chapla

Let me first state that I visit friends in Madrid every year. Years ago, in Madrid on a Sunday morning. I was on my way to take the bus to Segovia near Principe Pio. When I turned the corner I saw what I thought were kids having a scuffle on the ground.It turned out that 3 men had jumped a man and were robbing him.Suddenly, the taxi drivers came running up to help the man and some even went after the muggers-all in vain.They took everything he had of value and one taxi driver kindly offered him a ride.That was about 12 years ago. When I told my friends, they were in disbelief! Nowadays they share stories when I visit and are very sad and embarassed..
About 6 years ago,I saw an elderly lady knocked to the ground and people did NOTHING.This was on Calle Toledo near the Plaza Mayor.
4 years ago I was on bus 27 and a woman started shouting, 2 people robbed her and jumped off the bus and took off running.
2 years ago,I had to take a student to the US Embassy because her passport was stolen. We met a young Asian woman who had been badly beaten up in a doorway on Calle Arenal -she was just checking in to her pension.They took everything and her dad was sending her money to buy a ticket to come home the next day.
Last year,I did notice more police around,even on horseback.I consider myself very fortunate and am always aware of my surroundings.My friends finally believe that crime has escalated and everyone is nowadays a potential victim.I get upset when people call it petty crimes,pickpockets.No, it's not!Muggings are scary as all ****
This year I'm staying mostly in Galicia where I feel more relaxed and am pretty much done with Madrid and Barcelona

Robert2533

lovely2c appears to be the typical American, paranoid. If anything, it's far safer walking the streets of Madrid than Seattle, and most other Northern American cities.

Aduchamp1

Unfortunately we have been near and around many incidents when we travel. As noted we have spent considerable time in Spain and when my wife shies away form going to some place where there is violence or crime, I point out that ETA, between 1968-2002, killed over 800 people. Their violence included that blowing up of a restaurant we ate in a couple of times in Pamplona a few weeks after we left.

We ate in Goldenberg's in the Marais a few weeks before it was machine gunned by terroists.

We drove into a riot in Miami

While staying at lodge in Belize, there were horse rustlers in the middle of the night.

Pope John Paul I died when we were in Venice, his home town.

The IRA bombed London Tower just before a visit.

The night before we left for one of our trips to Guatemala the State Dept. issued a warning not to go. The military was spreading rumors that American and European women were stealing children for body parts.

There were some other incidents as well.

And in the town where I was born and live, I was three blocks from the Trade Center, saw the second plane hit, our building was enveloped by smoke and ashes twice and breathed in the remains of humans for months as the fire smoldered.

I know, I know, no one wants to travel with me, but that is good.

But if you want to live your life in fear, then you will miss a great deal. But if you want to see the world, take reasonable precautions, then you can see what all those wondrous things the fearful will not.

annhig

Adu - where are you planning to go next so i can make sure I won't be there?

ribeirasacra

Coming late to this, but i would say the only ones to certainly rob tourist are the banks with commission fees and poor exchange rates when you use your card(s) ;-)

chapla

ribeirasacra-that's a completey different story!
After witnessing these crimes and seeing all the people waiting to report them at the Huertas poolice station, I can't make light of it.

Aduchamp1

Adu - where are you planning to go next so i can make sure I won't be there?
____
Cornwall.

annhig

Noooooo!