2) Looking like a badass may or may not help, depending on whether the potential perpetrator is after your money or your status.
This is an extremely important point. If you’re in an area where the main threat is from muggers who just want money with minimal hassle and risk, projecting a convincing “don’t mess with me” attitude is a powerful deterrent. However, if the main threat is from local hooligan gangs who beat up people for sports and to show off, it will have the opposite effect, since they’ll see it as a provocation (if you’re a man, at any rate).
From what I’ve noticed, in North America you’re much more likely to encounter the former, and in Eastern Europe the latter type of threat. There are of course significant local exceptions, especially in EE: touristy places with a lot of clueless foreigners are likely to attract muggers, pickpockets, purse-snatchers, etc. rather than hooligans, whereas in lower-class neighborhoods the gangs of local ne’er do wells are often around looking for trouble.
This is an extremely important point. If you’re in an area where the main threat is from muggers who just want money with minimal hassle and risk, projecting a convincing “don’t mess with me” attitude is a powerful deterrent. However, if the main threat is from local hooligan gangs who beat up people for sports and to show off, it will have the opposite effect, since they’ll see it as a provocation (if you’re a man, at any rate).
From what I’ve noticed, in North America you’re much more likely to encounter the former, and in Eastern Europe the latter type of threat. There are of course significant local exceptions, especially in EE: touristy places with a lot of clueless foreigners are likely to attract muggers, pickpockets, purse-snatchers, etc. rather than hooligans, whereas in lower-class neighborhoods the gangs of local ne’er do wells are often around looking for trouble.