Why did crowded conditions in the city affect the way enslaved servants were treated by their masters in public?

Crowded conditions in the city heightened the visibility of enslaved servants, making it harder for masters to assert their dominance and control in public. As a result, masters may have been more likely to treat their enslaved servants with greater respect and leniency in order to avoid public scrutiny or backlash. The social dynamics and power structures within urban settings could influence how masters interacted with their enslaved servants in public spaces.