Life in the USA

Crime in America
Crime is a real problem in America. America is a violent country with an immense prison population. People accused of crimes have numerous rights and protections in America, and while this protects citizens from being persecuted by the state and by the police, it also makes the life of a criminal a little easier.
Avoid becoming a crime victim. Follow simple rules to protect yourself. Your local police will probably have a published set of guidelines about protecting yourself and your property. (Protection against property crimes such as burglary is covered in the section Living in an American Community.)
Bad Neighborhoods. The first thing you will need to do if you move to a large city is to find out which areas are "bad" neighborhoods. You'll avoid walking in some of these neighborhoods at night. Others you'll avoid completely, day or night.


Pickpockets
Men are particularly vulnerable to pickpockets. They should avoid carrying a wallet in their rear trouser pocket. The inside jacket pocket or side trouser pocket is better, especially if the wallet is turned sideways. Wrapping a rubber band around a wallet makes it harder to lift. Watch out for crowds and sudden commotions, which are meant to distract you, or if someone drops something in front of you and bends down to pick it up, or if someone bumps into you.


Street Crime
Both men and women should follow certain basic rules to avoid street thefts and muggings. Don't carry too much money. When making a purchase, or even in a bank, don't flash the money around. If someone with a weapon demands your money, give it to him. Try to remember details about the criminal's appearance. Call the police immediately.

Self Defense
It can be dangerous to even think about self defense when faced with violent crime. An attempt at self defense can turn a robbery into a murder--your own. If it's only a matter of the money in your wallet or purse, give the criminal the money. Don't antagonize or make fun of the criminal.
Self-defense schools are widely found throughout the United States. They teach oriental "martial arts" such as karate, kung fu, tae kwan do, judo and aikido, which are widely practiced as regular sports. Actually using these techniques, however, can be dangerous. It takes many years of practice to become effective at these disciplines to protect yourself against someone who threatens you with a knife or a gun or is twice your size. Any local adult education program or community college will have a self defense and protection against crime program. Once again, your public library is the best source for information.

Confidence Games
Confidence games often victimize foreigners or people who cannot speak English. A confidence artist may even be a person from your own ethnic group or country, who specializes in building trust based on your common national heritage.
Be extremely wary about any situation in which you and another person "find" money. One sign of a confidence game is that the other person trusts you too easily, then wants you to come up with some money to prove your honesty. Another common swindle involves fortune tellers or "reader-advisors" who tell you that your money is "cursed". Rest assured that they would be happy to take the "cursed" money off your hands--and spend it.
If some thing or situation seems "too good to be true", it probably is. Hundreds of confidence games and swindles exist. Sophisticated companies advertise goods by mail that are never delivered. Other companies operate legally--but very deceptively--by telling you that you have "won a prize", and that they are ready to send it to you once you pay them a "handling charge" of $20.00 or so. (If you ever do receive the prize, be sure you will be cruelly disappointed at its quality; it will never be worth more than the "handling charge.") You might have someone come up to you on the street and try to sell you a watch or television which has supposedly been stolen. Cheap and worthless imitations of expensive goods are often sold on the streets. Supposed appliances are sold on the street in sealed, shrink-wrapped boxes filled actually with newspapers (anyone can buy a plastic shrink-wrapping machine).
Another confidence game to watch out for is "Three-Card Monte" or the "Shell Game", played out on the street. You cannot win this game. Skilled gangs use "shills" who look like normal people and who actually win money at these games. The spectators then get excited and lose their own money very quickly.
Many confidence games exist. Your local police department will probably have a publication that can help you avoid them. Your local public library might also have some information.

Professional Beggars Professional beggars, also known as "panhandlers" are common in most American cities. Most will have some kind of "hard luck story." A common story is that they are stuck and need just a few dollars for train-fare to get somewhere. The story might be long and elaborate. Some will just look as miserable as possible and hold out a paper cup, or attempt to wash your automobile windshield (even if it is already clean). No matter how convincing the story may seem--and a professional panhandler can be very convincing--it will be untrue ninety-nine out of a hundred times. You would do much more good contributing directly to one of the many charities that help homeless people.

Illegal Drugs Many drugs are illegal in America. Other legal and prescription dugs are misused and abused. The two most controversial illegal drugs are heroin and cocaine, along with the cocaine derivative "crack." Marijuana is widely smoked in the United States but has been largely decriminalized. The "War Against Drugs" is a nationwide movement, created by politicians and embraced by the schools, media and other institutions, to fight drug abuse and the illegal drug business. The slogan of this movement is "Just Say No." Many responsible people in America believe that some or all drugs should be legalized, since the fact that they are now illegal doesn't seem to help cut down on drugs use, and creates drug gangs and violence in the cities.

Prostitution Prostitution is illegal everywhere in the United States except for parts of Nevada. It takes many forms, from common streetwalkers to expensive "call girls" and "escort services" in urban areas. With the recent AIDS problem, prostitution has become a very dangerous profession. A person patronizing a prostitute runs a high risk of disease. Prostitutes can also commit robberies and other violent crimes, or involve their customers in scandals and other unpleasant arrangements. Most Americans are not open-minded or understanding about prostitution.

If You Are Accused If you are accused of a crime be aware that you have the same rights as an American and that the arresting officer must inform you of them. You have the right to remain silent--and you should until you are represented by a lawyer. If you cannot afford a lawyer, the government must appoint one for you. If you are abused or beaten by law enforcement officers or if you think you have been mistreated in any way, there are many people in the government, public service organizations, and the media who will want to know about it so they can help you. The United States has its problems, but in no other country on earth are the rights of accused persons as extensive.


Gambling
Gambling exists in both legal and illegal forms in America. Many states have lotteries with "jackpots" running into millions of dollars. Some lotteries ask you to choose a series of numbers, with winning numbers advertised on television or posted in the "Lotto" stores. Other lotteries have "instant winners" where you rub off a metallic film from the ticket to see if you have won something. These lotteries don't give particularly good returns on your money when compared with casinos and horse racing, but the profit from them supposedly goes to a worthwhile cause, such as education.
Casino gambling used to be available only in the state of Nevada and the city of Atlantic City, New Jersey, which combined the gambling with elaborate hotels and top-name entertainment. In recent years laws have changed to allow casinos on cruise-boats, Indian reservations, and elsewhere. Games, odds and procedures will differ according to the location.
Race Tracks. Horse and dog (greyhound) race tracks are common in many states. This is known as "pari-mutuel" betting, where the total amount bet for each particular race is split among the winners, with the track and the government taking their share of course. The Spanish/Basque sport of J'ai alai is also offered on this basis in some states, particularly Florida and Connecticut. In some states also, off-track betting is a legal, state-run enterprise.
Illegal gambling takes all forms. Illegal off-track betting or "bookmaking" is common. So are illegal lotteries, the "numbers" game. Illegal casinos, cock fights, dog fights, and an elaborate system of illegal sports betting can be found everywhere. Illegal gambling is usually connected to "organized crime." While some highly religious Americans and social reformers still campaign against gambling, it is not a major social issue.
Gambling can be pathological for some people. An organization called Gambler's Anonymous helps people with gambling problems.