Selene03

I am much older than you are and am a woman. It can get freaky to be out photographing by oneself, but I do. I try to be careful. I also belong to a couple of camera clubs, have attended workshops and met camera friends through them. I love going out on photo trips with other people. It's just more fun. I have some smaller cameras I use if I am hiking, but I almost always do that with others. There are a lot of older people out there with cameras. I think really that finding a good photo club, or if there are any good photo stores near you, they often do workshops or group events. Canon San Francisco offers some workshops in the Sacramento area. They don't really care what kind of cameras you use and I have been on canon outings where people had Nikons and Sonys. Good luck.

camshot Loc: Peterborough ontario Canada

I used to visit relatives when I was in my teens, the U.S.A. was a place you could go anywhere without too much fear. I'm 86 now and very active, and I thank God I live in a place (Canada)where we do not have to fear walking down the main street late at night (our city Peterborough On. is now 80 thousand now) and still safe, as are our parks. I'm not bragging, well maybe a little, but like you all down there, feel so sad the way guns and violence is a way of life in your great country.

Nikon gal Loc: NC

Thank you for addressing this issue. I can relate to what you feel. I am female and lugging a portable o2 tank on my back and the camera around my neck . I really appreciate old-timers suggestions. Thank you both

WarpedWeaver

I have a type of taser device. It is about the size of a flip phone and has 2 metal prongs on one end that will spark and deliver a charge, through clothes if need be. There is an on/off switch as well as a button to deliver the charge. Very compact, fits in a pocket or purse easily.
I got my last two from an online supplier (don't remember which one).
One word of caution: check your local ordinances and make sure these are legal in your state. I have been carrying one for many years, since I was in my 30's, and had to give them up when we lived in NY state due to some laws about concealed weapons.

pminyard Loc: Bartlett, Tennessee

RE: Those are legitimate fears, John. And though I am not yet at the age where I have those fears I'm close enough to see your point. I would suggest finding a companion to enjoy your photography with you so that you aren't alone while enjoying yourself. It should be fun for you, not worrisome.[/quote]
To quote Smokey Robinson, I second that emotion. There's safety in numbers plus you'll have some around to laugh at your blunders!

traderjohn Loc: New York City

What is the ratio of those being shot by someone else's gun??? I'm sure that number far outweighs your own gun statement.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

The only difference between Fox and CNN and MSNBC is their bull$shit. One $hits on the left side the other on the right side. In the end, it's all bull $hit the truth is in another direction for left and right $hiters.

traderjohn Loc: New York City

Where is the lie????

jcboy3

I just want to know why you're picking on 60? Maybe 80 would be appropriate.

At any rate, you start with losing a physical ability, but your point about vulnerability is a psychological one. You should talk to a professional.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Isn't this sad? It's 2018- what is this "the wild west" or a war zone? It's unfortunate that ordinary folks, not police officers or military personnel, have to carry weaponry- firearms, taser devices, knives and defensive sprays just to feel safe while carrying on their their daily activities and pastimes. Seems folks can't enjoy a night out on the town at a night club, bar or disco joint or sit in peace in their houses of worship without the worry that some lunatic with an assault weapon may barge in and commit mass murder. Your life may be in peril at the local supermarket. When some folks become disgruntled about their politicians, media people or whoever- rather that writing letters, complaining and exercising their right to protest, they send out packages containing explosives, incendiary devices and toxic chemicals. Or they rent a truck and mow down defenseless pedestrians.

Meanwhile our so called leaders and representatives are so busily fighting among themselves that the are ignoring so many vital and long neglected domestic issues- Mental health, veterans affairs, logical and fair gun regulations rampant drug abuse and access to all kinds of dangerous substances beside guns and bomb making ingredients. "Juvenile delinquents" are rotting away in jails but the real bad guys are let loose- go figure!

For me- there were just too many guns! I know! I was born and raised in New York City and I grew up in a so-called inner city neighborhood. Kids were making guns out of ripped off radio car antennas with wooden frames and firing mechanisms improvised with rubber bands- the took .22- long ammunition. Guns were everywhere- seems everyone was packing! Banks employed armed guards at most branches. There was a bank in my neighborhood that received money for the N.Y.C. Transit Authority- three times a week there was a Brinks truck- guys with Thompson Sub Machine Guns on the steps and the roof. I passed this scene on the way to school. Oh- there was in armed officer at our school- well- he was in plain cloth. The clerks at the registered mail window at the post office carried S&W Detective Specials. My Grandfather was a jeweller and watchmaker- he carried precious metals and stones and also carried a snub-nosed .38! My father worked at a wholesale electronics distributorship- they handled lots of cash and were held up a number of times- all the counter- men were packing! The .38 came home with him every night- he kept it atop the china closet after work!

