@RobinMedea
Exactly!
Modern pop-culture makes lots of things edgier than they need to be. Maybe it's a sort of
Standing on Zanzibar effect? I dunno.
There's always been a tiny percentage of people that are remorseless psychopaths, but even with a little bit of precaution, the real risk is extremely small. Historical records certainly don't seem to match the dog-eat-dog mentality that is common in fiction. (Some of the earliest human writing is found in sign posts telling strangers where to find food and water.)
Hitchhiking was a big thing from the 50s until the release of Texas Chainsaw Massacre in the 70s. Lots of people are terrified of flying, even though it's incredibly safe. In psychology, it's called a Saliency Bias where, the more readily people can imagine something happening, the more likely they think it is.
Also, to add to what you were saying: in the stories there's an inn in every town, but in reality, inns only existed in relatively large cities. It was medieval custom to give shelter to people, but travelers also didn't have any other options.