I think you have to try and put this behind you.

As a life-long New Yorker, I have seen things alot worse than they are today. There was a time when a shooting like you witnessed wouldn't have even made the news or turned a head. The 70's were terrible in this city, the murder rate was over 3000 a year! Things got alittle better in the 80's, and then crime soared again under Mayor Dinkins in the early 90's. It got so bad I nearly moved out. Then thankfully came Guiliani, and he just obliterated the crime rate here. You could immediately feel the difference when he took over. Peace reigned under his watch and Bloomberg has done a good job keeping it that way and to this day, we are the safest big city in America.

However, if this economy stays so weak, all of America will be seeing their crime rates climb as the poor turn to crime to make money. Thats certainly no excuse, but it happens all the time. Work keeps people busy and connected to society and there neighborhoods.

I say keep riding. Stay away from the projects though, they are the worst invention this country ever came up with! I ride often and I have no reservations about it, because I remember the really ugly times in this city when I couldn't...