Well, I always say, "Paranoia Equals Safety!"
My friend asked me why I usually carry OC spray & a folding pocket knife for protection... He says, "I've lived here in Minneapolis for 4 months now, and have never had a problem. Never mugged, assaulted, nothing." I told him the truth that I hope he never has to experience it. It can be scary. Then 3 months later we were walking back from our mutual friend's dorm on the other end of campus, and a guy (Late 40's, Homeless, Caucasian, 6'2", stinky odor) pulled a knife on us near E River Rd. I pulled out my pepper spray & shot the guy in the face w/ three bursts, the guy dropped the knife on the sidewalk, splashed some snow in his face & ran off screaming. My friend now has a switch-blade knife, only dropped once as far as we know... [^]
Then I pointed out that's the 4th attempted attack on me in the past 3 years, and my theory STILL STANDS TRUE -----> "PARANOIA = SAFETY".
-inuhbad
PS. I feel for ya, I live in a neighborhood with a population density of near 10,000 muslims within 1.5 square miles. The live in subsidized high-rise shitholes called, "The Crack Stacks" or the "Ghetto In The Sky" most students make fun of it singing, "Mooovin' on up... to the..." from the Jeffersons. Many of the F'in Muslims there were HAPPY and some shouted "PRAISE" out their apartment windows, it was NOT KEWL to see these Anti-American views this close to home!