Been down here 3 months and got beat-up & mugged

[Hellek]

Just want to sympathise with the OP about what happened on Sunday, but I do agree with Hellek about the negativity of some, Steve especially -

I would take issue with Hellek's comment about Avellaneda. I have lived here for nearly two years now, and find it a perfectly safe place to live, work, go to school etc. Maybe it's because it is so far off the Tourist Trail, there are no "Tourist Type" robberies, i.e. nobody comes here, nothing to see... Not saying there isn't any crime, but it certainly is NOT "way worse" than Boca by any stretch of the imagination..... just sticking up for my barrio ....

I loved living in Avellaneda. What I hated most was not safety issues, but the frequent piquetes on puente pueyrredon. Nevertheless, at least concerning the partido's part "Gerli", there is no doubt for me that it is significantly more dangerous than Boca. By knowing lots of people there (and since they are so talkative ) I got a pretty good impression of the things that are going on. Also, shots fired in front of the door, supermarkets being permanently locked, only opening the door for you when you knock the iron bars, people holding vigilance with mate and revolver on their table, that's stuff you don't get in Palermo
Yet, I loved it, the people there are great and reliable. For me it was a possibility of making friends on all social levels and a great experience. Just go to Parque Norte one day and to the "Complejo Wilde" of Independiente the other day. Somehow the same thing, yet very different.

Avellaneda around the center should be rather safe, but 2-3 blocks away from Av. Mitre it already begins to become rather dangerous (in the east).

 

[Liam3494]

I guess it's perception, and where you live in the place. I live on the Sarandi side of Belgrano, and travel in and out off the city centre (Av city that is), daily, either by collectivo or on foot. Agree that there are parts nearer Dock Sud and teh river that are best avoided.

Maybe I should stop saying how nice it is here, or we might start to get tourists and the place will change .....

Agree 100% about the bridge blocking, a real pain in the neck at times...

 

[Rad]

Caminito is really nothing more than a tourist trap. I really don't understand what people see in that area. As for the rest of La Boca, there is some nice derelict architecture, but otherwise, it's just a dump. I made the mistake of going off the beaten path once and was soon stopped and escorted by the police.

In general, I did not find BsAs that dangerous and I would recommend this great city to any of my friends.
On the other hand, my threshold for "danger" may be different from others, because I have grown up in a rough area in an Eastern-European city with drug dealers, skinheads and lots of gypsies (try living next to them before you accuse me of something).

 

[mandysugarcubes]

I did not post this to say poor us, I posted this to get feedback on what the people of BA (locals & Expats) are doing about these problems. I read, I researched and that did not stop me from coming to this City much less La Boca on Sunday. If we continue to tell people to just stay away or avoid areas, soon there will be no city left. yes, I am new here but, I wanted to be down here for an extended period of time to see if I could make a positive difference. I am on this forum to see how each of you that have been in BA awhile are doing it-making positive change instead avoiding issues.

 

[MizzMarr]

A big part of the problem, Mandy, is that there is no judicial reinforcement to counter criminal behaviors. To get a collective change there needs to be a collective response, and from what I have seen and heard people here are unwilling to get involved when they see something like this happening (usually out of fear of being harmed themselves). Calling the police does no good, nor does reporting the crime (other than adding to statistic).

The best that we as a collective can do is fight back, but how often does that happen? How much risk vs. gain is there in fighting? I handed over my backpack when a gun was pointed at me while a crowd of onlookers across the street watched as we were robbed, only to approach us *after* the thieves who attacked us were long gone. We fought back the couple other times that we have been accosted and did manage to keep our things, but every single time we relayed the tale to anybody ALL locals (and most expats) looked at us as if we were crazy for fighting over some material possession (though we should know that the fight is about more than that). When we were attacked in Mataderos and sought out the (nearby) police office afterwards, the officer questioned us as to WHY we were in that neighborhood in the first place. I've even had firemen here try to rob me blind.

I heard a story from a woman who lived out in the provincia (out near Quilmes) where some paco-smoking kids were toting knives around and literally stabbed a man 15 or so times while taking his possessions. The man was hospitalized in serious condition with punctured lungs, while these thugs continue to wander the neighborhood and the residents continue to fear for their lives because the police cannot and will not do anything about it.

There is an ingrained culture of violence and thieving here that is alive and well, fed by people struggling to survive and provide for themselves. There is an assumption that any foreigner is wealthy, therefore becomes an easier target. Not to mention that the "greener" you are here the easier you are to pick out. In my opinion, not much is going to change until the judicial system actually can back up any threat of punishment, increased standards of education to become an officer of the law, and/or there is a collective movement from ALL residents to resist this kind of behavior. Until then, I'm going to generally go ahead and play it as safe as I know how (not carrying or flaunting valuables, not venturing into known dangerous areas). I'm certainly not eager to get a gun thrust in my face, or worse, again.

 

[Irishdave]

Hey

Sorry to hear that. You really need to keep your eyes open in this city these days. It wasnt so bad when I arrived here 4 years ago but now...

 

[gouchobob]

When you have a lot of poor people you are also going to have a lot of crime. The situation seems to be getting worse which would indicate more people are falling into poverty contrary to government INDEC statistics. If people have jobs and can make enough to live on decently then they usually aren't out committing crimes. Sure law enforcement at times seems virtually non-existent but poverty is the root cause of the crime. With 25% inflation you have to believe the number of people slipping into poverty is increasing so I would expect crime to increase as well. You are basically on your own like in the wild west days except there is no sheriff.

http://en.mercopress.com/2010/04/06...two-million-argentines-living-in-shanty-towns

 

[MikeB12]

I think the best way to get attention is to bring these type of stories to the press, national and international. If the perception of violence becomes high enough to scare potential tourists/expats and their money away from Buenos Aires, there may be some chance of at least some small change.

But I agree, there are alot of issues that need to be addressed starting with the root causes (poverty, lack of education, etc) to prosecuting criminals (a more professional police force and efficient justice system). Progress is not impossible, look at NYC in the 1970s compared to today or Bogota/Medellin today compared to 15 years ago.

 

[gouchobob]

I think the best way to get attention is to bring these type of stories to the press, national and international. If the perception of violence becomes high enough to scare potential tourists/expats and their money away from Buenos Aires, there may be some chance of at least some small change.

But I agree, there are alot of issues that need to be addressed starting with the root causes (poverty, lack of education, etc) to prosecuting criminals (a more professional police force and efficient justice system). Progress is not impossible, look at NYC in the 1970s compared to today or Bogota/Medellin today compared to 15 years ago.

I think you are right and things could be turned around, but I doubt the current government is going to do much as they fear of losing support from their electoral base.

 

[rihornos]

Very sorry to hear what happened to you. Horrible to be in a city paying attention to who is next to you but I don`t see any other solution, take care and hope you forget this soon.
Reina