Crime sensation and real crime! opinion

[earlyretirement]

One upmanship re crime is so sad and depressing..unless you think the previous posters - who are here longer and whose friends and relatives have suffered crime - are inventing their stories just be happy you haven't but don't be so complacent as to think you are immune to such or won't in the future. Not wishing you ill will, just think discounting real people's experiences is dismissing them in some way even if that isnt your intent...
From own experience I never thought I'd ever be the victim of blackmail..happened in Bsas and as shocked as I was I ended up hearing many "my family have also been blackmailed " stories from locals...At this point I feel it's never say never in Bsas, for good and for bad..this city never ceases to surprise!

I so so agree. The other thing you need to keep in mind is the wise Porteños that HAVE had some sort of incident, don't tend to tell other people (even their friends). Because if people hear about it then and word gets around then they feel they might become a target.

I think you are truly and VERY fortunate if you never met anyone that didn't have something happen to them or their family members. That's a wonderful thing.

But just don't discount all of these true stories some of us are taking the time to write about. Also, keep in mind there are many people that don't dare tell anyone that something happened to them or their family lest they become a target.

 

[citygirl]

Completely agree with this. It's why I try to not let my judgement be clouded by personal opinion, as far as it's possible to. Hence why it would take far more than the tiny percentage of expats on this forum to convince me BA is such a dangerous city, especially when I know of so many locals/long term residents who have never had an issue. And hence why dispute being robbed twice traveling I don't hide at home and worry about it, since the vast majority of travelers don't get robbed.

It doesn't mean I would never change my mind, but I would do that from facts, not from opinions.

But just my 2c.

That's fine. But understand many of our perspectives come from living here a long time, experiencing crime personally, having our friends and family experience crime personally and the like.

I hardly "hide at home". But I do take precautions and take home security very seriously. And roll my eyes at those who tell me otherwise. Because everything I've lived tells me that precautions are needed. Our walls around the propery, cameras, dogs, alarms, firearms, etc, etc are here for a reason. We've been lucky. Our neighbors haven't been as lucky but they don't have the security we do.

Oh - forgot one more - the SO's mother had her entire office building robbed. Luckily her office wasn't robbed, probably because she not only has a high tech security system as well as bank quality safe(s). It was clearly an inside job because they targeted every office in the building except hers so they obviously knew about her security system.

 

[Ceviche]

Also, keep in mind there are many people that don't dare tell anyone

On another note, I got robbed in Shanghai ( China) in April this year. I never told anyone till today as I write on this forum.

SOme things, people just swallow!

 

[bomber]

I think you are truly and VERY fortunate if you never met anyone that didn't have something happen to them or their family members. That's a wonderful thing.

And I think you & those you've met are truly very unfortunate to have had the experiences you have had happen to you. My heart goes out to you/them.

But just don't discount all of these true stories some of us are taking the time to write about.

I don't. But with the very small sample size I take them as anecdotal. Really, truly unfortunate anecdotal, don't get me wrong.

Also, keep in mind there are many people that don't dare tell anyone that something happened to them or their family lest they become a target.

Just as some sensationalise lessor events. There's always two sides, both with valid viewpoints to be considered.

My advice for BA would be learn where are the "no go" places, there are a few, but otherwise to simply keep your wits about you as you enjoy the amazing diversity in the city. At least until prices get too high and no one can afford to enjoy anything anymore.

 

[trennod]

My advice for BA would be learn where are the "no go" places, there are a few, but otherwise to simply keep your wits about you as you enjoy the amazing diversity in the city. At least until prices get too high and no one can afford to enjoy anything anymore.

I actually think the difficult thing about BA is that the supposedly safer, more expensive areas Palermo, Recoleta are not that safe at all. But if you cant walk through there, your going to be staying home.

It just tires me having to always been on my guard and looking over my shoulder. I guess its something that you just have to get used to, even if you dont like it.

 

[Crema Americana]

Every statistic has an anecdote to go with it... and every anecdote forms a part of a statistic. When we don't have hard numbers, you have to base your opinion on other factors including way of life of the average citizen regarding safety and how close it hits to home.

Where you live plays an important part as well. Do we really need statistics to know that walking down the street at night alone in Puerto Madero is safer than walking down a street in Boca? That doesn't mean that you can't get robbed in Puerto Madero or that you'll definitely get robbed in Boca, but one carries a lot more risk than the other.

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.

Anyway, "dangerous" and "safe" are subjective terms. To some, if you do this, this, that, and the other then you should be safe... while to others, having to do all that in the first place (and always having to keep your wits about you and looking over your shoulder) means you're not really safe.