Even the "good guys" had horrible accidents. Many were carrying all this "heat" and were not exactly marksmen! The kept there guns around for years loaded with old ammo. The guy down the block tried to scare off a prowler with his "gauge"- fired a shot into the air and blew his own hand off! Theses were city folks- not big game hunters! Another tragedy always waiting for a place to happen- KIDS! You can lock you guns ins a vault but somehow kids get their hands on them!

Then I went into the service- MORE GUNS- what else? Went to Viet Nam! I won't "gross y'all out" (as my granddaughters say) with the gory details but I quickly learned that firing a gun and striking another human being ain't like in the Western movies- the don't just fall off their horse, clutch there shoulder and show up in the next scene with a bandage. The I came home! Folks called me a "baby burner"! My old neighborhood was ravaged by race-riots. The NYPD formd a unit called the Tactical Patrol Force (TPF)- this was the precursor to SWAT- theses guys had a TANK! I think the unit was comprised of officers who had previous issues with the use of excessive force.

I worked at a studio shooting weddings and portraits. On of our "weekend warriors" worked for a big landlord, during the week, as a rent collector. So, of course he packed what else? A snub nosed .38 and took the stupid thing to weddings. One fine evening he got into a snark-fest with a drunken guest and pulled out his peace. No shooting or anythg like that but with in 10 minutes the place look like a police station- folks were arrested- very nice for the bride and groom!

So...I went to the my favorite beach at Coney Island on the July 4th weekend. There were armed police with binoculars on the rooftops- looked to me like they had sniper equipment with telescopic sights. I went for a swim- grabbed a few rays and a Nathan's hot-dog , went home, packed my tooth brush and went away! That was 1968.

I usually avoid conversations, around here, about religion and politics, but I am sure y'all get my drift and my story. And the current political environment ain't helping!

John_F Loc: Minneapolis, MN

Some smartphones have GPS capability and isn't there an emergency app that will transmit coordinates to 911. The weakness of smartphones is when you are out of range of your provider and nothing picks up when yours is roaming.

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Nailed it. Props to you, my friend.

I choose not to live in fear, not to pre-emptively go after others whom I fear because of their genetics. I'm happy with that, and I'll live with the consequences.

Andy

jamesl Loc: Pennsylvania

--------------------

Possibly a dog would be a good idea.

Blenheim Orange Loc: Michigan

I don't know who people are listening to that has them quaking in their boots and so fear ridden, but I would suggest that you question who is doing all of this fear mongering and why. Get out there and live and stop being so scared.

Violent crime in the U.S. has fallen sharply over the past quarter century. The two most commonly cited sources of crime statistics in the U.S. both show a substantial decline in the violent crime rate since it peaked in the early 1990s. One is an annual report by the FBI of serious crimes reported to police in approximately 18,000 jurisdictions around the country. The other is an annual survey of more than 90,000 households conducted by the Bureau of Justice Statistics, which asks Americans ages 12 and older whether they were victims of crime, regardless of whether they reported those crimes to the police.

Using the FBI numbers, the violent crime rate fell 48% between 1993 and 2016. Using the BJS data, the rate fell 74% during that span. (For both studies, 2016 is the most recent full year of data.) It’s important to note that the FBI reported a 7% increase in the violent crime rate between 2014 and 2016, including a 20% rise in the murder rate —from 4.4 to 5.3 murders per 100,000 residents. The BJS figures do not show an increase in the violent crime rate between 2014 and 2016, but they do not count murders. The BJS figures for 2016 also reflect a survey redesign, making it difficult to compare directly to prior years.

Property crime has declined significantly over the long term. Like the violent crime rate, the U.S. property crime rate today is far below its peak level. FBI data show that the rate fell 48% between 1993 and 2016, while BJS reports a decline of 66% during that span. Property crime includes offenses such as burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft, and it is generally far more common than violent crime. There was no documented increase in the property crime rate between 2014 and 2016.

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2018/01/30/5-facts-about-crime-in-the-u-s/

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

Facts don't matter to those who profit from fear mongering.

Andy