who is afraid of raccoons? I'd camped for years and never seen one. After dinner I headed off to take a shower. When I returned from the bath house in the last
light of the setting sun I found my parole officer friend sitting on the picnic table throwing pinecones at the raccons. There were at least 6 FAT raccoons circling the remains of our dinner. They clearly had no fear of humans. I swear some of those beasties weighed over 40 lbs. They looked like they were inflated. No doubt they lived well off of handouts and trash from the residents of the park. The more pinecones she threw the closer they got because they seemed to understand that eventually she'd run out of pinecones and have to start throwing food.
The next night we set up camp in the NC forests. Signs there warned not to feed the ticks. I needn't have worried. The Carolina mosquitos had already sucked all the blood out of me. I had 47 bites by then. (By the way, it is unwise to cover more than 20% of your body in Benadryl cream - causes major drowsiness!).We saw not a single tick.
Safety issues can come from anywhere, but with a certain amount of prudence (and luck!) you'll run into fewer problems outside of cities than in them.
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