Lebanon vs South Africa

Okay, so Marina and I are planning a trip to the Middle East. Everyone has been warning us about safety, and I guess rightly so. So just for fun I looked up the following on the web (it is from the Irish department of foreign affairs):

South Africa:
SAFETY & SECURITY

You should be aware of the global risk of indiscriminate terrorist attacks, which could be against civilian targets, including places frequented by foreigners.

CRIME

South Africa has a high-level of crime, including violent crime, rape and murder. While most cases occur in townships or in areas away from normal tourist destinations, no where is completely safe and visitors should exercise caution when travelling in both urban and rural environments, including most city centre areas at night. Walking at night is not advisable and many tourists consider public transport to be unsafe; private car rental is the safest option for independent travel and is favoured by most tourists. As elsewhere, please be particularly careful with personal items and valuables in markets and other places frequented by tourists.

Armed car-jacking is a serious concern throughout South Africa. Thefts and smash-and-grab robberies from vehicles are common. Drivers should keep their vehicle door locked and windows closed, and exercise caution when travelling, particularly at night and at filling stations.

Since early May there have been violent attacks on foreigners living in townships throughout SA . There have not been reports of attacks on tourists or business people and to date there has been no violence in tourist areas. Visitors are advised to exercise extreme caution and avoid travelling to townships. It would be prudent to avoid participating in organised tours of townships until calm is restored. Visitors should continue to monitor the local media for updated information.

Conclusion:

My conclusion is that I am about as unsafe here as I am there. Maybe read a bit further down about the shooting just by my block of flats. Statistics tells us that a woman is raped in South Africa every 17 seconds. This did not include the number of child rape victims. It was estimated that one in every two women would be raped . Oh my word! Ok now I'm being too serious.

Not to shun those who are trying to warn us. We do appreciate it and will be careful. We have a plan B in place in case the situation in the Middle East deteriorates.