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Most adventurers would tell you that traveling to and exploring places you’re unfamiliar with can be very exciting. Though it can be scary, too, especially when you’re not ready for what awaits you there.
Members of the ‘Ask Reddit’ community have recently shared their stories about being frightened to death in different parts of the world. They did this after one user asked them about the scariest cities they’ve ever been to, and while some answers proved to be more common than others, people have seemingly experienced spine-chilling things in places all over the world. Scroll down to find their stories below, but be aware that some of them might be rather disturbing.
Below, you will also find Bored Panda’s interview with Dr. Frédéric Dimanche, Director of Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University, who was kind enough to share his insights regarding how to keep yourself safe while traveling in different cities.
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#1
I have traveled lots of places in this world. The most scared I have ever been was lost in downtown Baltimore at night on a weekend. I had made a series of mistakes trying to go around the city, and had accidentally taken a spur that put me right into the downtown. I have no clue what area of town I drove through, but the only human beings that I saw out and about at 3:00 in the morning looked like zombies. It's really hard to describe, but the way that they moved, the way that they looked at me as I drove by, it was very scary.
Out of desperation (this was way before cell phones did anything more than phone calls and basic texts, I was still using a paper atlas) I stopped at a 7-Eleven. I was waiting in line to ask directions, and a guy went out of his way to ask me what I was doing there. That's how much I stood out. I told him that I was trying to get directions to get back onto the highway, and he told me that he was an undercover cop, things were about to go down right there, and I needed to leave. I told him that's what I was trying to do. He thought about it for a second, told me to get in my car follow him and try to keep up. He would get me to an on-ramp and then go back to the store.
He drove like a bat out of hell, and did get me to the freeway and then busted a u-turn and flew away.
I have no clue how bad my night would have continued to be if he hadn't been there and guided me out of there.
Linda Riebel 16 hours ago
My plane was late and public works had shut down some exits to do work at midnight. So I took the indicated exit and followed the detour signs..... until there were no more signs. Alone, midnight, somewhere in Oakland.....
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#2
Bagdad or Baltimore at night. Shot at in both places at least in Bagdad I was also armed.
#3
Johannesburg. When you stop at a red light you have to be ready to punch the gas as there are broad daylight carjackings at intersections.
Unfortunately, nobody is immune to danger or bad luck, be it in a foreign country or their own home. But in both cases, the likelihood of something unfavorable happening can be minimized to some extent, at least.
When it comes to avoiding bad things happening abroad—whether in a moderately or very scary city—the first step should be doing your research.
“It is essential to do your research before traveling to your destinations,” said Dr. Frédéric Dimanche, Director of Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Toronto Metropolitan University. According to him, before the trip, you should learn, at minimum, the cultural norms and customs. “On-site, you need to learn about the local regulations that govern a site, be it a beach or a cultural attraction,” he added.
#4
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. At the height of the Iraq war it was still listed as more dangerous. The gangs ran the city, driving around in technicals with mounted machine guns. Hotels had 6 foot thick concrete walled fences with razor wire, and armed guards. For an added cost they offered “r**e cages”, a cage that would drop down over your bed when a sensor was triggered to protect you from being r**ed if people broke in.
#5
Juarez, Mexico....I'm an Irish/Mexican. Red head. Went with cousins to see my Aunt and Uncle. My family members were in a cartel. There was a cartel war going on. Had armed men all around at all times. For all the money, and cars, and opulence at their home, it was like being in prison. The tension in the air was thick. I was treated like a king, but that whole week, I was terrified inside. Different world. Was told, no matter what happens, do not call police. They worked for the other guys. I was told that if s**t kicked off, and anyone made it through the gates, to grab a gun and shoot myself. That would be the best possible outcome. I haven't been back.
The expert continued to point out that risk management is essential before and during a trip to avoid disappointment and crises. “Ask for advice from travel counselors,” he suggested. “We now think that with the Internet we can do everything on our own: It's true, but we still lack the expertise of a travel specialist who knows the destination. A counselor may be a travel agent before you leave, but also a representative of the local tourist office or a concierge in your hotel. Ask for advice!”
#6
Juarez around 2007. They told me that the cartel had some heads hanging from a bridge for everyone to see and they didn't get taken down until several hours later.
