The first gun ever “fired” at a US movie audience was in 1903, in a 10-minute silent film called The Great Train Robbery. In the film’s final shot, a robber points his revolver directly at the audience and fires twice. Many audience members shrieked or jumped for cover. It was a watershed moment in US history: … Read more
Someone’s lying to you. What are the odds you can tell? If you’re like the average person, not as good as you probably think. In fact, they’re only about 1 in 1.85, just a little better than a totally random 50-50. That’s according to Paul Kelly, a former Secret Service Special Agent, who served as a course … Read more
Fear of crime: it’s on the rise. But violent crime is dropping. Why the disconnect? We should feel safer. The FBI has been reporting reductions in violent crime for several years. The rate—which covers murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, and assault—has dropped steadily, from 469 per 100,000 inhabitants in 2005 to 454.5 in 2008. But if anything, we feel less safe. According to … Read more
In Vernon, California the odds a person will be the victim of a reported violent crime in a year are 1 in 1.67 (60%). Those are exactly the same odds that a person 40 – 59 years old will drink any type of coffee in a day. Given the popularity of Starbuck’s and Dunkin’ Donuts these days, … Read more
Nothing ruins a trip like the sight of a police car about to pull you over. One minute you’re blissfully cruising along, and the next you’re miserably watching other cars go by while you wait to find out if the officer will write you a speeding ticket—and how much it will cost you. And tickets … Read more
The world of dating is fraught with perils—from ill-conceived blind dates to the risk of rejection. But it’s not only egos that can get bruised. As if the psychological stress of dating weren’t enough, real violence happens all too often, and problems can start early. The odds a female high school student will be a … Read more
“Driving While Black” is a folksy term for racial profiling. But in many parts of the country it’s been replaced with “Driving While Hispanic.” The odds a Hispanic adult believes the use of racial profiling by traffic patrol is widespread are 1 in 1.59 (63%), very close to the odds a black adult shares that belief—1 in … Read more
Taking a cruise conjures up images of moonlit romance and high adventure—far from the worry of daily life. Yet cruise ships are no strangers to crime. In fact, executives of the cruise industry told Congress that of the 26 million cruise ship passengers from 2003 to 2005, 178 in North America reported sexual assaults. In addition, … Read more