“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods

Sometimes you roll up to a new place and you’ve got a gut feeling that something is just… off. The people there are looking at you all weird, there’s strange smells assaulting you from every direction, and you just want to get out of there ASAP.

But it’s always good to know what to look out for in places like this, right? Broken glass, suspicious people, unknown businesses… Some signs are not as obvious, though, but I’m certain you’ll find something to expand your street smarts by checking out these bad neighborhood red flags in today’s list.

More info: Reddit

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods If you have to play the "Was that fireworks or gunshots?" game in any month of the year besides July.

Edit: Specifically in the city, you'll find this sort of thing all over rural areas.

partofbreakfast , Denys Gromov Report

Final score:

110points

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Jj321 1 year ago

The edit is so inportant, lol. We live by a quarry, so the blasts add to the game

34points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods An adult man on a child's bmx bike slowly riding in the middle of the street.

Amduscias7 , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

93points

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ॐBoyGanesh 1 year ago

When I see this I assume they’ve a suspended license AND a bench warrant.

48points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods In my neighborhood someone posted on nextdoor that they woke up to someone standing over their bed then 2 days later someone else posted that a dude was walking around the street naked asking strangers if they wanted to touch his weewee oh and car theft is so common that I no longer lock my car because it's financially smarter for me to let them have a look around than to pay for any more broken windows I might be in a bad neighborhood

ttothesecond , Cristian Manieri Report

Final score:

90points

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hitex 1 year ago

Naked man was definitely on PCP...always know a PCP user when 3 cops take em down naked running in the street

20points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Lots of dollar stores, payday loan and title loan places. No or few actual grocery stores.

anon , Mark Hillary Report

Final score:

89points

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Willy Nilly 1 year ago

Aside from the dollar stores this should not be legal.

28points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Ghetto Diamonds

See broken shards of glass in the parking lot? Those are from thieves crow-barring your car windows, not bad driving.

laterdude , Lars H Knudsen Report

Final score:

85points

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago

Oh I thought they were gonna say meth lol

32points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods When you ask a cop for directions cause your lost and he tells you the way but to drive very fast and to not stop at red lights.
(We were lost in Camden NJ after a concert)

gabeybaby13 , Kaique Rocha Report

Final score:

84points

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Jaguarundi 1 year ago

My husband was lost in south bay in Boston while he was in the US Navy on shore duty. A policeman actually stopped him and escorted him back to the shipyard.

34points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Pairs of tennis shoes thrown over the electrical lines

AldermanMcCheese , Ben Schumin Report

Final score:

82points

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DennyS (denzoren) 1 year ago

You know, I haven't seen this in ages.

26points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods when the restrooms in businesses have black/blue lights to make it difficult to find your vein.

anon , JetCarson Report

Final score:

76points

POST

Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

Ah how I miss the 80's and 90's when I used to spray all ledges in the toilets of the establishments I worked in with WD40 then wait for the howling of the coke addicts whose lines have just dissolved ..... how we laughed (especially me as I was doing bucketloads of coke at the time but would only ever do my junk in private or at friends places!!)

43points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Random shopping carts on the side of the road.

bekahboo1989 , Daniel R. Blume Report

Final score:

69points

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Kel_how 1 year ago

There was a shopping cart in my backyard when I moved into my house. I rolled it the curb out front and it was gone within the hour. I live in an okay neighborhood, though

11points

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#10

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods There's a baby hanging out on a street corner at 3AM.

Wiknetti , Juan Pablo Serrano Arenas Report

Final score:

68points

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Jesse Setliffe 1 year ago

Is he selling crack?

48points

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#11

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods pizza places won't deliver to your house/apartment/neighborhood

reesejenks520 , Pixabay Report

Final score:

67points

POST

StrangeOne 1 year ago

Cab drivers will decline a potential fare based on location.

16points

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#12

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods boost mobile next to a check cashing place

oiooioio , Mike Mozart Report

Final score:

60points

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Nichole Harris 1 year ago

OMG this!!!! Bonus points for the smoke shop too

41points

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#13

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods It's the middle of the afternoon on a weekday and people are just hanging out on porches and yards, just walking around. It's a neighborhood with a lot of unemployment. If you are looking to rent or buy, visit in the middle of the work day and at night to see what it's like.

MonkeyCatDog , Caio Report

Final score:

52points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago

Or, alternatively, it could be a rich area where people don't need to work, or an area with a lot of retirees ..... Here in the UK the bad areas tend to get worse that later the day goes on ...

20points

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#14

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The businesses just outside the residential area are pay day loan operations, rent-to-own furniture, rent-to-own wheels

anon , David McBee Report

Final score:

50points

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Mike Fitzpatrick 1 year ago

And don't forget more liquor stores than food stores.

