The city can be a dangerous place to travel through on foot at any time . If your'e walking in the city , day or night , and a bad guy sees something you have that he wants . Or something about you says that you would be an easy victim . Even if there are other people around some badguys will not hesitate in robbing you . They know that most people will not get involved and help you . In a disaster/shtf scenario it would be a thousand times more dangerous . luck would play a big part of surviving in a city , especialy for someone who is not familiar with the surroundings . I have lived in a city and have walked through some areas that I probably shouldn't have . Believe me , a city is not a place you want to be in a disaster . Personaly , I would not want to BO on foot , unarmed in the city or the country . A firearm may not save me but I think it would tip the odds in my favor . But if you are inexperienced or uncomfortable with firearms then I'd say DON'T carry them . Let's say 3 or 4 creeps were going to rob you . If you had no gun to defend yourself , you would have to give up all your stuff . They might decide to beat the crap out of you or kill you just for fun , If you are a woman or are with a woman or girl , I think you can guess what might happen . On the other hand , if you did pull a gun to protect yourself , you better be prepared to use it .