Is Buenos Aires REALLY dangerous?

[Fiscal]

The only issue I’ve ever had is that a couple of teenagers in Palermo Chico entered the Starbucks where I was sitting and started talking to me rapidly while I was with my then 3 year old kid. I look like a foreigner. One grabbed my cellphone and tried walking off. I grabbed him and threw him hard into the floor/ glass window, grabbed my phone, and screamed at them “get the f**** out!!!!!”

They said I still feel safer here because I’m a lot larger than most people in Argentina and I assume most teenagers are not armed. I also would rather deal with straight robbers than insane homeless In the US, homeless people are often much bigger than be, hopped up on drugs, and other criminals are most definitely armed. Homeless often wield sticks and other similar things and act crazy ….If someone in the US grabbed my cellphone I would just let it go.

 

[Girino]

Car ownership means upper middle-class .

A few years ago, a recently arrived wealthy expats from Europe asked me about safety. We were sitting in her 7000 USD/month villa in a fancy barrio cerrado in Zona Norte. I told her to keep low key appearance, don't drive fancy cars. She bought a second hand white Mercedes SUV that would have looked cheap-o-ish in Europe, but was standing out as f* in Argentina.

Another friend was also asked for safety advice from a first-come tourist and the advice was "do not come flaunting your Rolex, leave jewellery at home". What did the visiting friend do? Get replicas of her Rolex and jewellery and travel with those.

You can't fix some people.

 

[leaven.guise]

leaven.guise ... yeah, it is really dangerous here and there are far safer places to live. Have you considered Utopia?

wow, so funny, have you considered a career in entertainment?

 

[NoSoyDeAqui]

yo! shout out from Philly here...all good, doing some shopping before my flight to BA tomorrow...happy to report the mall in Center City is fine, all on sale, no blood anywhere, just some stains from greasy cheeseteaks wit!

 

[devilclam]

I mean, if you live in a barrio cerrado, don't go out at night, move around by car with windows closed... is it really likely to get robbed or to experience some sort

I know there's a lot of responses here, but I think safety is a personal definition.

I moved here from Detroit, so to me, no gunshots and less sexual harassment automatically makes me feel more safe. That's doesn't mean I can't be targeted, but I'm used to living with my head on a swivel.

I guess the biggest thing whenever I travel someplace new is getting a feel for what dangerous neighborhoods, sketchy people look like.

For me, I try to mind my business around groups of teenage boys.

 

[Greg M]

leaven.guise ... yeah, it is really dangerous here and there are far safer places to live. Have you considered Utopia?

LOL. Some people live in fear; like those still wearing masks in their car, while alone with the windows rolled up.

From Statista, (The Mexico Citizens Council for Public Security and Criminal Justice), Argentina doesn't even have a city listed in the world's top fifty most violent cities:

https://www.elsoldesinaloa.com.mx/local/bnj82c-50-cuidades-violentas/alternates/FREE_560/50-cuidades-violentas

I don't know what the parameters were but by some metrics this is what they determined.

 

[Rich One]

Some people are scared of motorcycles?? .. particularly when they see one coming at night on a lonely street, a motorcycle with two riders, they figure they are seconds away from being robbed at gunpoint..?

 

[skolka]

I was a police officer for 32 years in the United States, 10 of them in Los Angeles. I will say this there is not city in the world of over 30,000 people that doesn't have a "ghetto". If you use universal big city precautions, don't wear bling, be in bad areas late at night, don't leave your phone or items unattended so someone can run buy and grab them as your eating outside, be cautious of pickpockets, BA is safe. I am more worried about getting hit by a car than being a victim of a crime.

 

[steveinbsas]

I will say this there is not city in the world of over 30,000 people that doesn't have a "ghetto".

Two questions:

1. Could you please define the word "ghetto" as you use the term?

2. Based on the answer to question one, are you saying that every city in Argentina with a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants has a ghetto?

 

[skolka]

Two questions:

1. Could you please define the word "ghetto" as you use the term?

2. Based on the answer to question one, are you saying that every city in Argentina with a population of more than 30,000 inhabitants has a ghetto?

Every city in the world of over 30,000 people has a bad area, where you can go to find drugs prostitutes and things if that nature. Area's that unless you live there you really shouldn't venture into. If you want to get into a debate about political correctness I have no interest