Security Precautions in Buenos Aires

[GS_Dirtboy]

Since this is obviously wanted information I think this would be a great place to create a list of specific precautions experienced Expats take while living or visiting Buenos Aires.

Here are a couple of mine:

1. Don't walk around looking like a tourist from Kansas.

2. I try to take a Remis whenever possible.

3. If I need to take a taxi from the airport or grab a taxi on the street I lock my doors, then I pretend to call my wife and tell her I'm on my way in taxi # _____ and then make it a point to say the driver's name loudly and clearly. I might even ask him directly the pronunciation. The point is that he knows someone else has his name and number.

4. Get a big dog for your house or apartment. Aside from being a great companion for the kids and life-long loyal friend dogs are one of the biggest deterents to home invasion and robberies. Our dog is multi-lingual - he speaks English, Spanish and Portuguese and attack commands are in German.

 

[solerboy]

1. Don't walk around looking like a tourist from Kansas.

Is that a euphamism for friend of Dorothy ?

 

[El chabon]

3. If I need to take a taxi from the airport or grab a taxi on the street I lock my doors, then I pretend to call my wife and tell her I'm on my way in taxi # _____ and then make it a point to say the driver's name loudly and clearly. I might even ask him directly the pronunciation. The point is that he knows someone else has his name and number.

If you think that is necessary, I would take the first flight back from where you are from

 

[nicoenarg]

I think one of the most important ones is being careful should not mean "BE PARANOID". In fact, if you're paranoid, you give it away that you have something that the robbers would want, automatically making you a target.

An example would be coming out of the bank and repeatedly touching your pocket where you put your valuables. And looking aroound in a frantic fashion. Try to remain calm and try to stay aware of your surroundings in a cool manner.

A tip to always know what's going on around you if you're walking on the street is to not look back over your shoulder all the freakin' time. Try to use the glass or reflective surfaces next to you (store windows and stuff) to make sure you have no one following you. This becomes part of your every day habit.

Finally, if someone IS really following you then DO NOT TURN AROUND AND TELL THEM TO MIND THEIR OWN BUSINESS. Instead, jump into the next supermarket, store or whatever and if you're in a place where there are no stores then cross the road to the other side of it. If they keep on following you, then look up, focus on someone random on the road and call out to them with a name like, "Eduardo!" or something. Nothing foreign, because if you call out "Kevin" or something, you're making the random dude a target too. (This calling out the name thing works only if the random person you fixated on just now is not part of the gang. If he or she is, then you're sadly, how do I say it politely, uh f***ed!)

If you see a bunch of people in a group on the pavement drinking a gallon of Quilmes each, its better you cross onto the other side of the road. Not everyone drinking Quilmes is a criminal, in fact most of them are not, but don't take any chances.

 

[nicoenarg]

If you think that is necessary, I would take the first flight back from where you are from

Or he could just keep on doing what he's doing if it makes him feel safer. The fact of the matter is that not every cab driver is out to get you, there is a very minute minority. But how do we know which driver is about to screw us over and when?

If you have a list of such drivers, we'd all appreciate it so we can avoid those taxis and enjoy our scenic , always detoured BsAs rides.

 

[El chabon]

Or he could just keep on doing what he's doing if it makes him feel safer. The fact of the matter is that not every cab driver is out to get you, there is a very minute minority. But how do we know which driver is about to screw us over and when?

If you have a list of such drivers, we'd all appreciate it so we can avoid those taxis and enjoy our scenic , always detoured BsAs rides.

Begin paranoid never leads to happiness.

Really if I would have to live like that I would just move to somewhere where that is not necessary(and offcourse it's not necessary here, only a paranoid person would feel that way)

 

[nicoenarg]

Really if I would have to live like that I would just move to somewhere where that is not necessary(and offcourse it's not necessary here, only a paranoid person would feel that way)

Isn't it amazing how different human beings percieve things differently and react to things in ways that are not always identical to others?

 

[YanquiGallego]

There is a difference between being paranoid and being alert and aware.

 

[Panini]

Wow man, take a chill pill!!!! It sounds like you're living in the worst and most dangerous city in the world.....what the hell is a remis? Google gives me tattoos and German cars when I search.

Agreed that if this is your life you've gotta move to Greenwich, CT. If I had to call my girlfriend (I feel sorry for your wife haha) every time I took a cab to tell her the name and name of my driver I don't think she'd be too happy with me.


Too all the people reading this that are coming to BA, it's a nice place!!!

 

[nicoenarg]

Wow man, take a chill pill!!!! It sounds like you're living in the worst and most dangerous city in the world.....what the hell is a remis? Google gives me tattoos and German cars when I search.

Agreed that if this is your life you've gotta move to Greenwich, CT. If I had to call my girlfriend (I feel sorry for your wife haha) every time I took a cab to tell her the name and name of my driver I don't think she'd be too happy with me.


Too all the people reading this that are coming to BA, it's a nice place!!!

Panini, you don't know what a remis is yet you feel qualified to tell people that BsAs is a nice place? Sure, listen to Panini, get your ass robbed the first day you're here.

Also, it seems that people have a real problem reading posts on this forum.

This is what GS_Dirtboy wrote:

then I pretend to call my wife and tell her I'm on my way in taxi # _____ and

You might want to use your Google skills to tell you what PRETEND means too.