Charleston Warnings and Dangers

Charleston is a bible belt state ruled by southern white rednecks and doing anything liberal will cause you trouble.

When I was 14, I had a man tried to rape me and the high school principal stopped it but the police made the comment that 14 yr old girls look very mature w/ the makeup and puberty so the male couldn't help himself.

I had a girlfriend who dated a cop and he hit her and I convinced her to go and file charges. We were told to leave the police station or they would find something to charge us with.

Another female, a stripper, showed up at a hotel for a bachlor's party (there was none there) and was gang raped. The police laughed and told her "that is what you get if you show your *** for a living"

and lastly, several females that I know used to go to college at night b/c they were married and had children or jobs during the day and they were sexually assaulted or stalked at a community college in the parking lot. The police told me (I asked about the incidents since I went to college there) that all a woman had to do was shower and the rape would go away and that if a woman didn't want to be raped, she shouldn't be out at night.

I grew up in N. Charleston and just recently moved to a small town in upstate SC. There are both good and bad places to go. There are some streets I don't go down in the daytime. Others no problem. Keep your doors locked and use common sense. The first thing I asked when I moved was what part of town do I need to stay away from. Find a local and ask them. They will tell you! If you didn't get a map get one mark where you intend on going and the best way to get there. If you are going somewhere after dark. It doesn't hurt to drive your route in the daytime. (There are a lot of one way streets downtown!) These can cause you to go where you didn't intend. Also, be careful of what information you give out in general conversation even to people you are with. The not so nice guys/gals are listening and you talking about where you parked the car and what time you are meeting back there isn't the best idea. Get my drift?! ? The battery is nice at night but the high school kids get a little rowdy sometimes. Stay in groups and be aware of your surroundings. DON'T Get someone to take a picture of you with your camera!!! You will out a camera before you know what hit you. If you go to either of the malls in West Ashley or North Charleston BE CAREFUL inside and in the parking lot. There is repeated incidents there.

This doesn't happen that often, but Charleston does feel the brunt of the hurricane season sometimes. Charleston was hit head on by Hurricane Hugo in 1989. Charleston has also been brushed by many hurricanes. Dennis, Irene, and Floyd all brushed up against Charleston in 1999, within months of each other.

As anyone who has been to Charleston knows...cheap parking is nearly impossible to find. There is one place that usually is open because tourists do not know about it. When driving down King ST, look for Saks Fifth Ave. After you pass Saks, there is a one way alley to the right. Drive straight o the end. Right in front of you is a large metered parking lot that usually has spaces. Most of the meters dont work anyway, but on Sundays it's free.

Just a little tip…

DO NOT go to North Charleston! Crime there is very high, I have lived in other cities with “High Crime Rates” but North Charleston is by far, the worse city I lived in. Maybe not all of it is bad, but no reason to come here as everything to see is Downtown Charleston. I love downtown ;).

Just read all the tips posted by others to insure your safety, as you would any city you are not familiar with.

In the night or day. Women alone. If a car pulls you over with flashing lights at night. Make sure it's a policeman before you roll that window down. They had rapes and sometimes killings with carjacking all over. Crack the window enough to slip your drivers lic. thru the window if your unsure. Make him show his ID. There is people that pose as police officers to.

Hurricane Season in Charleston runs roughly from July 4th through Thanksgiving. Charleston sits on sea level so even a Category 1 storm can cause damage especially if you are staying on Folly, Sullivan's, Kiawah, or Seabrook Island. Have a back-up plan if a storm threatens the area. If you need to evacuate, pack early and leave early! Head south on Hwy 17 to Savannah GA if feasible. Interstate 26 gets deadlocked easily. Another evacuation route is Hwy 52. Have multiple escape routes planned and have a full tank of gas and radiator fluid.

Charleston is relatively safe. There are police that patrol the historic district on foot and in vehicles. However you should exercise the same caution that you normally would in any city you're not familar with after dark.
The uppper part of the Peninsula's neighborhoods should be avoided. Those are typically above the interstate and the crosstown.