Bari Warnings and Dangers

I can give you only an advice: in the Old town,it's useful and sufficient to keep one's eyes open,during the day;during the night,maybe it could be better to stay on the borders next to the Borgo Murattiano,full of life and bar/pizzerie/restaurants,or however not to penetrate too much in not popular areas.In the Borgo Murattiano,there aren't any problems.
If you drive in the city,you have to pay attention too,because the Bari's citizens aren't often so polite on the road...

I had plenty of time as I was proceeding from the train station to the ferry station and I would dearly have liked to have had a quick look at the old quarter and sit down at a cafe and have a cafe.
BUT - before I left Rome I read a guide book (was it Lonely Planet?) and it terrified the life out of me saying that women should only go into the old quarter in pairs during daylight, and never go in at night at all!
It looked so quiet and peaceful as I peered in that I am sure if I hadn't read the guide book I would have not thought twice about it.
What on earth goes on in there? Does anyone know?

The Sveti Stefan ferry, which runs from Bar, Montenegro to Bari, Italy and back, has a few lifeboats. However, there most certainly were not enough lifeboats considering there were hundreds of passengers on the ship we took over from Bari to Bar.

Of course, the Titanic came instantly to mind.