I don’t know, sounds like you hang out with a rough group. I grew up in Manhattan and have lived in the NY/NJ metro area my entire life and I have never seen stuff like that on a daily basis. Sometimes yes, of course. But not every day.
Full disclosure: as of right now I wouldn’t set foot in NYC if I could avoid it and remain worried about my brother who still lives there. He’s no tough guy, but he is tall, so hopefully he’ll stay safe.
Well, if so, do you ever watch TV shows or go to the movies? In those worlds, that people accept as being mostly realistic, people get in each others faces constantly. No arrests for assaults.