It's not all tv hype. Once when I did jury duty, they polled the potential jurors with the question of who has been the victim of a crime, or known someone who was the victim of a crime, and every single person (about 100 people) raised their hands.
That's a pretty broad question, though, depending on what your definition of "crime" is. A bunch of little kids opened the door on my car and stole all my change, and then came into the Wendy's where I was working and bought food with it. Was it a crime? Yes. Was I a "victim"? eh?

I can't imagine anyone who has never ever had something taken from them in some way or another. All "victims" of crime. But it is a matter of degree.

You're right...what risk are you willing to take? What's the benefit of taking the risk? We all have to decide that for ourselves.

If I didn't ride on rural roads, I wouldn't be able to ride at all.

Karen