Review: Information is power, including staying safe in a big city
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2012
San Francisco is one of the most interesting, cultured and exciting cities in the United States, and it attracts millions of tourists per year. But like all major cities, it has a dark side - areas or neighborhoods with higher crime rates than others.The first-time visitor may naturally be wondering where the "good parts' of town are, and which are the "bad." You could ask around when you get there, or maybe do a bit of research beforehand - but maybe there is a faster, easier way to get a head's up.Michael Gard has stepped in with a quick and convenient solution which leverages the Amazon Kindle. His "Stay Safe in San Francisco Crime Map" is formatted for the Kindle and provides maps of the entire city with those "problematic" areas shaded in with a diagonal cross-hatch pattern.So this is basically a series of 11 maps, including a key map page, which very quickly and easily shows the reader which sections of the city tend to experience higher crimes. I was viewing this document on my bottom-of-the-line Kindle 6" black-n-white screen. The streets and names are tiny and somewhat difficult to read, but overall, practical enough. This set of "Crime Maps" will obviously be better viewed with larger devices with larger screens, and color.Gard also offers some crime tips, and shows some sensitivity in suggesting that the purpose of his document is to not show where the "ghettos" are.  He writes: "By no means are all such zones ghettos." Rather, he is simply suggesting that it doesn't hurt to know, based on his research, where crime is more likely to occur in San Francisco so that you can avoid those areas if you want to.I imagine if this set of ebook maps are a success, many other cities will follow, and maps of other cities are already available, a quick net search tells me. I can find no fault with what he's trying to do here. This is a high-quality document which seeks to serve a need and provide people with useful information.