In societies where life is valued individually it is easy for media to fear monger. Fear sells, just like sex. Developing countries like Russia, China, India, etc., are almost numb to loss of life as it happens so regularly.
Bigger towns and cities also have a lot of transient workers, you may not know your neighbors for more than 6 months and develop some trust.
I remember visiting a friend in a small town in Holland back in the 90s. We had a fairly big party and run out of beer. We took the empty cases and went to a store way past midnight. We came to the store and opened the gate and went inside (it wasn't locked!), put the empties back and took a few cases of Amstel. I asked if he's related and how he's going to pay, he just said he's not related and will pay the next day. Nobody even bothered to lock the house. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't happen in Amsterdam.
After the immigration wave things have changed.
Bigger towns and cities also have a lot of transient workers, you may not know your neighbors for more than 6 months and develop some trust.
I remember visiting a friend in a small town in Holland back in the 90s. We had a fairly big party and run out of beer. We took the empty cases and went to a store way past midnight. We came to the store and opened the gate and went inside (it wasn't locked!), put the empties back and took a few cases of Amstel. I asked if he's related and how he's going to pay, he just said he's not related and will pay the next day. Nobody even bothered to lock the house. I'm pretty sure this wouldn't happen in Amsterdam.
After the immigration wave things have changed.