I have always considered Moscow to be the safest capital in the world. Well, after visiting other capitals. Probably, it really is so. But I have also always thought that all cities smaller than Moscow significantly differ in terms of safety. For instance, walking at 1 AM in Balashikha is not safe.
During one of our recent nocturnal strolls, we noticed that we were not at all worried about our safety, even though we hadn’t come across a single person for an hour, only a few cars passed by, and in several places the lighting was barely enough to see where you were stepping. In essence, our walk around our office district somewhat resembled walking through an industrial zone: it’s mostly uninhabited because of all the offices, and generally, no one walks around (we met runners only a few times during dozens of hours of walks). By the way, none of the offices have people at night. The concept of security guards in the offices doesn’t exist; everyone heads home in the evening, and doors open with employee cards. In other words, if you wanted to call for help, probably only a passing car driver could hear you, but with the radio on, windows closed, and no common practice of this, it’s not something to count on. At best, a driver might call the police on their way home.
And yet, there is no crime. Well, that means, there is, but like this:
In the last month, near the house within walking distance, there were about three robberies in “near the metro” areas, but in the countryside (north of the image) there are no crimes at all.
I wonder how Americans manage to ensure safety in areas where everyone is relaxed and no ambush is expected? After all, for criminals, it’s easy prey and minimal risk. It’s puzzling. But somehow, it works.
Hi, I'm Rauf Aliev. 