Why do privileged people with $ build gates and walls around their neighborhoods?

flyingfrog wrote:

Mexicans build walls around their homes and put broken glass on the top of them.

People do this throughout Latin America and most of the world. Not just rich people. Steel doors, big dogs, bars on the windows, hired security, ... It's a constant battle against thieves. Stayed with a friend of a friend in Bogata, kind of a lower-middle-class neighborhood. Barricaded with steel doors and bars at night and you did not step out at night.

I've worked in about 30 countries on different continents and I see this all over. Different degrees in different countries, different cities, different sections of cities, but very common. I work in "developing countries" and don't know what it's like in Western Europe and wealthy countries, however.

We in the US are very fortunate to live in such a low-crime area that we don't have to worry about this. In 40 years as an adult I've lived in the midwest, northeast, south, and southwest and have never had any security system, rarely locked my doors, and have never had anything stolen. We just bought a house on a cul-de-sac in a high-end neighborhood that has a fancy ADT security system that has vocal warning every time you open a door and stuff. I deactivated it and haven't bothered getting a contract. We don't really have anything of value to steal, other than my beloved Martin guitar. Maybe if we get some stuff I'll fire up the system.

Not replying to you just the post in general. A few decades ago a friends parents were driving through an affluent neighborhood in Kankakee, Illinois looking at Christmas decorations. They were driving a ford pickup truck as they were farmers. The Kankakee police stoped them inquiring what they were doing there. The cops weren't use to seeing pickup trucks in that area hence the pull over. They told the cops what they were doing and the cops could tell because of their advanced ages that they were being honest.

This wasn't a "gated community" but the police were still on alert for unusual pickup trucks driving around their beat. The cops were looking out for home owners who may not have been home that night.because of visiting family, friends, church or whatever.

Gated communities may be nice fore the ultra rich. But there is no substitute for actual beat cops who know their neighborhoods and aren't afraid to stop a WWII Vet and his wife for looking at the rich peoples Christmas decorations. This story has a happy ending. No one was shot at or killed and no arrests were made. And the old farmers were actually grateful that the local cops were doing their job. No hard feelings were shared by either side.

ispottedtheahole! wrote:Who or what are they trying to keep out?

Take a look in the mirror. We're trying to keep the riff-raff like you out of our neighborhoods.