My first place was outside DC with a long bus commute. Days the bus didn't come, I went up to the commuter road and stuck my thumb out, something that usually got me far enough into the city I could catch a more reliable bus (the Uber of the early 70s)

One day I got picked up by a mean old fart who lextued me on the dangers of hitching and then dumped me in Anacostia, presumably on his way to the Pentagon.

There were the junkies nodding in doorways like you expect to see in all poor areas, a lot of shocked expressions at the solitary white girl in the 'hood, and a few hate stares, probably from people who thought I was there to score.

SO I looked for people standing on a sidewalk, found them, and yeah, it was a bus stop. I said hi and asked them where the bus went and they asked me where I was going and then told me how to get there. I said my own bus didn't show and I'd hitched in and we did introductions all around and then the bus came. That was it.

Was I in any real danger there? Nah, I wasn't going out of my way to be a jerk. Besides, I'd navigated Boston areas that were at least as bad and trust me, the majority skin color had nothing to do with it.