# 20 of the World's Most Dangerous Places **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 29, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874 "2008-11-29T02:39:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/1 "2008-11-29T02:39:24Z")
See them [here](http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/3533883/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places.html). Thailand has made the list, Woo Hoo! 🆒 😃 Mainly because of the recent street protests. Honestly, though, I’d hardly call it “dangerous” … yet. and the southern provinces mentioned are the deep South and outside the normal tourist route. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/2 "2008-11-29T03:01:33Z")
So… it’s not a list of The World’s Most Dangerous Places… just a list of 20 Places, in the World, that are Dangerous to an unspecified degree, by certain limited criteria. A list of 20 Dangerous Places in the World, some of which may or may not be among the Top 20 Actual Most Dangerous Places in the World; readers are invited to draw their own conclusions. That article has many similarities to useful information. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/3 "2008-11-29T04:18:38Z")
Why did they list countries? I thought it was going to list specific places. Weird. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/4 "2008-11-29T04:26:09Z")
The editors probably rejected the article’s original title: “20 Countries With The Most Dangerous Citizens.” ---
**Author:** ![Skylark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@Skylark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skylark)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 8:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/5 "2008-11-29T08:13:30Z")
Oh neat. I live in one of those places. ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/6 "2008-11-29T11:12:30Z")
What, no love for Pripyat? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 11:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/7 "2008-11-29T11:23:07Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > So… it’s not a list of The World’s Most Dangerous Places… Did anyone say it was? > [@](#): > > readers are invited to draw their own conclusions. It’d be better for readers to be told what conclusions they should come to? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/8 "2008-11-29T13:32:25Z")
Iraq and Afghanistan dangerous? No wonder I was able to get such cheap deals. In fact, I’ve heard the US Government will fly you there and back for free (for stays of a year or longer). ---
**Author:** ![Eureka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/74df32/32.png) [@Eureka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eureka)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/9 "2008-11-29T13:42:12Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > So… it’s not a list of The World’s Most Dangerous Places… just a list of 20 Places, in the World, that are Dangerous to an unspecified degree, by certain limited criteria. > > A list of 20 Dangerous Places in the World, some of which may or may not be among the Top 20 Actual Most Dangerous Places in the World; readers are invited to draw their own conclusions. > > That article has many similarities to useful information. On Thanksgiving, someone turned the TV to the National Geographic Channel (may not be the real name). We watched a show called something like “America’s Deadliest Dozen”. Or rather, it aired a show on America’s Deadliest Dozen and we made snarky comments about the effort needed to make a Gila Monster look scary. Some of the animals are scary, and some–especially insects–are potentially fatal but so rare it’s hardly worth the effort to know that they are lethal, and some are so non-agressive that a little common sense ought to keep one safe. That show had many similarities to useful information (or not). ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/10 "2008-11-29T14:07:19Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Did anyone say it was? > It’d be better for readers to be told what conclusions they should come to? :dubious: Well, you tell me. If someone includes your username on a list entitled “20 of the SDMB’s Most Stupid Posters,” what are they saying about you? They’re not saying that you’re among the SDMB’s 20 Most Stupid Posters. They’re not saying that you’re an especially stupid person. Arguably, they’re not even claiming you’re stupid at all. So what would be the purpose of such a list title? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/11 "2008-11-29T14:19:09Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Well, you tell me. If someone includes your username on a list entitled “20 of the SDMB’s Most Stupid Posters,” what are they saying about you? Errrrrrm…they’re saying something different than if the list was called “The 20 most stupid posters”? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/12 "2008-11-29T14:22:42Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > Errrrrrm…they’re saying something different than if the list was called “The 20 most stupid posters”? Why, so they are. Now you tell me: what are they saying? What meaningful information is conveyed by such a list? ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/13 "2008-11-29T16:03:16Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Why, so they are. Now you tell me: what are they saying? > > What meaningful information is conveyed by such a list? What’s wrong with simply summarising various conflicts around the world, some ever-present in our media, others often ignored or forgotten? ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/14 "2008-11-29T16:34:58Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > What’s wrong with simply summarising various conflicts around the world, some ever-present in our media, others often ignored or forgotten? Because that isn’t what they claimed to be doing. That would be a list entitled, “A Summary of 20 Conflicts Around the World.” I take it that you wouldn’t object to being on the “20 of the SDMB’s Most Stupid Posters” list. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/15 "2008-11-29T16:38:30Z")
> [@Ranchoth](#): > > What, no love for Pripyat? If your trip there lasts longer than 4 hours you’re supposed to call a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/16 "2008-11-29T16:55:28Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Because that isn’t what they claimed to be doing. That would be a list entitled, “A Summary of 20 Conflicts Around the World.” What’s incorrect or misleading about the actual headline? > [@](#): > > I take it that you wouldn’t object to being on the “20 of the SDMB’s Most Stupid Posters” list. I find this objectionable, and ask you to take it back. ---
**Author:** ![Terrifel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c68b51/32.png) [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/17 "2008-11-29T17:14:30Z")
> [@GorillaMan](#): > > I find this objectionable, and ask you to take it back. Why? What’s incorrect or misleading about it? ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/18 "2008-11-29T17:58:08Z")
> [@Terrifel](#): > > Why, so they are. Now you tell me: what are they saying? > > What meaningful information is conveyed by such a list? It’s probably just the tendency of the U.S. media to sensationalize, like the T.V. shows about poisonous animals. The State Department does the same thing. They say, “Don’t go to this country, it’s dangerous.” But really, they’re mostly just playing it safe. Colombia is on the list, and I lived there for nearly two years, but I lived on the Caribbean coast, where few kidnappings or bombings happen, and the worst thing that happened to me in the city was getting stopped by the National Police late one night while coming home from buying some beer. They pointed their machine guns at me, and searched my bag. CO: Que hay? Subordinate: Cerveza… …Fria. Then they drove off. I did get interrogated at gunpoint by guerrillas while camping in the mountains near Santa Marta, but after an hour or so of discussion, they let us go on good terms. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/19 "2008-11-29T18:18:46Z")
> [@guizot](#): > > It’s probably just the tendency of the U.S. media to sensationalize British media, too 😉 > [@](#): > > The State Department does the same thing. They say, “Don’t go to this country, it’s dangerous.” But really, they’re mostly just playing it safe. It’s clear just how silly it is to get a travel journalist to write an article such as this if you compare it to the Foreign Office travel advice for the places listed - there’s a _ahem_ remarkable similarity in places. ---
**Author:** ![KGS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/90ced4/32.png) [@KGS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KGS)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874/20 "2008-11-29T19:12:45Z")
I wonder if India would’ve made the list before this week. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/20-of-the-worlds-most-dangerous-places/474874.md?page=2)