[ReptileMan]

There is reason this joke exists

>A friend who has worked in Chicago his entire life tells me it's not that violent. He's a tail gunner on a school bus

Looking at the data - you can spin it either way, because of how the violence is distributed and segregated inside the city.

[tptacek]

Yes, the reason is right wing meme boards.

[ReptileMan]

And what is the reason the joke is about Chicago and not Boston? Gallows humor needs something to work with and it seems that Chicago delivers on that.

[tptacek]

That joke would be funnier if Chicago was even in the top 10 for violent crime, but it's mostly a joke about how "Chicago" and "Boston" are two of the 4 cities every American can name.

[ReptileMan]

People's perception of violence is exponential in both per capita and geographic density. And Chicago has the blessing of being both being big, dense and violent enough to easily climb the mindshare ladder.

[tptacek]

That's a hell of a just-so argument.