What if there is no unsavory character to be spotted?
What if it is simply a neighborhood?
What if you car broke down on Martin Luther King Blvd in any major urban area at 1:00 am?
What if it’s not a neighborhood, but rather an entire city?
Avoiding being in such scenarios isn’t exactly racism either, but I’d say it is prejudice, and that it is smart, and race is most certainly involved in such thought processes.