Crime sensation and real crime! opinion

[demokritos]

I think what really forms expat's opinions is how it rates compared to back home. People's habits are different for a reason. Simple things like wearing expensive jewelry, carrying your camera in sight of others, or listening to an ipod is almost seen as an invitation to get robbed. That is jarring if you come from a place where you don't have to worry about those things... and it speaks strongly about crime compared to other world cities. Most expats live in upper middle class or high class neighborhoods and safety is still an issue in those areas.

This is, in my opinion, the key to the feeling of insecurity in Buenos Aires. Street crime, home robbings, etc. must have been far less frequent 15-20 years ago; they've increased to a level where most everyone knows someone who has been robbed, so relative to what they were used to, things seem extremely unsafe. That doesn't mean they are, on a world scale.

I remember one time I took a bus from Philly to visit a friend in Manhattan, around 2008. I had a backpack on; as I got off the bus, my friend offered to help me with the backpack. As he lifted it he said "this is heavy, you got your laptop in here?" I was shocked and pretty angry that he said this, as in Philly I would never make mention of something like that, and I'd consider it more or less an invitation to get robbed. But in most of Manhattan, people were walking around waving their iphones in the air. I saw a guy walking down the street with cash in his hand, at least $100. Manhattan seemed absurdly safe to me, like Disney World. Compared to northern Europe or Japan, it's a crime-ridden cesspool.

 

[bomber]

I actually think the difficult thing about BA is that the supposedly safer, more expensive areas Palermo, Recoleta are not that safe at all.

And I don't agree with this at all. I and all that I have known (including locals, long term expats) have had no issues in these areas. Yes, incidents do happen, but no more than somewhere like NYC, for example.

 

[bomber]

Every statistic has an anecdote to go with it... and every anecdote forms a part of a statistic.

Yes, but a bunch of anecdotes from such a small sample size are still just anecdotes. And until I hear anything but the odd anecdote from a minute sample size I won't be losing too much sleep over it, while remaining aware of my surroundings and using common sense. Just as I would out and about in any other major city in the world.

 

[Iznogud]

“Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you” - Joseph Heller- Catch 22

 

[lamarque]

And I don't agree with this at all. I and all that I have known (including locals, long term expats) have had no issues in these areas. Yes, incidents do happen, but no more than somewhere like NYC, for example.

Agree here, i see Palermo and recoleta very safe, i feel safer than i did in lot of place in Rome and Paris and i suffer less incidents to, the same count for my friends, there are some areas in Palermo like the one near the train rail that at night are not so good to go around, anyway Palermo is a huge neighborhood so we cannot generalize all of it but the mayority is quite safe.

 

[bomber]

Agree here, i see Palermo and recoleta very safe, i feel safer than i did in lot of place in Rome and Paris and i suffer less incidents to, the same count for my friends, there are some areas in Palermo like the one near the train rail that at night are not so good to go around, anyway Palermo is a huge neighborhood so we cannot generalize all of it but the mayority is quite safe.

Oh Rome... I recall the issues that used to (not sure about nowadays) occur sometimes on the train coming into Rome, where they would gas your compartment to knock you out, and then come in and rob everything. Wonder if they've added more security to protect travellers from that?

 

[jantango]

I don't own a cellphone, but tonight while riding the bus, I read a huge sign on Puerreydon near the El Once train station about what to do if your cellphone is lost or stolen. The nation is trying to do something about the huge illegal market operating in stolen phones. I wanted to share the information since most of you probably own a cellphone.

The information is given in this site: https://www.argentina.gob.ar/tucelular

Your cellphone is yours. If you lose it or it's stolen, call *910 from any phone to make a report so that no one else can use it. Your number is blocked.
Then when you buy a new cellphone, you can use the same number. If you recover your cellphone, you can still use the number.
Together we can discourage the illegal market of cellphones.