Todays (March 24, 2004) has some very good advice on traveling safely in CR as well as some places to be particularly careful. Most of these places have been mentioned on this board previously but bear repeating. I know they have been mentioned because I as well as others have mentioned them. We all need a reminder because it is easy to let your guard down when trips have been going well and for the new people to this board, they will benefit greatly from this.
amcostarica.com

Suzie, that column had some great advice for CR travellers. People sometimes let their guard down or maybe leave their "BS" filters at home. I sometimes think we get lulled to sleep in the tropical atmosphere! Anyway, good reading for the first time visitor or anybody else.....

Dear Suzie, please repost the reference to safe travel - it says Todays (March 24, 2004), but todays what? Many thanks for your excellent posts

roger, Suzie does list the link {amcostarica.com} to the article at the end of her post.

Thanks, Suzie. It was good info.

Sorry about the non name of the newspaper. It was the second time I had to write that because I mysteriously lost the first one.
Hope you found it at the end of the posting. If not......amcostarica.com

I do hope it helps people have a safe trip. Costa Rica is not a dangerous country but it does have it's problems just like anyplace else.

Thank you Molly and Suzie - I missed the reference at bottom but found the article once I saw Molly's post.

To be honest the safety issue seems to be little different from other countries we've visited. Las Ramblas in Barcelona is not a good spot to dawdle late at night and you can get your gold necklace snatched in the Barrio Gotic [if you are not smart enough to leave it home].

Our guidebook was sufficiently scary about the Rome train station that my wife and I passed through like two frightened rabbits - but very safely too

Still, the advice is very good - many thanks!

Downtown San jose should be avoided like the plague. The best part of CR is out of san jose.