Der Kommissar 16 hours ago (edited)
Juarez has had some of the highest murder rates in the world, peaking in 2010 at 3,600
#7
Cairo in Egypt. As a white non-Muslim female, the amount of sexual harassment I experienced was unprecedented. It’s interesting because I didn’t necessarily worry about someone attacking me or stealing from me, but I worried about other things happening.
The entire country is impoverished and corrupt. At one point, I saw a police officer hold a child (like 7yrs old maybe) at gun point because the child was acting out and he thought it was funny. At another point, a person got hit by a car and a couple bystanders were doing everything they could while most kept on walking as if nothing was even happening. I was at a restaurant near there and it took over 30min for an ambulance to get there…I’m unsure if he made it. I can’t even tell you how many homeless children I saw begging for food/money with no parents anywhere to be found (I’ve been to other countries where this is a common “scam tactic” but this was totally different).
The reality is that when a country is that corrupt, public safety goes out the window. That is actually what scared me most about it.
Feathered Dinosaur 4 hours ago
I've been to many countries, but none where as bad as Egypt concerning sexual harassment and molestation. 0/10, will never ever go there again
#8
I once accidentally crossed the wrong boarder from Thailand, travelling to Laos. I ended up in a place called the Special Economic Zone of The Golden Triangle. No data, couldn't speak the language, nothing. I ended up in some weird hotel that looked like a jail cell. I managed to book a 36 hour bus journey out of there for the next day. That evening, I went for a walk around. I was offered child [escorts] and when I realised how extremely dangerous this place was. I went back to my room and went to sleep. The next morning, police raided my room with guns pointed to my head. I later learned, the only real reason any westerner would ever travel there is because they haul mass amounts of [illegal substances] out of there, so I was a suspected d**g dealer. Also, I accidentally pissed some guy off why I assume was a gangster. So I don't know if that had some part to play. Terrifying. Now, I sometimes get questioned at airports because of my travel history.
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 6 hours ago (edited)
For more information about the GTSEZ; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Golden_Triangle_Special_Economic_Zone
Discussing the safety measures that are important to take before setting off on a trip, Dr. Dimanche noted that the kind and extent of such measures are always related to one's willingness to assess and accept risk.
“All travelers should get involved in some form of risk evaluation procedure and determine: a) what bad things can happen? b) what is the probability of a bad thing happening? and c) what am I willing to lose? (Or, in other words, what are the consequences of something bad happening during my trip?),” the expert said.
“When we answer those questions, we should be able to make decisions about trip planning—where to go? How to travel? How long to travel? Do I want to travel alone or in a group? What activities to engage in?—and assess what safety measures are necessary: how much money to take; to carry a credit card to face emergencies; to contract insurance (health, liability, cancellation, and even repatriation); to note contact numbers in the destination (consulate; bank; insurance company); choose how to dress (for weather, but also for foreign culture); have necessary supply of your needed medicine if applicable; make sure to have (electronic) copies of your passport, plane tickets, bank and insurance information, and so on.”
#9
Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.
Every property surrounded by solid fences topped with razor wire, and if you can afford it, patrolled by armed guards and guard dogs. As a visitor, you should never use a local taxi, or walk outside your hotel compound at night.
#10
Tijuana.
I saw a dead body on my way to the bus terminal, just laying on the sidewalk. There were people standing around him, smoking, drinking, and just having a good ol time while dude is just dead, like dead af, stiff, purple, and blue.
Wildest s**t I've ever seen. No one gave a single s**t.
#11
East st Louis
I, a white guy with my gf in the car, stopped there for gas and a cop pulled up behind me asking what I thought I was doing there.
I replied getting gas and he tells me that I'm not safe and told me he'd escort me to the highway and also not to stop at any red lights until we get to the exit.
Like, I could tell that was a sketchy gas station to stop at when I pulled in but didn't realize it was that bad.
Cpt. Christan "Panda Bombero" 6 hours ago
I wonder if this was this the same guy, who got lost in Baltimore? And the same cop?
Discussing the most common risks or trouble people find themselves in while traveling, Dr. Dimanche noted that there’s an entire array to assess, depending on the destination and the activities you plan to take part in.
“For outdoor activities, you need to rely on a competent and qualified outfitter (for example, a scuba diving or hiking outfitter or guide). Failure to do so can lead to accidents,” the expert said.
He continued to emphasize that it’s important to know where you’re going, too. “You need to do some homework to avoid cultural or legal errors (for example, you can't drink a beer on the beach in Dubai; it's not recommended to go topless in Muslim countries, such as Indonesia or Malaysia). Also, pay attention to the neighborhoods of the cities you frequent (for instance, there are neighborhoods that hoteliers will advise you to avoid in their cities), so ask for local advice and expertise.
