Situational awareness / the need of vigilance

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BobbyHank

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oh, I just thought of another one, vigilance! ie: situational awareness! You said Cordoba, don't know if you meant city or state, but regardless, this applies everywhere. Keep you head on a swivel! I don't mean to sound paranoid, but if you're like me, I don't "blend in" everyone on the street knows I'm not from here, so I'm a target. Situational awareness, keeping your head on a swivel and your face out of your phone, know who's walking in front, next to, and behind you, and make your dinero difficult to snatch. Ditto goes for your home and vehicle. Although never confronted on the street, we've had our house and car broken into. Thieves are typically cowards, if you look them in the eye, they'll usually turn tail and run. Stay vigilent!
 
BobbyHank said:
oh, I just thought of another one, vigilance! ie: situational awareness! You said Cordoba, don't know if you meant city or state, but regardless, this applies everywhere. Keep you head on a swivel! I don't mean to sound paranoid, but if you're like me, I don't "blend in" everyone on the street knows I'm not from here, so I'm a target. Situational awareness, keeping your head on a swivel and your face out of your phone, know who's walking in front, next to, and behind you, and make your dinero difficult to snatch. Ditto goes for your home and vehicle. Although never confronted on the street, we've had our house and car broken into. Thieves are typically cowards, if you look them in the eye, they'll usually turn tail and run. Stay vigilent!
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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.
 
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
 
In before the mouth breathers "but London and Philadelphia are more dangerous" , "I was robbed in Tampa, Florida on vacation for 2 days, 5 years in Buenos Aires, no problem."

I won't yap about other cities, but comment on my experience in Argentina.

Bobby gives good advice about situation awareness. You don't need to be paranoid but aware of your surroundings, where you take out your phone, if someone has been following you for a while, anyone around while your opening your door, etcetera.

I had my home broken into once here, and yes it sucks. Losing your stuff and even more so the feeling. Wherever your staying do an assessment on your home or apartment and look for weak points. Do you have a first floor balcony? Is your door flimsy? Is there a patio that can be accessed via another roof? Then try your best to address it.

As commented above, guards can be more of security threat than not having one.

How do I live here knowing my place could be broken into again? I don't really think about it. I've fortified it the best that I can, and am carefully when I enter. It's just part of life.

Be aware, but don't let it dominate your thinking is the best advice. Most likely, you'll have an incident free stay. Hope you enjoy it.
 
Spixe said:
I'm hearing a lot about houses and cars being broken into though, which is what's concerning me the most at the moment. .. 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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The above posting gave me some food for thought .
I feel the exactly the same way as I watch US movies and series and notice individual family homes without fences, windows without iron bars, glass entrance/back doors or glass terrace windows....! Amazing..!
I wouldn't be able to adjust soon and feel safe there at all !!, hehe
 
what i have practiced in the past is an old spy trick, you carry a dummy phone (old one or non functional that can be turned on still)and a dummy wallet with some small denomination bills like 100 pesos, 20s and 50s with old cards that would look as a credit card on a quick glance being from your old blockbuster membership lol or your old chevron gas card, (yes i am that old)nothing on that wallet should have name or addresses of any kind that can identify you, if confronted you can always surrender that quickly hoping they'll move on while keeping the real ones hidden somewhere else in your not so obvious pockets........ also carry a .45 and a couple of grenades but that's optional,
 
My husband says I dress like a villero, which is exactly the vibe I'm going for, and it seems to work. People rarely try to sell me stuff, and I'm looked down on at stores until I go to pay. My desire is (both in life, and even more so with thieves) to simply be left alone.

If you're a gringo speaking in English, playing with your phone carelessly, rocking a Rolex while wearing designer clothes you're begging to be robbed both in Buenos Aires and every other city on Earth basically. The most important thing is to remember your phone or watch isn't worth your life, and to not fight back unless you're armed (and even then, like all good gun owners should remember, never draw unless you are in fact willing to shoot). I think this will solve 99% of people's issues, whether here or elsewhere.
 
BobbyHank said:
oh, I just thought of another one, vigilance! ie: situational awareness! You said Cordoba, don't know if you meant city or state, but regardless, this applies everywhere. Keep you head on a swivel! I don't mean to sound paranoid, but if you're like me, I don't "blend in" everyone on the street knows I'm not from here, so I'm a target. Situational awareness, keeping your head on a swivel and your face out of your phone, know who's walking in front, next to, and behind you, and make your dinero difficult to snatch. Ditto goes for your home and vehicle. Although never confronted on the street, we've had our house and car broken into. Thieves are typically cowards, if you look them in the eye, they'll usually turn tail and run. Stay vigilent!
Click to expand...
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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