Has It Always Been So Bad?

[fifs2]

I never experienced crime when I lived in BsAs.....probably because I was carrying a baby the entire time and that put off "bad" people from targeting me. Has anyone tried carrying a baby for protection? (Warning: You will, however, be targeted by sweet old women, making your commute twice as long.)

Sadly my first experience of crime in Bsas was with my gorgeous chubby blonde baby in a baby carrier. We were in San Telmo on a Sunday morning having coffee on our 1st day living in Bsas. There was a gang of four that stopped to coo and fuss over him whilst stealing jewellery from my baby bag...I´d just landed in Bsas that morning and hadn´t unpacked. It included my late grandmother´s engagement ring so it was a learning experience. Only the kindness of people and the attentiveness of the police who spent hours with me looking at mugshots saved my sanity. That was in 2004. It really surprised me that Porto Alegre was 43 in the top 50 most violent cities. We have our Brazilian office there and I´ve never had any sensation of insecurity all the times I´ve been there. Crime stats will never convince anyone - experience is the biggest factor. I feel super safe where I live now in Andalucia - I am probably too reckless, leaving my handbag open, walking with girlfriends late at night but as I´ve never experienced any type of crime here nor know anyone who has for me it´s utopia. Long may it last.

 

[alliek]

Sadly my first experience of crime in Bsas was with my gorgeous chubby blonde baby in a baby carrier. We were in San Telmo on a Sunday morning having coffee on our 1st day living in Bsas. There was a gang of four that stopped to coo and fuss over him whilst stealing jewellery from my baby bag...I´d just landed in Bsas that morning and hadn´t unpacked. It included my late grandmother´s engagement ring so it was a learning experience. Only the kindness of people and the attentiveness of the police who spent hours with me looking at mugshots saved my sanity. That was in 2004. It really surprised me that Porto Alegre was 43 in the top 50 most violent cities. We have our Brazilian office there and I´ve never had any sensation of insecurity all the times I´ve been there. Crime stats will never convince anyone - experience is the biggest factor. I feel super safe where I live now in Andalucia - I am probably too reckless, leaving my handbag open, walking with girlfriends late at night but as I´ve never experienced any type of crime here nor know anyone who has for me it´s utopia. Long may it last.

Oh my. I'm so sorry. I'm glad you found Andalucia. Despite no crime experience, I do feel much safer now that I've relocated within Argentina (La Cumbre area).

 

[Dada]

With all respect to those who had a bad experience here and fully aware of the existence of crime, I can only report the following.

1. A local guy chased me on the street once, at about lunch time. When he finally reached me, he gave me back my (one and only) debit card that I had forgotten in an ATM. I'm not exactly easy to chase because I walk very fast, and it took him a few blocks to catch me.

2. A restaurant owner kindly asked me to better guard my mochila. Then he explained what the moto or other chorros do, in great detail. It was not just a sermon, he actually demonstrated by acting it Keanu Reeves style, which earned him an applause. It was like a 10 minute lesson, very instructive.

3. When my laptop broke down (because I let it fall on the floor), an Argie friend of mine went out of his way to find another angel, a techie, who not only fixed it for me completely for free, but also let me use his own hard disc until I was able to get a new one myself. He also added a case, a new charger and best wishes.

Add to that my countless miles walking, a woman alone, at any hour of the day or night, sober or tipsy, often all the way from Palermo to San Telmo after midnight, perfectly safe. I realize I'm inviting trouble sometimes but hey, this is how Argentina has treated me so far.

 

[Ceviche]

With all respect to those who had a bad experience here and fully aware of the existence of crime, I can only report the following.

1. A local guy chased me on the street once, at about lunch time. When he finally reached me, he gave me back my (one and only) debit card that I had forgotten in an ATM. I'm not exactly easy to chase because I walk very fast, and it took him a few blocks to catch me.

2. A restaurant owner kindly asked me to better guard my mochila. Then he explained what the moto or other chorros do, in great detail. It was not just a sermon, he actually demonstrated by acting it Keanu Reeves style, which earned him an applause. It was like a 10 minute lesson, very instructive.

