Situational awareness / the need of vigilance

WoodbridgeNJ said:
From what I've heard the gated communities can be worst since the guards all know your schedule and if your house is full of valuables etc then they tip off their thieving friends. Remember the guards probably make less than $1k USD a month
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$1,000 USD?? Are you crazy! Where did you get THAT idea?
 
No matter how you dress if you are the only victim available in a dangerous area you will get robbed , like scholl girls do. The cash they get for a mobile is enough for many doses of drugs.
 
sergio said:
Just curious but why don't you blend in? If you dress like a local and adopt a demeanor similar to people in Argentina, what calls attention to your foreignness?
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Dressing like a local and adopting a new demeanor won't change one's race. I don't know if this is the case for @BobbyHank although it is for me and many others. Some things will always make some people stand out. But locals are robbed too, so blending in (or trying to) doesn't really help.
 
sergio said:
Just curious but why don't you blend in? If you dress like a local and adopt a demeanor similar to people in Argentina, what calls attention to your foreignness?
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6’3” 250lb, blue eyes, crewcut... blending not an option…
 
citymike said:
I should point out that these are not legal in Capital Federal
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Is it legal anywhere in Argentina?? I hail from Texas, where I always carried a gun, unless I was carrying two. Everyone I’ve talked to tells me that it’s illegal to carry. Period! I’d love to hear otherwise…
 
Spixe said:
I used to think I would blend in, but I'm starting to think otherwise. My wife definitely will not. We've already taken measures to ensure our phone and money will remain safe and unsnatchable while we're out though (not without some real effort at least). Still, we now know we'll stick out like sore thumbs too and will try to adjust accordingly, thank you for the tips.

I'm hearing a lot about houses and cars being broken into though, which is what's concerning me the most at the moment. We won't have any kind of insurance aside from what our uni requires for enrollment, which is the cheap of the cheap, and if our things get stolen, that's it for us. I'm kinda wondering, how do you (people living there I guess) do it? Rent places with 24/7 surveillance and security guards? Gated communities? Just hope or pray? Homeowners insurance? Cuz honestly that's the only way I think I would feel safe - and personal safety really isn't what I mean, but just my home being broken into and my valuables stolen, it would be all I have in the world, I'd be both mortified and possibly broke after that. Sorry this got off topic but... how can you live there knowing that your house could be broken into and robbed at any time? As much as I'm physically and mentally prepared to live there, that's the one thing I'm having a bit of trouble wrapping my head around.
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Thieves are by no means exclusive to Argentina! They are everywhere!! In any city in the world with a population over a million (and likely far less) there are parts of town where you can/will get in trouble quickly. We were broken into in Texas, Texas! Everyone has guns!!
Anyway, on new years eve our home (in Argentina) was broken into. There’s a house being built next door with low paid workers coming and going, and had a close up view that there was a big Norte Americano living there. According to my Argentine friends and family, most Argentines, and especially the lower class, assume that all Norte Americanos are billionaires.
However, I can’t fault them, they saw me, assumed I was an easy target, and frankly I was! We are renting the house we’re living in while building our home. I didn’t want to put any $ into the rental home, and the landlord wasn’t going to pay for bars on the windows, so we went without. We went out on New Years, window broke, cash found, lesson learned. In my opinion, bars on windows, alarm, and security cameras buy you time. Given enough time any place is vulnerable, a monitored alarm is a good investment, especially with bars which will slow the perp. After the break in we installed bars, alarm and cameras, haven’t had a problem since, and highly doubt that we will. Moral of the story, learn from my mistake, ensure bars on windows, secure doors, alarm, and camera. If you have something that you can’t afford to live without, keep it with you. My two bits…
 
BobbyHank said:
Is it legal anywhere in Argentina?? I hail from Texas, where I always carried a gun, unless I was carrying two. Everyone I’ve talked to tells me that it’s illegal to carry. Period! I’d love to hear otherwise…
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Nope, they are right about that. But rest assure that the government is doing their level best to protect you from armed robberies with laws which are ink on paper and everyone knows how fantastic that works. LOL Consequences of trying to save your life here can cost you your freedom......
There is no explicit prohibition same as there is no explicit prohibition to own a ferrari, one , the price is prohibiting the other ,bureaucracy makes it prohibiting.
Good luck to you pilgrim.
 
Don't overlook that time-tested security device: dogs. They don't have to be fierce, just noisy. Two or three barking dogs will shoo away many burglars - they don't like to attract attention.
 
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