I've lived in a big city for years now. Never seen anybody get mugged, or shot, or carjacked, despite doing activist work that often has me visiting poor minority neighborhoods.
The only time I ever really felt uneasy was when I had to walk alone at night through a neighborhood where all the businesses had bars on the windows. Worst thing that happened was a couple of people asking me for money, and they didn't give me any shit when I said I didn't carry cash.
But any time I visit the small town where I grew up there's always someone or another acting like I came back from a fucking warzone lmao
They do, I'm not saying rural life is objectively better though. It's all trade offs, I prefer the rural areas. Why do you cringe at the idea that someone would prefer to live in the rural areas. I can understand why you'd live in the city. I just won't accept when shitheads looks down on me for my preferences.