27points

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#15

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods When the 1 decent human being there flat out tells you its a bad area and you should leave.

anon , denisbin Report

Final score:

45points

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Hugh Cookson 1 year ago (edited)

Yup, did this once when I got off a ship that I'd been on for 2 months straight in New York (I was a young, white UK merchant seaman at the time), went for a walk with a friend to get my land legs back, walked about 2 / 3 miles stopping every mile or so for a beer, without noticing the areas becoming a little more shabby as we went. Got stopped by an elderly African American chap who kindly walked with us back the way we'd come ; on the way, he told us that had we walked another 500 yards or so in the direction we had been going, there was a very high likelihood we would have been either robbed and beaten or robbed and killed ... this was New York in the '80's, I reckon we were lucky. After that we always checked where to go before setting off for a stroll.

38points

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#16

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The cats are afraid of you, and run away when you get closer.

In a good neighborhood, the cats stay put, and give you superior looks.

florinandrei , Ivan Radic Report

Final score:

41points

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Jessica SpeLangm 1 year ago

That's not a bad neighborhood thing. I live in a good neighborhood and the stray cats run away from me and dogs and cars and kids.

36points

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#17

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Bars/bulletproof glass on gas station windows, and they don't let anyone in the store past a certain time, you can only walk up to the window.

Mojo_so_dopey , Antonio Lorenzana Bermejo Report

Final score:

40points

POST

detective miller's hat 1 year ago

If every building on the street has bars over all of the first floor windows, you're in a bad area.

14points

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#18

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods If you're getting more of a confused look rather than a smile from strangers

biggerthanbread , Pixabay Report

Final score:

39points

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hitex 1 year ago

OMG yes, the 'why u driving down this street look'

17points

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#19

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Indoor furniture outside

Jamarch , saintjeux Report

Final score:

38points

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LizzieBoredom 1 year ago

Where does your recently paroled ex-brother-in-law sleep?

24points

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#20

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The weight of the bathroom key. My family stopped for a bathroom break in The Wire era baltimore. My dad had to carry the car rim keychain over to the bathroom for my sister.

ortusdux , cottonbro studio Report

Final score:

38points

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Andy Frobig 1 year ago

Then once you get the door open, you wish you hadn't

27points

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#21

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The Chore Boy, tube socks and roses in glass tubes are in a locked cabinet at the local Quickie-Mart.

RobertTheRoseHorse , wallpaperflare Report

Final score:

37points

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Zoe DiAnni 1 year ago

I get the chore boy and the glass tubes but what the heck are the socks for?

13points

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#22

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Corner stores and random businesses with cages on the doors and windows. Advertising is usually painted on the wall or something, and you see ads for really cheap foods and drinks that usually aren't big product names. Also there are potholes everywhere and random fences tend to be driven into and not fixed. Also where I live in the lower the street number the worse the neighborhood. Also random groups of guys gathered outside of random corner stores. Oh and if there are fast food places with nowhere to sit that's also how you know.

anon Report

Final score:

35points

POST

Shark Lady 1 year ago

I don't think there is a county in the UK that doesn't have a pothole problem. Our councils are not very good at road maintenance.

2points

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#23

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Grocery carts on the sidewalk and streets, trashy looking corner stores, trashy looking beauty supply shops, Boost mobile, cars parked in lawns, bars on the windows.

PM_ME_USED_TAMPONS , Taiwankengo Report

Final score:

31points

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Andy Frobig 1 year ago

My friend lives in Portland. One day she walked out of her building and saw a shopping cart with a toilet in it

18points

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#24

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Bail bonds offices, hair braiding salons, payday loans on the same street.

Convenience stores with "WE TAKE EBT" signs in hand written letters.

Weekly-rate "budget" motels.

Gas station locks its doors at 10 PM. If you want cigarettes, drinks, or snacks late at night, you have to tell the cashier what you want and she'll deliver it to you through a hole in a bulletproof glass window.

anon , Nitram242 Report

Final score:

29points

POST

and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago

I disagree with the hair braiding salons, plenty of those places are lovely small businesses and not seedy at all.

89points

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#25

In New Zealand a sure sign is someone walking the street playing music from their mobile phone speaker

anon Report

Final score:

27points

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Luke Branwen 1 year ago

Also noteworthy that if someone blasts their music out loud, it's NEVER good music. It's always the s#ittiest hip-hop or whatever I've ever heard.

31points

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#26

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The stores are named quite literally for what they are.

