Be Careful Out There

[gsi16386]

http://www.mandatory.com/2014/09/17/attempted-robbery-at-gunpoint-in-buenos-aires-caught-on-gopro-ca/

 

[Dublin2BuenosAires]

3rd thread. Same subject.

 

[johnw100]

Yes and also check out the other 200,000 or so other clips on youtube of robberies caught on camera around the world.

 

[nikad]

I don't want to sound mean, but all tourists are warned when they go to La Boca. This guy was not exactly bright, he as asking to be robbed in a way. He was damn lucky though as most motochorros would shoot you dead when they cannot take what they want. Friggin on a bike, camera on your head, tourist in la Boca is pushing it! The worst part is that he now probably thinks he is some kind of hero.

 

[Crema Americana]

Yea, I agree, anyone who has been in Buenos Aires more than 5 minutes knows you don't walk or ride down the street of 'sketchy' neighborhoods with expensive or semi-expensive items on display. It's sad, but it's just the way it is. (And by sketchy, I mean about 90% of the city and the surrounding areas, including Palermo.)

Having just got back from Barcelona I realize just how stupidly unsafe Buenos Aires is and how we've just gotten used to it.... riding a bike or scooter just isn't really an option here (especially for females and especially in neighborhoods like mine.) I am jealous of how my cousin can ride from one corner of the city to the other with her bike and camera... or how girls ride their pink vespas around carefree - without worry of being run over or robbed. And this is in a country in crisis with very high unemployment.

I'm kinda bummed on returning to BA and seeing mugging after mugging and murder on TV, starting with this motochorro the first day back. Things need to change here - people shouldn't have to live in fear.

 

[Matiasba]

I beg to disagree. All the people I know who live or lived in Barcelona had their bike stolen, and this is funny, by AMBULANCES. Thats right, ambulances steal bikes, they stop, pick the bike and go. Theres no much more robbery in BsAs than in Barcelona, be sure of that. What BsAs has more is probably this "gunpoint" robberies, practically non existant in Barna, but armed robberies arent that common in BsAs either, so...

 

[camberiu]

Despite everything, by Latin American standards, BA is still an incredibly safe city.

 

[splattermatter]

Matias you make claims with no evidence, and are quite wrong about the current state of the city. Do you know what armed robbery is? Armed robberies are quite common in BsAs....
Officially reported, countrywide, full-range crime statistics are not available; however, when an occasional statistic is released, the information varies widely.

Crime is a serious problem. Urban crime includes: pick-pocketing/purse snatching, scams, mugging, express and virtual kidnappings, residential burglary, home invasion, thefts from vehicles (including “smash-and-grab”), sexual assaults/rape, car theft, and carjacking. There are also occasional high-profile assaults on armored cash carriers. Crimes reported to the U.S. Embassy by U.S. citizens reveal they are most often victims of theft or non-violent robbery, principally in the tourist neighborhoods. Although an increase in robberies at exchange houses has been noted.

Street and residential crime appears to be increasingly common,is more violent than in the past, and is often perpetrated with a firearm or other deadly weapon. Many criminals are armed and ready to use their weapons at the first sign of resistance. American tourists routinely report stolen U.S. passports to the Embassy. Some are stolen in a violent manner, including at gunpoint. Crimes occur at all hours, and armed robberies often take place during business hours. Favorite targets for armed robberies are banks and businesses dealing in cash or high-value merchandise. Entire restaurants have been victims of armed robberies.

https://www.osac.gov/pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=15693

 

[Crema Americana]

By Latin American standards are different standards.

I beg to disagree. All the people I know who live or lived in Barcelona had their bike stolen, and this is funny, by AMBULANCES. Thats right, ambulances steal bikes, they stop, pick the bike and go. Theres no much more robbery in BsAs than in Barcelona, be sure of that. What BsAs has more is probably this "gunpoint" robberies, practically non existant in Barna, but armed robberies arent that common in BsAs either, so...

And there's a world of difference between hurtos and asaltos a mano armada. Unfortunately the latter is common here, relatively speaking. It seems everyday someone gets shot and killed and that's without all the cases of muggings that never get reported to police or the media. Motochorros? Nonexistent there. Your biggest fear are pickpockets... and yes, leaving your bike on the street. But having your bike stolen from a bike rack is hardly on the same level as being assaulted on the street.

BA is not a safe city. You can stay safe by being careful, but you have to be mindful and even that isn't a guarantee. I don't live in fear here, but I don't get to enjoy a lot of the freedoms they do in Europe because I put my safety first.

 

[thorsten]

Apart from not having reliable statistics, even if the numbers would show that the number of pickpockets per population are the same here and in Barcelona for example, they don't show the actual level of security: how many people here actually use their expensive smartphones out in the open? While it's pretty common even in the "more riskier" european cities like Barcelona or Rome, not a lot of people do it here for a good reason.