A Shitty New Years Eve.. and the Porteño Attitude

[rcmedia]

Hola,

I hope you all had a fine New Year's Eve.

Here's what happened to me... I went to Plaza San Martin with a Porteña friend... got mugged for my $1000 Nikon and my Blackberry from 4 punks after my Porteña friend was telling one of them I was from Canada etc.
Fortunately I just handed over the merchandise and nobody got hurt. I also selflessly protected my Porteña friend in the assault.
I can appreciate they need that stuff more than me... plus I'm fully insured.. so whatever.
Here's what bugged me about the whole thing... my so called Porteña friend... who has been going on for weeks about how fabulous BA is etc.. she was totally unapologetic.. yet I could see the confusion and the contradiction in her face... but she just refused basically to admit there is some problem here.
Hell, she didn't even bother to thank me for saving her life!
I'm not a psychologist, but I can see when someone is having a brain meltdown... that's human nature and pretty easy to figure out.
But her attitude apparently over rides human well being and personal safety. She just took no responsibility whatsoever for saying out loud I was from Canada etc... just a stupid travel faux pas if I've seen seen it!
I'm just speechless right now to be honest... my insurance will cover the camera... no big deal.. but her Porteña attitude is a form of mental illness and I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise.
Again... I saved this women's life... with no thanks whatsoever in return... just pure attitude in return.

Hey.. sorry everyone... It is what it is.. and I hope you all had a much better New Years than this crap.

Saludos.

 

[ghost]

Sorry to hear this. It was an unforgivable and stupid thing that she did. And it put both of you at risk.
But the attitude you witnessed rings true, repeatedly. Don't waste your mental energy trying to analyze it, it's a not worth the effort. Just get far away from it because you won't change it. [ditch the bitch]
Have a Better New Year.

 

[steveinbsas]

Hola,

I hope you all had a fine New Year's Eve.

Here's what happened to me... I went to Plaza San Martin with a Porteña friend... got mugged for my $1000 Nikon and my Blackberry from 4 punks after my Porteña friend was telling one of them I was from Canada etc.
Fortunately I just handed over the merchandise and nobody got hurt. I also selflessly protected my Porteña friend in the assault.
I can appreciate they need that stuff more than me... plus I'm fully insured.. so whatever.
Here's what fucking bugged me about the whole thing... my so called Porteña friend... who has been going on for weeks about how fabulous BA is etc.. she was totally unapologetic.. yet I could see the confusion and the contradiction in her face... but she just refused basically to admit there is some problem here.
Hell, she didn't even bother to thank me for saving her fucking life!
I'm not a psychologist, but I can see when someone is having a brain meltdown... that's human nature and pretty easy to figure out.
But her attitude apparently over rides human well being and personal safety. She just took no responsibility whatsoever for saying out loud I was from Canada etc... just a stupid travel faux pas if I've seen seen it!
I'm just speechless right now to be honest... my insurance will cover the camera... no big deal.. but her Porteña attitude is a form of mental illness and I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise.
Again... I saved this women's life... with no thanks whatsoever in return... just pure attitude in return.

Hey.. sorry everyone... It is what it is.. and I hope you all had a much better New Years than this crap.

Saludos.

Wow, I'm very surprised at the porteña attitude you describe. Most adult Argentines (including porteños) I have ever spoken with about crime are disgusted by incidents like this, especially when they happen to foreigners. They are even more sorry when these incidents take place than we are. They know we can return to our home countries. They have to live with this. Of course it can hapen to any of us back home, but it seems far more common in Buenos Aires than any major US, Canadian, or European city.

I see you are new to the forum and have been in Argentina for about a month. If you had read some of the threads on the subject of crime in BA (especially how to avoid being a victim) and been more cautious, this probably wouldn't have happened. Perhaps your story will make others more aware of the dangers in the city, especially for foreigners who:

Carry expensive cameras and phones anywhere, anytime.

Go to public "spaces" at night...even if it's crowded...especially Plaza San Martin/Retiro on New Year's Eve.

Are overheard speaking English in public...especially in a park at night...even if others aren't far away.

Why did you friend tell a group of strangers that you are from Canada? Did they hear you talking in English and ask "Where you from?" or was she trying to prevent the robbbery, hoping they would leave you alone because you're a foreigner? Based on the details you provided I doubt the latter was the case.

Muggings in Buenos Aires hardly ever result in homicide though I do know of one that happened in Retiro...on Arenales near 9 de Julio. Nonetheless, if you belive you saved the porteña's life at least that should make you feel better about what happened. Perhaps she didn't show the level of gratitude you expected from her because she did not perceive it as a life threatening incident.

Hopefully, others will learn something from your story. Unfortuantley, the words "New Years Eve" in the headline means it probably won't be read much after a few days.

