Originally Posted by
mulveyr
One thing I've discovered in my years as a stereotypical well-off, suburban pasty-as-flour guy is that some of the "places you'd never want to hang out in" are in reality the least threatening. I've found that when I ride my heavily-loaded touring bike through cities, people in the "ghetto" areas tend to drive a hell of a lot more safely around me than uptown, well-off parts of the city.
Bingo.
I live in a very depressed neighborhood. I'll wager that I'm the only white guy w/in a ten block radius. The only thing I've had happen to me in the neighborhood while riding is I've been propositioned several times by "working girls". People are just as friendly as can be. I spend as much time waving as I do peddling.
It's not until I get into more prosperous neighborhoods that I run into trouble w/ people who think my purpose for riding is to add three seconds to their commute time. I've nearly been sideswiped many times, but never in the poorer sections of town.