Oh I have no doubt other places do it. I don't think it's a one size fits all thing for sure.
I do think claiming safety makes it sound like other places that don't do that way are somehow being unsafe because of that. I think that's why I commented about that in the first place. There's clearly not an issue in my area or other areas either so somehow they are able to make the process safe without resorting to picking up at 3am. From the beginning of my comments I felt like there were more pressing reasons for a decision like that to be made because if safety was the number one upmost reason one could make the case that those places that state it's for safety primarily could look to the places that have high pedestrian traffic, are in residential areas, and yet still manage to pick up during the day rather than overnight for ways they can improve their safety methods and procedures. That's purely my opinion there
But in respects to the article you posted..that's in NYC metro not the suburbia. Not saying that those same reasons listed in the article can't be reasons another area uses as I'm sure there are places out there but NYC is way different than my surburbia. You won't find the same sounds going non-stop like you would here. We stayed at my husband's uncle's place in West New York, NJ in 2011 which is about 3-4miles from the center of Hoboken and being in that area is vastly different than my area. Side note riding the Jitney buses were quite the experience lol.