Originally Posted by phillyskyline

I commute 3 x week through the "badlands" of North Philadelphia, as the area is called. Open drug dealing is common and shootings aren't that unusual. I have yet to encounter a threat from pedestrians or neighborhood residents. During the summer, a kid splashed me with water (oh no!) and I've also had kids chase me on bikes or foot, mostly out of curiosity, as I ride a folding bike, and bike commuters are few and far between in that area. The worst was a young teenage boy on an ATV (illegal in the city, but people still use them in warm months) who passed within inches of my handlebars going about 50mph on a city street. Cars and drivers are by FAR the most dangerous thing I encounter. I am much more nervous going around the Art Museum circle and dealing with bike lanes that merge and cross over turn lanes to the highway, than I am in the rougher parts of town. Now I just need to continue my record of never getting a flat in the bad parts of town (knock on wood).