How safe is Moscow for Americans?

[atacama]

Now let's be practical -
How does on avoid thus subways and underground/under the street passes,
which are deserted, if one wants to cross the street ?

I tend to wait until another person also wants to walk in the same
direction, which means hanging around waiting, which is also bad, as it
looks like suspicious behaviour, or I plan my walking route in such a way
that I cross the street on the surface, so that I do not need to cross it
underground many metres further down.

I travel alone, as a woman, and yes - I try to be home by dark - say 9-ish
pm so as not to get stuck in railways stations (eg Kiev) much later, but I
do pop out up to midnight to fetch some milk from the street kiosks closeby
(on my side of the street) and I have walked, having planned my route, up
to 10pm along the main street, eg New Arbat to Kutuzov prospect.

I think caution and common-sense is important.

Night Trains ? in 1st class one is issued with special deadlocks so that
you may lock yourself in the compartment.
If these are not provided, I travel with wire coathangers and wrap up the
locking system, that no one can get in from the outside.

Russian is probably 75% less dangerous than S Africa, where I live, so we
have developed a 6th sense against predators.

Vera Belajkova
Johannesburg.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                http://members.home.net/lists/seelangs/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------