“People have a tendency to behave on vacations in ways that they would never dare to behave at home (for example, getting drunk or high in public areas, disrespecting residents, and so on),” Dr. Dimanche added, suggesting that, too, can lead to a risky situation.
#12
Kingston, Jamaica
I switched hotels to one more secure. Early on my last morning, I was going to the airport and my original hotel was on fire.
#13
Port Moresby, New Guinea.
Ex pats live in compounds with massive walls topped with broken bottles.
Even my mother, who was a missionary who has lived in a variety of countries throughout SE Asia and the Pacific, couldn't live there for more than 3 weeks.
I had warned her not to go, having been there twice myself.
Dragon mama 5 hours ago
This is currently number 15 on the list and the third time I have seen this specific location. Which is wild.
#14
Overtown and Liberty City neighborhoods of Miami.
I lived not too far from there 20some years ago. Drove a coworker home one night because she missed the last bus. She called some guy on her phone to tell him to let people know not to mess with the blue Focus about to come down the street.
I felt like I had a hall pass from danger.
DeoManus Argentem 2 hours ago
Overtown has gotten way better, but it's right next to the cruise ship terminals, which was quite a contrast when I ended up there about 10 years ago to pick up my parents from a cruise, but was way early so just started driving around. It was in the morning, and I was driving a Charger (standard police car in Florida) so maybe that helped? Was weird seeing such a dumpy neighborhood next to the cruise terminal and arena, though.
“Pay attention to what you eat. If your stomach is not used to a different cuisine or street food, it may be best to be very careful to avoid stomach infections. Also, there are countries where you should be careful not to drink tap water,” Dr. Dimanche continued, discussing the kinds of risks one might face while traveling.
“Tourists are often easy targets for pickpockets and other criminals. Protect your belongings and watch your behaviour not to attract too much attention,” he said, adding that accidents are also common, so it’s important to be aware when renting a motorbike, moped, or car.
#15
Rizhao, China. Not scary so much like the others - China is insanely safe - but extremely creepy. I felt like I was on a movie set.
First off, it's a city of 500,000 but it's built for a population of 10 million. But it's not like those ghost cities out west where there never was anyone. It seemed like it was actually a big city, but everyone just left suddenly. The beaches were well maintained and empty. The buses ran frequently and were empty. The streets were lined with all the usual Chinese stuff and were empty.
We went into a breakfast restaurant, and the food was great but we were the only custom and the staff seemed surprised to see us. We asked for directions to the famous fish market. No one there could tell us where it was. It turned out to be about 750 meters away. It was massive and filled with vendors selling huge quantities of incredibly fresh fish. It was mostly empty.
Also, almost everything was open until the wee hours of the morning, if not 24 hours. This is unusual even in the biggest Chinese cities, let alone this abandoned town.
It was just an unsettling experience all around.
Lee Gilliland 16 hours ago
Were you guys spec in some way? I remember going to Egypt in 2002, which was just after 9/11 the attacks on Dayr al-Baḥrī and were treated with kings, so it might be your timing.
#16
Johannesburg. It's the only place I've been where the pilot tells you before landing where to go and not to go. What to do and not to do if you don't want to get robbed, mugged or [end up dead]
#17
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Almost got robbed literally 100 feet outside the airport walking to a cab. Luckily I saw police and my instincts made me shout hard which made the police aware and the thieves fled the scene. Almost lost my brand new Nikon back in the time.
“It is essential to do your homework about local rules and regulations. An increasing number of tourists are getting arrested because they violate sacred sites, walk in heritage sites' restricted areas, or even bathe in public fountains. Many cities and tourist sites are increasingly suffering from ‘overtourism’ and local authorities are taking action to limit visitors and disruptive behaviors,” Dr. Dimanche noted during the interview.
“Also many travelers go without buying insurance and regret it when they get in trouble,” he added. “Again, travelers need to assess the probability of getting in trouble and the consequence of a bad event happening... Insurance is peace of mind.”
#18
Bahnhofsviertel in Frankfurt Germany. I’ve lived and worked in some of the roughest places in the US (Baltimore, Detroit, etc). That section of Frankfurt is the only place that has legit scared me since moving to Europe 15 years ago. Open air d**g market, [illegal adult services], addicts, scammers, pickpockets. Wild place.
