cameras and crime

I wasn't sure where to post this, but I'm wondering what kind of precautions you take when shooting in cities. I've been advised countless times not to carry my camera in plain sight (e.g., around my neck) and to use a camera bag that doesn't look like a camera bag. Seems kind of crazy to bring a camera if you can't use it. How do others handle this?

Um I can't say for cities like New York or the City of Brotherly love but here in my city its pretty ok as far as ganstas go. It also helps I am the size of a WWF wrestler but I have never heard of anyone getting their camera ripped off here. But basically if I was to go to a city with muggers I would still take pictures and not worry about it. I just wouldn't be going to harlem with an expensive camera.

In cities I have found the more trouble is with security officers telling you that you can not take pictures here, there or even outside the building. Which is just great for me since my main interests in photography are Landscapes and Architecture!

I once had my little camera and I was going to buy this chair but I wanted to know how it would look in my house so I took a picture of it, to later be photoshoped in my living room at the same angle. I tell ya you'd think I just shot someone! With in seconds salesmen were saying "No no you can't take pictures" and all I did was take a picture of a chair.

So my advice if any is get a small compact camera like a Powershot A85/95 and use that in less secure areas. The peace of mind is worth the couple of hundred dollars and the quality of the camera is pretty close that of a 4/5 MP SLR from Canon.