Do fears of crime in Argentina reflect reality?

[Joe]

Why do people persist with the argument that because they lived in some bad-ass neighborhood and survived that makes BsAs a safe place?

We all like to trade war stories about the miserable ghettos we were unfortunate enough to live and/or work in.

Let me hear some stories about when you were robbed at gun point in Zurich or got car jacked in Tokyo, then it would lend credence to the ridiculous notion that BsAs is just as safe as any other town...

 

[HDM]

Excuse me, Joe, but I am not sure what your point is.

Buenos Aires is not a safe city in which to live? Or it is less safe than other cities of comparable size and complexity? Or it is more safe than other cities of comparable size and complexity? Is your point that Buenos Aires ought to stand on its own, isolated, when evaluating the level of crime, good or bad, high or low?

In your experience, which is it? Buenos Aires is crime-ridden and unsafe? Or it is relatively unsafe or relatively safe? My point is that from my experience with crime here, or rather, lack of it, Buenos Aires is a safe place to live, but especially when compared with any number of world cities it can be compared with on a number of counts.

By the way, you ought to visit needle park in Zurich, which is filled with heroin addicts, and I wouldn't walk through it day or night.

Never been to Tokyo.

 

[Liam3494]

I fully accept that my impressions of BsAs are from a short time - But I can only give my own perceptions. Thankfully, having reached 51 years of age, I have yet to be car-jacked, mugged or personally threatened. I have had my home burgled, both in Ireland, and in England, my car stolen in England, and in France, but never personally threatened.

If my views of first impressions cannot be accepted for what they are on three months "knowledge" then so be it - I did not come here for an argument about ones perceptions - I expressed my own personal opinions based on what I have seen in my short time. If I am wrong, i am wrong, so be it - So far I feel BA is no less safe than other places I have lived, IF, normal precautions are taken - I don't FEEL any more unsafe here than anywhere I have lived (never having lived in South Africa or other, so called hot-spots) - Apart from living near Belfast during the 80's! But that was a different situation...

 

[BlahBlah]

Excuse me, Joe, but I am not sure what your point is.

Buenos Aires is not a safe city in which to live? Or it is less safe than other cities of comparable size and complexity? Or it is more safe than other cities of comparable size and complexity? Is your point that Buenos Aires ought to stand on its own, isolated, when evaluating the level of crime, good or bad, high or low?

In your experience, which is it? Buenos Aires is crime-ridden and unsafe? Or it is relatively unsafe or relatively safe? My point is that from my experience with crime here, or rather, lack of it, Buenos Aires is a safe place to live, but especially when compared with any number of world cities it can be compared with on a number of counts.

By the way, you ought to visit needle park in Zurich, which is filled with heroin addicts, and I wouldn't walk through it day or night.

Never been to Tokyo.

BA is less safe then cities in the first world and probally safer then most other big cities in the third world

Argentina is a third world country, deal with it or don't go there

 

[mini]

By the way, you ought to visit needle park in Zurich, which is filled with heroin addicts, and I wouldn't walk through it day or night.

Having lived many years in Switzerland and walking by the heroin addicts every day, I can tell you they may look a bit creepy and disheveled, but it's perfectly safe. You can walk by them with your camera as they are not interested. These drug addicts don't need your money to get their next fix. The drugs are provided for them. They don't need to steal your money. This is very different from the drug problem here where the addicts do in fact need your money to buy their drugs. I would NEVER even go near a bunch of paco kids never mind walk among them. Heroin addicts in Switzerland is a non issue.

But I also find this comparison of other places doesn't help with the question at hand. I've never even been to South Africa & I don't plan on ever going there. I've never been to Tokyo either.

The question is whether or not the crime level being reported is hype & propaganda or is it really something to be worried about HERE.

Personally, I think the issue is probably being hyped for political reasons, but that doesn't mean I don't think it's important, real, relevant, and something for which we all need to be aware. I do. Everyone needs to know what's happening and act accordingly.

 

[TomAtAlki]

Dear Blah Blah, If you think Argentina is a third world country, IMO you have no clue.
Nancy

 

[BlahBlah]

Dear Blah Blah, If you think Argentina is a third world country, IMO you have no clue.
Nancy

Thanks for the heads up

 

[Recoleta Carolina]

I asked one of my language exchange partners if she had ever been a victim of crime. Unfortunately the answer was yes. First she was mugged when walking home with a male friend and had a piece of broken glass put to her throat. Second her boyfriend's car was carjacked when she was in it, fortunately she was allowed to get out... She had a gun pointed at her. This to me qualifies as violent crime - life threatening crime.

I passed a car the other day that had a sign in the winshield "No tengo estereo".

How often have you tried to enter a shop in the middle of the day that was locked and you have to wait for the owner to open the door. I went to a bakery yesterday that had it's doors locked!

I guess some of you think that the locals are just a bunch of nervous nellies.

Of course maybe they should be nervous if they or their family member has had a broken piece of glass put to their throats or a gun pointed at them, or in my friend's case both...

Good point about the locked doors in the "safer" areas in daytime. They are locked for a reason and that is fear of crime.

I was passing by in a taxi yesterday around Corrientes and Parana. A guy had obviously been robbed and beaten up. He was flat on his back with blood all over the place and the cops were there. This is not the first time that I have witnessed this type of scene.

All people (locals and foreigners) who live in Argentina spend an awful lot of time and energy thinking about how not to get robbed or worse. Most people I know do not even give out their address to "associates." And, they do not invite people over to their home for any reason. Again, just the fear of someone knowing where you live.

 

[winston]

Here's an incident from an hour ago, 8pm, Weds.

I'm just home from work. as i exited the subway, indep. station on 9 de julio, this young guy, i guess 14ish, came up to me and started walking beside me. he asked for 2 pesos. i said this is a bad week, cant do it. he then said he had a knife and if i didnt give him money hed cut me up. he used the word "fierro" so i dont know if i did the right thing or not, i pretended i thought he said fiebre and kept saying he needed to take aspirin etc. he kept insisting he was going to cut me. i turned on carlos calvo and i dont think he followed me. i even felt sorry for him a little, but of course if he WAS on drugs, he might very well have cut my throat as he said.

 

[EvergreenGal]

Winston....you are a very lucky man, with an Angel on your shoulder....sadly we could have been watching the news with the headline story of you being stabbed at the subway by a young delinquent...who would either never be caught and continue to repeat this episode...or else if caught ...be back on the streets in a few hours...and continue his life as before...a criminal in making....