In my best friend's hometown, the bowling alley simply has a sign that says "Bowling Alley". Same with the nail salon, the laundromat, etc. It is a sketchy a*s place.

presciiient , Photocapy Report

Final score:

23points

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DennyS (denzoren) 1 year ago

I mean, not always true....at least not here.

10points

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#27

I the Uk , its has to be a broken bus stops (Glass smashed) with frosty jacks bottles lying around or a burnt out car or possibly a car on bricks as the wheels have been robbed

pm-your-cavos Report

Final score:

22points

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Cyndielouwhoo 1 year ago

I'm pretty sure that burned out vehicles are a red flag anywhere.

26points

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#28

This is a scottish thing but if there is an old church its fine, if its a new building that says christian centre or a newly built church its probably a s**t hole and this is for towns and parts of cities not neighborhoods

anon Report

Final score:

19points

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Poort 1 year ago

Im Scottish and have no clue what you are talking about.

13points

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#29

This is specific to Toronto, but I always felt that if there was a Coffee Time instead of a Tim Horton's, you weren't in the right place.

Bonus points if there's one of the extremely few Dollar Trees.

lemonylol Report

Final score:

17points

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Mojo Flizash 1 year ago

The city I live in has too many Dollar Generals and quite a few Dollar Trees. Not as many Dollar Trees though.

3points

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#30

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Lots of kids with a surprising lack of adults anywhere in the area

theImplication69 , Quang Nguyen Vinh Report

Final score:

16points

POST

Jessica SpeLangm 1 year ago

That's got NOTHING to do with the neighborhood. That's got to do with the parents not paying attention to their kids because they either trust their kids or don't care if their kids get killed. I live in a good neighborhood and there are kids running all over the place.

18points

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#31

you start seeing murals of 19 y/o males wearing haloes.

edit
if there is any philly people out there rip rodney senior elsworth street.

he was my next door neighbor, great father, not involved in crime, no f****n mural for him.

DrugsandGlugs Report

Final score:

12points

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and_a_touch_of_the_’tism 1 year ago

:( this is more sad than anything else. Poor kids.

13points

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#32

At least one car on cinderblocks.

Burt_the_Hutt Report

Final score:

7points

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Nichole Harris 1 year ago

Not if you're rural tho... We've all got project cars

7points

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#33

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods The basketball hoops are made out of ribcages & a Wendy's run by a pack of wild dogs.

IHaveButt , Laura Tancredi Report

Final score:

5points

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Jesse Setliffe 1 year ago

Is this a bad neighborhood or a post- apocalyptic neighborhood?

27points

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#34

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods 13 different color Honda Accord

icecreampopncereal , Nathan Tran Report

Final score:

3points

POST

DennyS (denzoren) 1 year ago

As is one car with 13 colors...or 13 Honda Accord's of different colors? Maybe it's just Jesus visiting, he doesn't like to speak of his own Accord....I'll show myself out..lolol

14points

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#35

“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods Here in South Florida...

If you are surrounded by a bunch of small, pastel colored one-story houses with shallow roofs all lined up side-by-side in a row with no cul-de-sacs, you might be in the ghetto.

anon , Jenn Durfey Report

Final score:

1point

POST

Jesse Setliffe 1 year ago

That's an awful lot of snow for South Florida

53points

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What do you think ?

HungryPanda 1 year ago

This post is tone deaf. Define what a bad neighborhood is. A lot of these descriptions are characteristics of low-income living which shouldn't be demonized.

zgillet 1 year ago

Started strong, then became just poor neighborhoods. A bad neighborhood is one where you have to fear for your own safety. That does sometimes correlate with a poor neighborhood.

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Eve Forbes 1 year ago

The racism and classism in this post are both disconcertingly blatant.

Emily M 1 year ago

I'm horrified. OOF. The examples here like.... The houses are small dont have cul de sacs? The cats run away from you?? People sit outside??? Stores accept EBT?? Stores have hand painted signs???? What the actual F.

21points

Headless Horseman 1 year ago

Yeah most stores accept EBT ! just because they have a sign for clarification doesnt mean its a bad store 😟. Also, a lot of 'nice' neighborhoods hire artists to create signs for their businesses. Aaaaand many outdoor cats are skittish in general! I agree with you, Emily M, this was definitely an OOF for BP

9points

Laura Kaye 1 year ago

I get it but having We Accept EBT every 5 feet in a neighborhood just feels sketch-ville. Reminds me of bad neighborhoods in Massachusetts. I live in NH and you generally don't need to advertise where EBT is accepted so heavily... Maybe growing up in small towns made me biased though

Mir Adwari 1 year ago

Sorry, what is EBT? It's not coming to me!!

0points

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“When The Restrooms Have Blue Lights”: Netizens Share 30 Ways To Identify Bad Neighborhoods

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