Honorable mention to the cab driver in Belgrade who sussed out I was American and took the scenic route to my hotel to show me all the buildings that were blown up by American bombs like it was my fault.
Joseph Miller 5 hours ago
idk. I might have to switch the honorable mention to the top spot. Probably could just avoid the "Open air..." part?
#19
Was in St. Louis with my cousin and we crossed that bridge.
East St. Louis has gotta be the most dangerous feeling place I've ever been. Streetlights busted out at night, everything run down/abandoned, bullet holes in the stop signs, etc. We pulled up GPS and got the f**k out of there real quick lol.
#20
Delhi the capital of India, you can't trust anyone, it's horrible. Filled with goons, unsafe for women, high level of pollution, crazy traffic congestion and everyone trying to swindle everyone else. Scam call centers operate from this place. R**es statistics is crazy
#21
Furnace Creek, Death Valley. Beautiful, lovely, calm- but if you wander away during the day you will die every which way, including the meat of your feet cooking like chicken breast until you keel over, unable to walk or survive.
Mike Macron 1 hour ago
Yet people go here all the time from Vegas just so they can take a selfie next to a digital thermometer that shows 130○. People scare me.
#22
Juba, South Sudan. I saw a military transport with child soldiers, a firefight with artillery across the White Nile from where I stood, and someone tried to rob me at the actual airport.
#23
I ended up driving through this tiny town in the middle of Nevada that I assume used to be a mining town. It looked like a steady paycheck hadn’t been seen in this town for 20 years, the houses were all dilapidated, and the locals looked just as worn out. Bullet holes and burn marks could be seen on pretty much every building. The only reason I drove through the town instead of just sticking to the main road was to top up on gas, but I couldn’t find anything, not even a small convenience store. It must’ve been hell for those folks considering the closest town with an actual store and gas was around 70 miles away.
Edit: I took a look via Google Earth at some of the towns people mentioned and I found it! Gabbs, NV. Definitely not a place I’d want to go back to.
#24
Nuevo Loredo Mexico
Not all, but whatever part of San Bernardino I got off the freeway at night to stop at a gas station to call my sister for directions. When I told her my cross streets she said “get back on the freeway RIGHT NOW”. I looked up and the crackheads were circling my car and tapping on my window.
#25
New Orleans, I loved it. But right outside the touristy areas gets a little sketchy. Including the guy on d***s that broke into our hotel. Also cut himself crawling through the glass window and bled all over the hotel trying to kick peoples doors in. Food was good though.
Lew k 6 hours ago
Wierd enough San Francisco was like this. Most of it is super touristy but three different cars at our hotel were broken into. We saw people literally shooting up on the curb and we ignored google map taking us on a long detour on a walk back to the hotel and ended up in the tenderloin district at dusk. I grew up in bad neighborhoods but this was something else, just instant feeling of menace.
#26
St. Louis
It was weird for a few reasons but the scariest was when I was leaving the hotel myself, my mom, and my 2 large dogs were staying at, we saw a man messing with my car, like hood was propped! As I started raising my voice and approaching with my large barking dogs, he ran. I made sure to push the hood down so it would latch, or so I thought. We loaded the car up and drove away as fast as possible. As soon as we got on the freeway, the hood blew up and almost hit the windshield (i honestly have no idea how it didn't, maybe a safety feature?) So I had to pull over and re-secure it. M**o obviously messed something up on purpose because he pulled up behind us! I got back in the car, my digs and mom losing their s**t, drove slowish, put my hazards on and my mom called 911. He sped off after taking pics. Weirdest experience of my life. The hotel was so sketchy and my intuition was telling me to leave the entire time. I honestly think the man was in on something with the hotel staff or was hotel staff himself. My two dogs were extremely on edge and they're generally easy going. Plate numbers were stolen and police couldn't/wouldn't doing anything.
#27
Port Au Prince...saw a newly shot woman on the sidewalk and the next day, a human finger in a trash heap.
#28
Albuquerque, NM. I dropped off a Uhaul there and got an Uber to a sketchy hotel, chosen for it's proximity to the airport. Not having my own transportation had me very anxious. At the hotel the line of people (methheads I assumed) in front of me couldn't provide a credit card for a room so the line got short real quick. The small, weird elevator had bloodstains nearby so I took the stairs. I'd given my Uber driver ten bucks to let me stop and get food so I wouldn't have to leave until it was time to go to the airport. I went to the room with my bags and food and locked everything and wished for more locks. The food was great. I lived in the South side of Atlanta for four years and never felt this sketched out. Though I did get my carry permit in ATL.
