Maybe I've led a charmed life. I used to walk the 4 miles home to Erdington from the centre of Birmingham as a teen and twenty, if I missed the last 'bus. I lived and worked, and went mostly on foot, in New Cross, Deptford and Peckham for 5 years and the only time I was attacked was on the tube in central London by a drunken football "fan". He was too drunk to land a punch with any force, fortunately, but to add insult to injury he was an Aston Villa supporter (as I was in my youth!).
Now I only have to avoid drunken hooray henries after race meetings in Ascot!
RtS