joode

Very interesting reading!
Madrid is definitely not the best place to go for a stroll in the afternoon - especially during siesta time when I was advised (after the event) that the only people abroad are likely to be thieves and tourists!
3 women, myself, daughter and friend had just reached the edge of the park when I was hit behind the knees and went down like I was pole axed! This character then proceeded to try and drag my videocam from me but fortunately I had fallen on it so had a good grip and unfortunately for him my friend managed to plant a well aimed kick at his rear end. He decided to give it away and disappeared very smartly. Lots of other people around who just ignored us and my dear daughter who was strolling on ahead was totally unaware, it happened so quickly.
Spain is beautiful but very 'high theft' as on another trip with my husband we returned to our vehicle parked on a large boulevarde in Barcelona to find the side window smashed and everything portable they could find had been taken including my makeup bag! That upset me more than anything as I then had to then try to replace it all!

giblum

Washington D.C.- at night, Atlanta convention center area- anytime,
Tangiers-anytime, and the area around the castle in Lisbon-at dusk

southeastern

Many parts of New Orleans during the day and especially at night.

wintersp

When someone kicked in my front door - Atlanta - upscale neighborhood. When I came home to a friend's house and the door was already open - and cameras and items scattered on the stairs - a rural setting. Years ago when I was followed by an auto full of males in Manhattan Ks (college town with a military post nearby) or when I was walking home and followed by 2 or 3 males - stayed by a front porch with folks sitting on it and they picked up on the situation and said come, we'll drive you home.

wintersp

Oops - hit post instead of preview.

Why would I be afraid elsewhere when USA has been the scariest of all????

atravelynn

Tell us if you decide to go somewhere or if you decide to stay home, Luvlimoncello.

MichaelBKK

Got on the subway late today - the second day of Songkran - and noticed that I was the only white person in the carriage. That's not unusual, but this time, I was the only person not packing a WMD - weapon for mass drenching. Fortunately, everyone was politely observing the no-waterfights-on-the-train rule.

Kathie

LOL, Michael

kmkrnn

Michael...you should know better and be armed!!!

jonbarb709

Yes, Miami, Florida

borgo

Cape Town - A man started to follow us as we were walking from the V&A Waterfront to our hotel The Portswood and there is a flight of stairs to get to our hotel area. The man picked up pace and my husband shouted at me to Run! I run and told the doorman that this man was following us and he stepped in between my husband and the man. I was so afraid. He actually looked like a gypsy. My heart was pumping for awhile after that, thank God it was our last night there.

Guenmai

I want to hear more stories....Happy Travels!

rkkwan

Want more stories?

~1990, yk and I were both poor college kids. We went to Florida and stayed at the cheapest motels. Well, the one we found in Miami didn't look that bad initially, but as the evening went on, it was clear that we made a mistake. Fortunately, both of us and my car survived.

1995 in Israel. Earlier, I mentioned about making the wrong turn going to Bethlehem, which was most scary. But during that same trip, two other incidents. One was on top of Mount Olive in E. Jerusalem. Went up there late in afternoon to get a really beautiful view of Old City. Well, there were some very aggressive kids "selling" postcards and other junks. I put "sell" in quotation, because they were almost forcing us to pay them. Eventually we got out of it, but not a good idea to get up there so late in the day when other tour groups were gone.

Still same trip. Driving in the Golan Heights, still in our rental car with Israel Proper license plates. Well, the Golan Heights is sparsely populated with very little traffic, so generally no problem. But we were still being harassed by one car following us - not sure whether they were just trying to race or what, but I certainly didn't feel safe.

yk

< ~1990, yk and I were both poor college kids. We went to Florida and stayed at the cheapest motels. Well, the one we found in Miami didn't look that bad initially, but as the evening went on, it was clear that we made a mistake. Fortunately, both of us and my car survived. >

I must have been way too young and too naive. I didn't think it was unsafe. Fleabag hotel, yes. I was probably too oblivious of any potential danger.

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Very recently:

1. Staying at a very cheap motel (one of those studio-type motels with kitchenettes and laundry rooms) in Mesquite, Texas. It was rkkwan who booked me there.

The area and the clientele was very dodgy. I was worried all night my car would be broken into. I (and my car) survived the night.

2. Walking alone at night in the Albaicín neighborhood in Granada, Spain. Very narrow and crooked streets, very few street lights, and very deserted. I went that way thinking it was a short cut to get back into town.

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But when rkkwan and I were kids, I think we've been to many places in China where people were pushing and shoveling without any order to get on a train or get into a building etc. Quite a few times I almost (or actually) cried because I was being crushed.

rkkwan

Yeah, I mentioned that in one of my posts above... see the 4/8 5:24p entry. We were in Hangzhou.

Guenmai

TTT... Happy Travels!

jewela

Yes, New Orleans. Someone climbed over the balcony & broke into our room at about 3am. Lucky for me, I was with a big strapping Marine....he made sure we were all ok, and the intruder was in the hands of the local police.

freccle

Have never really felt unsafe anywhere in Asia but have certainly felt very very uneasy on almost all the Caribbean Islands. We do tend to wander off the tourist track, but in Asia that has never been a cause for concern

Guenmai

More stories, I say, more stories. The forum is SO slow these days. Smiles. Happy Travels!

Cyberia

British Airways had some cheap flights to Venezuela so I booked one, never having been there before. Then I read up on Caracas. Armed gangs mugging people and so on. I witnessed someone being caught thieving there but had no trouble, but I did feel uneasy all the time I was there.

I went to Mexico 3 times and felt perfectly safe there until on the third time in Mexico City a little old lady stabbed me with a pair of scissors. I pushed her away, she fell over and next thing I knew, I had a mob attack me. I've never been back there.

I feel safe in Bangkok but the place has been spoiled by pick pockets. Despite my efforts, I've had my pocket picked a number of times, and stopped a few more.

I felt safe in Santiago (Chile) but a few days after I got home, I read that a tourist had been shot there in a mugging. I've since heard bad things about Valparaiso though I felt safe there at the time.

Some Caribbean Islands I did not feel safe. Notably Dominica and Santa Domingo. They didn't like "rich" white tourists there.