[zoner]

Completely agree. I lived in Hungary, where the crime rate is relatively low compared to the whole Europe. But you can't actually go to an open market without securing your pockets. Now I live in Scotland, which amongst the highest crime rate countries in Europe, but it feels much safer to walk through Glasgow than to walk through Budapest.

This is because every single small pickpocket is reported and usually caught. Not to mention crime definitions like "breach of peace", with cases like "shouting in public" or "pointed his finger on walker". Police would laugh on a reports about these in Hungary.

I didn't like Amsterdam (or what I have seen of it) though, same insecure feeling.

[tornadoboy55]

I'd be more scared to get stabbed in Glasgow than in Amsterdam though.

[smcl]

Hmm, while knife crime maybe more common in Glasgow than anywhere else in western europe it's still rare and mostly restricted to rough areas (i.e. not "took a wrong turn at George Square" but "went deep into a troubled neighbourhood and kept going") and even then you'd probably have to be really looking for trouble or damn unlucky

[zoner]

It's because it's a crime to even carry a butterknife in your backpack.

[xxs]

Hungary, Bulgaria and Romania have something in common when it comes to pickpocket... and overall petty theft.