Are You OK, Mate?

Those were the four words that Alex heard from a kind stranger as he was slumped over the steering wheel of his car, completely inebriated and not able to do much except waving back to indicate he was fine.


That's what happened when you had too much to drink. Alex would later pass out in the car for six hours before waking up and driving home.

That took place in a car park in the city last night. Now, if that had happened somewhere in KL, Alex would have been robbed of all his belongings while he was out and perhaps even thrown out of the car and had his car stolen too.

He was fortunate that Melbournians are much less likely to commit crime than fellows in KL. In fact, many are always ready to give a helping hand, like the stranger who asked Alex if he was okay. This is not to say that it's crime-free here. There are the ocassional break-ins, car thefts, murders and arson attacks.

But the frequency and extent of these crimes are much, much lower than in KL. You don't feel scared walking down the street at night. You need not worry that someone might break into your house if you've properly secured your doors and windows. Your kids are not likely to get snatched and pushed into a passing car while on their way to school.

Of course, you still have to be careful. That is a given. All I can say is that Alex was lucky he didn't pull that stunt while in KL. That would have been disastrous!