Romania is in a valued position regarding the safety offered to those who visit its cities or walk their streets at night. Many Romanians noticed this and tried, in turn, to provide explanations for this perception of safety.
Romania is among the countries with a high level of safety, both for tourists and for those who travel at night, according to the reports of several institutions.
Recently, the US State Department rated Romania as a safe destination for tourists, giving it Risk Level 1, the lowest travel warning category. Tourists arriving in Romania are urged to take “ordinary precautions”, especially in “congested urban areas and frequented tourist sites”.
Romania, among the safe countries
Iceland was the safest country in the world for the 14th consecutive year, according to the Global Peace Index, an international ranking that measures the level of peace and security in more than 160 countries, produced annually by the Institute for Economics and Peace.
“The Nordic countries of Europe (Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Iceland and Finland) are among the top 25 safest countries globally, with most also in the top 10 happiest nations in the world. Common features of the safest countries include high levels of prosperity, well-developed social protection systems, education, effective criminal justice systems and positive relations between governments and citizens”notes the World Population Review platform, presenting the ranking.
The ten safest countries in the world are Iceland, Denmark, Ireland, New Zealand, Austria, Singapore, Portugal, Slovenia, Japan and Switzerland, and Romania ranks 40th in this ranking, with a low risk level. Europe is the safest continent in terms of crime, with a homicide rate of around 0.8 incidents per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by Asia. Most of the 25 safest countries in the world are European, according to the World Population Review platform.
A Gallup poll mentions Romania among the countries where locals feel safe walking around in cities at night, while countries like Italy, Greece and Turkey have a lower level of safety. In most states in Western Europe, the residents’ perception of nighttime safety is higher than that of Romanians in Romania, according to the public opinion polling company.
A map circulating on the Internet indicates, however, Romania as one of the safer countries for night outs, than France, Italy or Great Britain. This sparked numerous reactions on social media platforms.
Why do Romanians feel safe at night?
Many Romanians have tried to explain why night outings in Romanian cities are perceived as safe.
“The world has simply realized that you have a lot more to lose in life if you get in trouble with the law, especially for criminal acts of violence, harassment of any kind or theft. There are a lot more opportunities to make money and achieve stability than there were 15-25 years ago, and one of them is the outcast, but it’s far from the only one.”says an internet user, on the Reddit platform.
Another Romanian believes that many former criminals have chosen to leave Romania, finding opportunities to earn money in the West.
“We exported so much crime to the EU that we ran out”he adds.
Someone else remembers that in the past the streets of some neighborhoods in Bucharest were extremely unsafe, but over time the standard of living has increased, and the situation of some areas considered infamous has improved.
“I remember when I was in high school, in Giulesti, around 2004-2005, and it was full of gangs around there. They would rob you of every penny. Now, when I pass through that area, no one cares about you.” he states.
However, some Romanians say that they live in European capitals and feel much safer going out at night than they did in their hometowns. Others claim to live in cities where the streets are completely deserted at night. Many small towns are depopulated or generally inhabited by the elderly, while entertainment and nighttime socializing places are also less and less, other Romanians explain.
“All the incidents where someone tried to steal from me happened during the day, not at night.” concludes another netizen.
