If you walk without looking down, all the time, you will end up in a four foot deep open sewer here in Subang Jaya, and it has happened to expats in the past, especially ones who enjoy a few too many treats during "happy hour". We have open sewers along the roads and sidewalks, wide open and deep. If you aren't looking down when you walk, chances are, you are going down. You're also dodging cars, mopeds and jigsaw style sidewalks. Walking along a strip mall here is very good exercise because one is constantly dodging holes, crevices, stairs, and uneven joints.
Urban and city planners from the West would cringe in Subang Jaya because the potential for personal injury is high. Some areas are under construction and the sewers have been covered over. Kuala Lumpur is nice and safe, in most areas.
Wherever there is a MacDonald's, Starbucks, Burger King or any other Western coffee shop or restaurant, the area in front is covered and safe. It's the only time one can walk and look up.