Nothing like East St. Louis apparently but that's my story.
#29
Kandahar - a bit. Baghdad - a bit. Phnom Penh - a bit scary too. But hey - not all travel is about having a safe armchair experience. America in general is a bit scary. I guess a big difference is in the 3 cities I mentioned up top, a person can get shot for a reason. In US cities, a person can get shot for no reason.
The Darkest Timeline 7 hours ago
This canard again? Your bias is showing. It is exceedingly rare for a regular person, minding their own business in a typical neighborhood or area, to get shot in an American city. America has its problems with guns and violence but saying that it’s more dangerous in, say, Dallas, than it is in Kandahar is just plain false and dumb. And the notion that someone would kill you in Baghdad for a reason but in Indianapolis for no reason is laughable.
#30
I'm a sucker for scary places. I went to visit Centralia, Pennsylvania when I was in my 20's. Place was creepy as f**k. Smoke coming up out of the ground all over the place. The whole time we were there, I just got this dreadful feeling like we didn't belong there.
For my 35th birthday, my best friend and I went to take a tour of Pripyat and Chernobyl. Without a doubt, the scariest place I have ever been.
Note: this post originally had 51 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
What do you think ?
Captive 12 hours ago
No US citizen but I'm genuinely surprised to read about so many US cities here. Really this bad?
Wang Zhuang 8 hours ago
There are rough areas in pretty much every major US city, but as long as you avoid those areas, you'll generally be okay.
Load More Replies...
Bowtechie 15 hours ago
When I was studying abroad in Japan the university had all the foreign students attend a public safety seminar and the whole thing was basically, y'know, use common sense, don't be stupid, all that, but the delivery was a little hard to take seriously as an American. The officer leading the seminar opened dramatically with "A lot of people like to think Japan is safe. Japan is NOT safe!" and all the American students were nodding politely in second amendment. Tbf I've had my sketchy-ish experiences in Japan, but there is nowhere in the US I'd feel safe leaving my apartment at 3:00 am and walking to a convenience store to go get a battery for my insulin pump like I did when I was there.
Lynchamigsakta 1 hour ago
Gonna be honest with you, only people in Japan that even came close to making me feel unsafe, all Americans. Trying to sell me d***s, Trying to make go into a dark alley with them, making nasty sexist comments.
Load More Replies... Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 14 hours ago
Way too many US cities for my liking. I've traveled quite a bit but always stayed in busy areas. Paris had many people trying to sell you stuff on the street but no violence from it that I came across. Ho Chi Minh City I was with people who lived there which was fine, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out at night on my own. Shenzen had lots of beggars on the street but more annoying than anything else.
Captive 12 hours ago
No US citizen but I'm genuinely surprised to read about so many US cities here. Really this bad?
Wang Zhuang 8 hours ago
There are rough areas in pretty much every major US city, but as long as you avoid those areas, you'll generally be okay.
Load More Replies... Bowtechie 15 hours ago
When I was studying abroad in Japan the university had all the foreign students attend a public safety seminar and the whole thing was basically, y'know, use common sense, don't be stupid, all that, but the delivery was a little hard to take seriously as an American. The officer leading the seminar opened dramatically with "A lot of people like to think Japan is safe. Japan is NOT safe!" and all the American students were nodding politely in second amendment. Tbf I've had my sketchy-ish experiences in Japan, but there is nowhere in the US I'd feel safe leaving my apartment at 3:00 am and walking to a convenience store to go get a battery for my insulin pump like I did when I was there.
Lynchamigsakta 1 hour ago
Gonna be honest with you, only people in Japan that even came close to making me feel unsafe, all Americans. Trying to sell me d***s, Trying to make go into a dark alley with them, making nasty sexist comments.
Load More Replies... Michael P (Perthaussieguy) 14 hours ago
Way too many US cities for my liking. I've traveled quite a bit but always stayed in busy areas. Paris had many people trying to sell you stuff on the street but no violence from it that I came across. Ho Chi Minh City I was with people who lived there which was fine, otherwise I wouldn't have gone out at night on my own. Shenzen had lots of beggars on the street but more annoying than anything else.
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