 

[lamarque]

Every statistic has an anecdote to go with it... and every anecdote forms a part of a statistic. When we don't have hard numbers, you have to base your opinion on other factors including way of life of the average citizen regarding safety and how close it hits to home.

Where you live plays an important part as well. Do we really need statistics to know that walking down the street at night alone in Puerto Madero is safer than walking down a street in Boca? That doesn't mean that you can't get robbed in Puerto Madero or that you'll definitely get robbed in Boca, but one carries a lot more risk than the other.

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.

Anyway, "dangerous" and "safe" are subjective terms. To some, if you do this, this, that, and the other then you should be safe... while to others, having to do all that in the first place (and always having to keep your wits about you and looking over your shoulder) means you're not really safe.

[FONT=&quot]Well there is a difference here to, everybody go around with his iPhone and electronic in others country’s because they are really cheap compare to here even free in some case just need to pay the contract and you have it, if you gift iPhones to people for a contract here I’m sure that you will see much more people going around in this city with an iPhone in their hands lol , the same for car part stealing , you can see how the last import restriction has make the part stealing for cars rise, is a matter of offer, demand and price, you cannot just say that because people don't carry iPhones or expensive phones, gadgets and electronic is simple because the crime that is too simplistic, as jewelry refer I didn’t saw that much people using expensive jewelry in Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome or Madrid or almost any other city beside maybe some very fancy stile city like Paris perhaps, I would think that jewelry unless we are talking of a fancy party or some think like that is not that common to wear in some places and maybe more common in other places, in the rest I agree that expats always compare to how they fell back home, as I compare how things were back in my city or how things were in Europe in the last times but in my own experience at least for me there is some nostalgic feeling that always make you think that everything was better at home.[/FONT]

 

[Crema Americana]

[FONT=&quot]Well there is a difference here to, everybody go around with his iPhone and electronic in others country’s because they are really cheap compare to here even free in some case just need to pay the contract and you have it, if you gift iPhones to people for a contract here I’m sure that you will see much more people going around in this city with an iPhone in their hands

Well now you're just justifying crime. It doesn't matter why it happens, what matters is that people on the street take your stuff at a higher rate than other places.

There's a lot of have-nots in Argentina compared to first world cities and if you show wealth, you're setting yourself up to be a target. That's not an argument that there is an exaggerated sense of danger... in fact it supports the thought that crime rates are higher and you have to be more careful.

Now I don't know if purse snatching or pick pockets are more common here than places like Madrid, Paris, or Rome where it's an art form, but the pickpockets here are pretty crafty as well. But that's not really the type of crime that scares people... it's violent crime of being held up at gun point or knife point because you have something they want.

 

[lamarque]

Well now you're just justifying crime. It doesn't matter why it happens, what matters is that people on the street take your stuff at a higher rate than other places.

There's a lot of have-nots in Argentina compared to first world cities and if you show wealth, you're setting yourself up to be a target. That's not an argument that there is an exaggerated sense of danger... in fact it supports the thought that crime rates are higher and you have to be more careful.

Now I don't know if purse snatching or pick pockets are more common here than places like Madrid, Paris, or Rome where it's an art form, but the pickpockets here are pretty crafty as well. But that's not really the type of crime that scares people... it's violent crime of being held up at gun point or knife point because you have something they want.

Lol you didn’t read very well what I wrote I suppose or I haven't been clear enought, I did not justify crime, please read again, my msg was and answer to your msg explaining that because people don't carry so much electronic and expensive phones in the street doesn’t mean that is because of crime, that happen because of many reasons that influence much more in that than crime, like the extreme cost of electronic here, in cuba no one use electronic stuff almost and that doesn’t mean that is because people fear to be stolen is just because is too expensive, the same for almost all the east European country’s where even been electronic stuff cheap the salary’s are so bad that people don't use that much expensive electronic as in the western part and the list is too big to name it, read again the msg but this time please take a time to understand it it does not justify crime at all. It only explain you that because you don't see so many people in the street with expensive gadgets you can afirm as you have donne that is because the crime lol, as i say you give iphone free just for the contract as it happen in europe and eeuu and you will see lot of iphones in the street i garante you that

 

[Crema Americana]

Oh... so you don't think that people hide their stuff from sight our of fear of being robbed? I realize that gadgets are less accessible here, but that lack of accessibility also creates strong (and possibly dangerous) demand.


Would you say it's safe for a tourist to go sightseeing around the city with an expensive camera around their neck? Or to use their ipad on a public bus in 90% of the city?