 

[mhenna11]

I am sorry what happened. Do you know her well? Maybe is involved in mugging you, you never know, she sounded too detached to care about you. Or is this a trait of the traditional upper middle class porteno? The detached thing confuses me, how some easily dismiss the pain of the other. Can you explain more about what happened? That social aspect of what you experienced is something I would like to understand , what is it to be detached, dismissive cold to your friend who is in pain? How did that person become like that? Is it a class thing? Is it a city thing? It sucks what happened to you, are you still going to be friends with this person. If you are, you should try to see why she is like that, or be curious and ask why before ditching her.

 

[scarface]

Hola,
I hope you all had a fine New Year's Eve.
1. Hell, she didn't even bother to thank me for saving her fucking life!
2.... She just took no responsibility whatsoever for saying out loud I was from Canada etc... just a stupid travel faux pas if I've seen seen it!
3. but her Porteña attitude is a form of mental illness and I challenge anyone to prove me otherwise.
4.Again... I saved this women's life... with no thanks whatsoever in return... just pure attitude in return.
5. Hey.. sorry everyone... It is what it is.. and I hope you all had a much better New Years than this crap.
Saludos.

I regret that you were robbed. I can understand how you might be infuriated, however you don't make out a convincing case against your companion.
1. Nothing you write indicates how you saved her life? Exactly how did you save her life?
2. You don't describe the circumstances sufficiently clearly to make me understand why saying out loud that you were from Canada was the horrible mistake you ascribe to her. What happened exactly that makes you believe her saying that was the principal cause of the theft?
3. Exactly what is the attitude you project onto your Portena companion that rises to the level of a mental illness? (a)That she was naive for saying you were a tourist? (b) For not accepting fault for the theft just because she said that? (c) For not accepting that crime exists in BA? (d)For not being grateful your heroism "saved her life?"
I am not going to try to prove anything to you because I don't yet comprehend exactly what her attitude/conduct is that so infuriates you or on what basis you belive her attitude (whatever it is) is typical of Portenas.
4. Until you tell me what acts of heroism you preformed that can reasonably be interpreted as saving your companion's life, I really can't empathize with your outrage that she failed to thank you.
5. What is what it is?

 

[mariano-BCN]

Your porteña friend has the typical "no the metas" attitude so many people here have: don't get into trouble AND if you get into trouble blame somebody else so that he or she may be the victim, not you.
It's a very infantile attitude of your friend indeed, I would never consider to call such a person a friend of mine. Were you assertive enough to ask her directly why she acted so foolish?

 

[Ceviche]

I strongly feel that English speaking Portena women, even if they are dating a expat seem to lack empathy for their expat bfs, especially the ones who dont speak any Spanish.

I know their is no relation of language with the robbery. What I am saying almost sounds bizarre. But I strongly feel the higher the command over English language of the the Portena, the higher the smirk she has for the expat.

These girls revel in happiness when the expat is in trouble. also these girls love their city, country and countrymen. They rather support a criminal on the street if he is a local than support the robbed/ mugged/beaten expat bf. Believe me, I have seen expats experience this with 3-4 different Portena girls in last 4-5 years.

Hope this helps.

 

[surfing]

Who is ultimately responsible for taking items of high value into the streets at night? Would you be in such a bad humor had you only lost a few pesos, a cheap watch, and perhaps a single (cancelable) credit card and a photocopy of your I.D. (the only things of value which are prudent to carry)?

This must be your first foreign travel experience.

Sorry to sound so harsh but your post does not seem to take any personal "responsibility" but instead only seems to want to blame someone else for doing the same.

 

[nikad]

I strongly feel that English speaking Portena women, even if they are dating a expat seem to lack empathy for their expat bfs, especially the ones who dont speak any Spanish.

I know their is no relation of language with the robbery. What I am saying almost sounds bizarre. But I strongly feel the higher the command over English language of the the Portena, the higher the smirk she has for the expat.

These girls revel in happiness when the expat is in trouble. also these girls love their city, country and countrymen. They rather support a criminal on the street if he is a local than support the robbed/ mugged/beaten expat bf. Believe me, I have seen expats experience this with 3-4 different Portena girls in last 4-5 years.

Hope this helps.

Are you out of your mind? WTF

 

[dennisr]

I strongly feel that English speaking Portena women, even if they are dating a expat seem to lack empathy for their expat bfs, especially the ones who dont speak any Spanish.

I know their is no relation of language with the robbery. What I am saying almost sounds bizarre. But I strongly feel the higher the command over English language of the the Portena, the higher the smirk she has for the expat.

These girls revel in happiness when the expat is in trouble. also these girls love their city, country and countrymen. They rather support a criminal on the street if he is a local than support the robbed/ mugged/beaten expat bf. Believe me, I have seen expats experience this with 3-4 different Portena girls in last 4-5 years.

Hope this helps.

That is pure unadulterated BS. Have been around the block a few times and find your evaluation offensive. Cannot count the times my GF and AR friends have helped me and gone the extra mile to gurantee my safety. They are always appauled and embarrased whenever they hear of a tourist/expat is the victim of an assault, crime or gouged by a merchant. They take it very personal. You need to find a new circle of friends and change your playground.