3. When my laptop broke down (because I let it fall on the floor), an Argie friend of mine went out of his way to find another angel, a techie, who not only fixed it for me completely for free, but also let me use his own hard disc until I was able to get a new one myself. He also added a case, a new charger and best wishes.

Add to that my countless miles walking, a woman alone, at any hour of the day or night, sober or tipsy, often all the way from Palermo to San Telmo after midnight, perfectly safe. I realize I'm inviting trouble sometimes but hey, this is how Argentina has treated me so far.

Thank you dada. Appreciated this post as my experiences are very similar to yours ( lived here for 7 years) but I am afraid to say so as people get v v upset.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Bajo_cero2 :
How well we know that in SanTelmo when we walk down the street Estados Unidos between Bolivar and Peru and there are drunks drinking beer and pissing right there.
The stench (la varanda de meo) would knock you over--te tumbaria!!

San Telmo was, since yellow fever, an ugly place. In the last 15 years expats made it cool but the low end locals still live there. It was like that for over a 100 years and only foreigners really like it.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

In the last month there were 2 violent robberies in my block. In one case an old lady was robbed and she defianced the criminals so, she was badly hit. The screams were terrible. But people who was passing by attacked the criminals badly. By the time I showed up with the 9 mm at the balcony of my appartment, the criminals were already bleeding and trying to escape but they were almost knock out. They were arrested by civilians until the police showed up 3 minutes later.
Last night again but it happened just under my balcony so, there was nothing i could do but people from a close restaurant went out her and they ran away and dropped the stolen i phone.

 

[Noesdeayer]

Bajo_cero2:
Why don't you drop around to the Juarteche meetings at Bolivar & Brasil some Friday evening and tell the "vecinos porteños" there what you told me about the San Telmo streets.I wonder how long you would last before they heaved you out.
Most of the people who walk the streets of San Telmo are Argentine
Que falta de respeto a los mismos argentinos,por Dios!

 

[Pensador]

Bajo_cero2:
Why don't you drop around to the Juarteche meetings at Bolivar & Brasil some Friday evening and tell the "vecinos porteños" there what you told me about the San Telmo streets.I wonder how long you would last before they heaved you out.
Most of the people who walk the streets of San Telmo are Argentine
Que falta de respeto a los mismos argentinos,por Dios!

I hate to say this and really get tired of hammering on the doc at times. But I think he understand less about his country than the average seasoned expat. Sad but I think true,

 

[mc kenna]

In the last month there were 2 violent robberies in my block. In one case an old lady was robbed and she defianced the criminals so, she was badly hit. The screams were terrible. But people who was passing by attacked the criminals badly. By the time I showed up with the 9 mm at the balcony of my appartment, the criminals were already bleeding and trying to escape but they were almost knock out. They were arrested by civilians until the police showed up 3 minutes later.
Last night again but it happened just under my balcony so, there was nothing i could do but people from a close restaurant went out her and they ran away and dropped the stolen i phone.

I can't help to wonder, what were you gonna do with your 9mm from the balcony? luckily for you some other unarmed civilians took care of the situation, if you shoot somebody that is commiting a crime with a firearm and this crimminal is not armed(with a firearm) or attacking you directly,you would be in a world of shiet in no time, unless of course your law books have more pages than mine and you know something we don't..... todo bien man pero john wayne solo en las peliculas eh

 

[mariano-BCN]

I feel super safe where I live now in Andalucia - I am probably too reckless, leaving my handbag open, walking with girlfriends late at night but as I´ve never experienced any type of crime here nor know anyone who has for me it´s utopia. Long may it last.

Where in Andalucia do u live? I've been visiting cities in Spain trying to figure out where I could live. I visited so far Barcelona (where I lived before), Madrid, Alicante, Granada, Sevilla. Still didn't made my mind up. Somewhere with good flight connections, safe, not too expensive, with a good quality of life, health system (private like Axa). Thx already