How bad is it Northwest of Boston? Wakefield, Billerica etc does not resemble the South Bronx, Bed Stuy, or some truly depressed areas of Conn. However, some parts just directly North of Boston aren't areas I would be walking around without some extra level of awareness.
As FB mentioned- bringing spray to a dangerous situation is not a good idea. When i have to move about any of these areas on foot I use my sixth sense to avoid troubles from canines, or humans. To date - zero muggings anywhere in the world. Came close to being slightly mugged once when I stumbled into a shanty town on the outskirts of Hyderabad. The large rats roaming the slum should have warned me - not a good area.
Last edited by Essex; 05-23-14 at 07:56 PM.