I live in an upscale suburban community that is a long way from any trouble. It is not really a big deal. I am just somewhat paranoid by inclination, training and experience. Stuff can happen anywhere over a long enough time frame.
A formerly long commute exposed me to a lot of bad behavior on the road, in which I managed to avoid participation (well, except for that one time).
Stop lights are where the "vortex of stupidity" seemed to concentrate most often. I especially recall the time when a man got of his pickup truck, opened the passenger side door of the car in the left turn lane, climbed in and started throwing punches at the driver.
It is really hard to connect a punch when one is lying across a passenger seat. They both got out and started a ridiculous slap flight - like a couple of high-school girls.
Of course, they were blocking both lanes of the road, and all of the commuter traffic behind them. No place to go, just watch the show.
They finally got back in their respective vehicles and drove away. No gunplay from either party. And the rest of us drove off to work. A good time had by all.
Lifestyles (I hate that word)
Since I am retired (2007) I can live where ever I want (As long as there is a couple of feet of water under the keel.)
We've spent the past ten years in the islands of Southeast Alaska.
Everyone is armed for bear. Literally. We feel very safe. Most people here leave their keys in the car and have long forgotten where the front door key to the house is.
We have been spending the Winters in a very small town on an island with perhaps fifty miles of paved road. There are no strangers and, as I mentioned, everybody is packing.