In my opinion it’s by and large restricted to bigger cities, and I think even worse in France and Germany.
As you can probably see from some of the reactions here, discussing such issues can be uncomfortable for some, particularly those who wish to bury their head in the sand and pretend it’s not happening.
Don’t be daft, nobody said that. The post was the forum equivalent of Vaguebooking with no real helpful information but asking for advice where the OP could live that didn’t have a high number of non-Europeans. The reactions reflected that.
Nobody has done that but you do you and put your own spin on it, why change the habits of a lifetime eh?
I’m no sexy 30-something. But, I do have an alternative look, drug dealers surround me like flies to s**t. Sometimes to the point of harassment.
Only time I’ve felt genuine fear in Switzerland was while using one ATM/bancomat on a building façade in city center. I was putting the money on my wallet when some loud guy approaching while talking to me. It took me 10 seconds to realize it was an overtly jovial drug dealer. Indeed, he wanted my money, but the context was not armed robbery 
One curious thing is that a sexy 30-something may be out of place in that neighborhood. So, @puravida looks like a customer from more affluent places searching for some fun. No surprise the amount of unwanted attention.
Another issue is that there is people happily living there. As a student, I went to rent for a while in place like that. Yes, I’m guilty of poverty tourism. People with “alternative lifestyles” also end up there. Bunch of immigrants and said drug dealers too. Same things happen all around the world, so a bit of a surprise to read that only happens in a small spot in Basel.
Quite so. Racist Troll, at that.
Admins please remove.
In my experience the drug dealers are a different demographic than the people the OP is referring to and don’t harass women in the same way.
I was often harassed in that way when we lived in Lyon but by far the most threatened I felt was when a young French man came on to me and started following me in his car in the middle of the afternoon. I took refuge in the nearby post office to get away from him and reported it to the police although unfortunately I was too busy getting out of his way to think of taking his number plate.
I rarely venture outside, but was in Basel last week and noticed a large rowdy bunch at a tram stop shouting abuse at passersby. You can imagine the sort, same kind who hang around the SBB: drunk, holding cans of beer, look like they’ve been in a fight and about to start another one.
Given that they are harassing everybody who passes them on a busy street, I wonder why the police don’t do something about it?
after your post I’m now curious what kind of look that would be 
The worrisome part is that guy has shortish hair 
So, the alternative look is only the hair, metal band t shirt, and a bit care free attitude.
Back to puravida’s question. I guess she had the chance to land in a spicy neighborhood. Switzerland is not like that at all.
It is, but there are facts that must not be said. Your initial restraint to be more specific is reflecting that.
City centers and the areas around train stations (which are often the same) are notorious for all kinds of problems. So depending on your means of transport it may be difficult to evade these areas by moving further away. Moving out of the center alone is likely to be quite an improvement even if you stay within Basel.
Someone said in an earlier post they thought this was a troll, I thought it was up there with the thread started on Rigourous Reformed Church in Basel.
TBH, I’ve never really felt unsafe as a woman in Basel even when I lived in Kleinbasel. It did start getting a bit iffy before I left in 2018 as there were more dealers around, particularly Africans, but then again we lived across from the red light zone at Clara so it was to be expected. Watching the activity of the corner of the red light from our 5th floor balcony was fascinating, the girls down there should have been giving lessons in how to network. I still go back to Clara for shopping and cinema.
I just saw it as an experience, I wouldn’t be tempted to live near dealers and hookers in Scotland
I’m not saying this to be rude but I think it tends to be younger women who cop the brunt of the cultural enrichment/harassment and subsequently feel more unsafe.
Eh? None of that word salad makes sense other than your ‘I don’t mean to be rude but I’m going to be rude’ bit.
You should have seen his previous version.
That an older lady might not experience the same level of sexual harassment that a younger woman typically would.
Are you a younger woman, KK? While the problem might be very real, it doesn’t look like you’ve experienced this yourself. Yet you write as if it happens to you on a daily basis or something.
Do you wear a mini-skirt?
Dear @greenmount , I am not a feminist, but that question is a declaration of war…why she cannot wear a miniskirt?
Of course HE can.
Btw, I can’t help commenting on KK’s posts here because otherwise he’s very much anti-feminism.
