I'm not as comfortable in this city as I was. I no longer walk home from the subway at night, even though it takes only a few minutes. I get nervous in my parking garage after dark. I'm not even completely at ease in broad daylight. I've grown suspicious of strangers.

Last fall, there was a rash of break-ins in my building. So, I got a deadbolt. A few weeks ago, I learned that double locks haven't dissuaded the thieves. They're at it again. Each time I come home, I wonder if my belongings will still be there. Sometimes I don't want to leave my apartment. But who knows if the thieves are violent? Perhaps it would be better if I wasn't home.