Drivers?

[mariposa]

I think Lee means you don't know who to trust here till it's too late. Therefore you can't afford to trust anyone who isn't friend or family, hard for newcomers.

i don't think that's what he means. he just seems to hate, hate everything and everybody here. yet he stays and stays. is some one holding him hostage at gunpoint?

 

[AngelinBA]

Hey MNMom, I know of someone highly recommendable (an Embassy driver) if you do end up coming down and need a driver. Send me a private message if you need more details.

 

[BAConsultants]

Hey, are you from MN? I tried PM you but could not.... send me a PM I have some people to recommend you as well.

Good luck with this!

 

[MNMom]

Hi all, thanks for your advice and commentary...Lee, I understood what you meant. That is my fear - how to find a drive to trust. I'm sure there are many, but I'm also sure there are many who are far from trustworthy.

I'm getting ahead of myself as we haven't decided for sure if we're doing this. Thanks to those of you who offered referrals - I will be in touch if we go ahead with the move.

BAConsultants - Yes, from MN and I can't figure out for the life of me who to PM on this forum (sending or receiving)......

 

[stl999]

My company has the same policy around driving in their expat policy. I recently moved from India, which was similar to your experience in China. I have been using a taxi to get around. The traffic is nothing like Asia, so thats a plus. The taxi fares are pretty reasonable too...if they stay where they are. It just depends on where you live, proximity to work, etc.

 

[Crema Americana]

Having your own personal driver may get expensive, but if your company is paying...

I would suggest finding a good reliable remisero in the area you'll be living in. Buenos Aires is big, you don't want someone too far away. However in the city most people get around by taxi or public transport... or walking! Buenos Aires is pretty European in that everything is close and pedestrian friendly... supermarkets, pharmacy, schools, restaurants, etc are walking distance. You really don't even need a car if you're in the center.

 

[MNMom]

Thanks! I am thinking if we go, we wouldn't be in the true center, as we'd want to be near Lincoln where the kids would go to school....so having a driver to bring them to school, etc. might be advantageous. Although someone on one of my other posts said you could perhaps be in Belgrano and still be close to Lincoln, and I imagine Belgrano would have a lot of things in walking distance that wouldn't require a car.

 

[Davidglen77]

OK I am not going to fall into the "Lee" trap on this one, but I would like to give my opinion here and again this is based on MY experience. In terms of trust, unfortunately, if you are earning good money, having success, or are showing off high cost goods - cars, expensive clothes, fancy home, well many people, including sometime even people who you think are friends, are going to want to get a "piece" of that stuff from you, whether it be by swindling you or sometimes other more serious ways. My advice is stay low key, don't wear jewelry, live below your means, don't carry Iphones or laptops in the street, look who is around you and if you feel weird about something / someone go by your guy feeling. I have become more distrustful since I've lived here, and again, all because of things that have happened to me HERE. I do however, have some really good friends that I trust, a wonderful partner, some great neighbors, again there are some wonderful people here who can be friends for life but many who will try to take advantage of you also. Good luck and be careful.

 

[MNMom]

OK I am not going to fall into the "Lee" trap on this one, but I would like to give my opinion here and again this is based on MY experience. In terms of trust, unfortunately, if you are earning good money, having success, or are showing off high cost goods - cars, expensive clothes, fancy home, well many people, including sometime even people who you think are friends, are going to want to get a "piece" of that stuff from you, whether it be by swindling you or sometimes other more serious ways. My advice is stay low key, don't wear jewelry, live below your means, don't carry Iphones or laptops in the street, look who is around you and if you feel weird about something / someone go by your guy feeling. I have become more distrustful since I've lived here, and again, all because of things that have happened to me HERE. I do however, have some really good friends that I trust, a wonderful partner, some great neighbors, again there are some wonderful people here who can be friends for life but many who will try to take advantage of you also. Good luck and be careful.

Thanks for your advice. So are you saying that by having a driver, we would be making ourselves a target? Let me be clear that I don't want a flashy car and don't want a driver to have a status symbol. We are simple people and definitely stay "low key," as you recommended. I'm talking simple car (minivan?), nothing flashy. I just would want a driver because: a)it's likely going to be required by our company and b) it makes life in a new country easier and c)I'm a total wimp and would not want to brave the traffic. In addition, for example, I don't want to depend on public transportation for lugging groceries for my family of 5, etc.

Yet I don't want the act of hiring a driver to make my family a target....