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When I was in the USAF for most of the 80s and 90s, I was stationed at Keesler (MS) and Gunter Annex (AL). There was a briefing that we were given before going to pick up POVs (personal vehicles) at the port in NO. Among other things, they "essentially" told us not to be there after dark. Certain parts of the town were OFF LIMITS no matter what! They even gave us a little map so we'd know where NOT to go.

Any other former (or current) USAF people on this thread ever received that briefing?

When I was in the USAF for most of the 80s and 90s, I was stationed at Keesler (MS) and Gunter Annex (AL). There was a briefing that we were given before going to pick up POVs (personal vehicles) at the port in NO. Among other things, they "essentially" told us not to be there after dark. Certain parts of the town were OFF LIMITS no matter what! They even gave us a little map so we'd know where NOT to go.

What did they think would happen in the forbidden areas?

I think New Orleans, even more than Texas, has long considered itself to be an entity separate from the United States. And they are. Unfortunately, they mostly resemble a disorganized Third World country that lives off vice and America's port operations in the area. But then, look at the history of the city...

I remember driving through New Orleans at night on I-10. After you pass downtown and the Superdome heading east, you run into this huge area of abandoned buildings off to the right of the highway. It was a massive area with nothing but rows of streetlights and no other lights anywhere. I've never seen so many abandoned buildings all together in one area, not even in the south side of Chicago. That city has been abandoned by a lot of people over the years.

I saw the usual tourist sights, including the French Quarter and I have to say I was totally underwhelmed by the whole place. I have no intrest in ever going there again, although the northern part of Louisiana was much more appealing to me. A friend of mine who worked in NO told me about the "blue light rapists" who operated in NO back in the 90's (and perhaps are still there). They put blue strobes on top of their cars and stopped cars carrying unsuspecting women to rape them. My friend said it got so bad at one point that the police told everyone not to stop anywhere for police cars, but follow real police cars to a police station. It seems there's been a certain level of chaos and anarachy in New Orleans for decades.