So, recently released was an app for iOS called SketchFactor. In short, this app basically allows users to report 'sketchy' moments in cities and towns. It publishes them to a map and lets users view what (apparently) goes on in these cities and towns. MY 9 NJ did a story on it a few weeks ago, but I forgot to post it because I got sidetracked.
http://www.my9nj.com/story/26279901/new-jerseys-sketch-factor
So, what are your thoughts? Do we need an app like this? Personally, the real bad areas are generally known to people just by word of mouth or other means. For example, you don't need to tell me twice to avoid South Central Los Angeles at night, just like riding through Chicago's South Side is probably a really bad idea. Having been to Trenton, which is the city featured in the story, I've been around pretty much every neighborhood in Trenton - some of them look pretty damn ghetto, but others? They don't look bad, and they probably aren't during the day on most days. As the article points out, racism could be a large factor, primarily in majority-black cities/towns/neighborhoods where conditions aren't exactly favorable to live in.
Also, after using the app periodically, it seems that most of the sketchy factors are common events you would find in large urban areas, such as prostitution, drug dealing, etc. Philadelphia has over 30 "sketchy things" on the map and half of them are what you would expect in a city of that size!
It seems like an app for paranoid people to communicate with other paranoid people.
Could be useful for tourists or people new to an area who don't know where the bad neighborhoods are.
No one on earth takes this app seriously. These are actual quotes from some of the Columbus ones:
Quotenothing bad, place is a nice piece of white heaven, surrounded by a pool of black. Little to no crime, and the black registered sex offender has been "suggested" to move which he did. And we didn't even have to light the cross on his lawn lol.
Quotetwo meth bangers tried showing me their droopy tits for some Tim bits and a mocha freeze. We declined.