Stories from Switzerland: Safety First

An outlook shown through short stories about food, culture, travel and humor.

I have never felt safer than I do in Switzerland-this goes for all aspects: from pedestrian safety, safety at home, etc. I’ve heard that Switzerland is a safe country and this is really true. For example, I feel comfortable walking alone at night, something I wouldn’t do in my home country. It’s also the little things. For example, it’s very common in a multi-story apartment building to have people store your packages, (such as an online purchase) on the stairwell for you. In my home country, I would be concerned someone would steal my package or leave it outside. There is a level of trust here which I appreciate. The children even are in a safe environment here. It’s common that young children, around Pre-K age have proper training on how to cross the street. They are given this training by the local police, which encourage parents to let their kids walk to/from school alone. In other countries this practice would be unheard of. You can see this in reality-while driving to and from my house, I see young children, usually in groups of 2–3 walking together with their brightly colored neon yellow vests on. As they approach a crosswalk or an intersection, cars slow down and pause for them so they can cross the street. Switzerland sets the example for the safety standard other countries should follow.