Safety in BA - Valuable camera?
 

Unfortunately, I have to post very bad news:

http://www.buenosairesherald.com/art...-neighbourhood

http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1447068-l...aza-san-martin

http://www.clarin.com/policiales/Ret...642535915.html

The news reports on this crime indicate the criminal/s were trying to steal a tourist's camera, in the area of the Plaza San Martín.

In this forum, we have often suggested not carrying valuable photographic equipment and, obviously, not resisting a robbery attempt.

While in my scant 71 years as a "porteño" I have never had a security problem, after this I hate to admit that it could be because I'm NOT an obvious target.

Even though, as far as I can remember, this is the first time an attempted robbery of a tourist's possessions leads to murder and only a minimal percentage of tourists have security problems of any kind, I cannot blame foreigners for wondering how safe it is to come here.

I'll report any further news here.

drdawggy posted this news on TA:

http://tinyurl.com/6rzw5b9

Further news indicate the victim was a French reporter, which confirms my "valuable photographic equipment" theory.

Thanks for posting avrooster. Terrible news but I really do not think that the increase in this type of incident is limited to Buenos Aires. Most major cities (and some smaller ones) are experiencing increasing levels of street crime, possibly as a direct result of the continuing economic problems that the world is experiencing.Personally, I felt safer in BA than many other cities we visited on our travels around the world.

Of course all tourists should take sensible precautions (leave valuables at home/don't resist/don't look at maps or guidebooks on the street etc.) Above all, try not to look too much like a tourist (easier for westerners in BA than many South American cities)

Oh dear - we're in BsAs now (staying in Las Canitas) and concur with crellston that we have not had occasion to feel insecure, but obviously are taking the precautions he advises.

What a shame. Unfortunately there are old myths that certain places are 'safe' when in reality the typical precautions apply...don't flash your watch, jewelry, big camera and backpack.

This is such a sad news story. To be murdered over a camera is beyond my comprehension. This city is still many times safer that many in Mexico. Tourists still go there in droves. (Including myself, last winter.)

In December my husband was standing just outside the Marriott Hotel across Plaza St. Martin when a camera was stolen off the shoulder of an elderly man just feet away from him. It happened very quickly, and no one, including hotel security people close by, could catch up with the fleet-footed young thief.

The main problem with the "slash proof" bags etc. provided by Pacsafe and others,m is that if a robbery is attempted and the thieves are frustrated, then this could lead to an escalation of violence and the blade being used on the victim. Far better to take active prevention measures such as not carrying valuables in the first place, avoiding dodgy areas, not stopping to speak with people who approach you in the street (just keep on walking). If attacked then the most sensible thing is to give them what they want.

As usual, sensible advice above from crellston.

To Tom (new member greyhairnomad): I feel your posts are great, but would be even greater if you didn't provide a link to your website. I'm pretty sure most forum mmebers will agree with me in this respect.

Have a great time in our country.

mmebers, AV?

Answering the above post from drdawggy:

The "mmebers" in my previous post in this thread is an obvious typo, versus your MAJOR spelling mistake, in this thread http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic..._District.html in which you "invented" the word "unscrulolus".

Considering you are a college professor and your native language is English, whereas I am barely a high school graduate and English is NOT my native language, I feel I'm entitled to a few typos, but you should abstain from "inventing" new English words. LOL!!!!!!

In case anyone wonders, I'm just kidding and the above is just good-natured bantering among great friends.

In a more serious vein, I wonder why no one cares to comment on what I told Tom in my previous post in this thread.

I agree with your post to Tom. Good information, marred by a link to his website. This sort of post always puts me a bit suspicious that the poster's real intent is to sell me something. Probably not fair to Tom, but that is my personal first reaction to this and similar posts.

Av -I agree with your comments re Tom's post. The incidence of advertising and self promotion on these forums seems to be on the increase (although less so on the SA forum than say the Asia forum). I recommend more use of the yellow triangle where appropriate

I, too, agree with AV's response to Tom. My reaction is just like those of dr_dawggy and crellston.

And I checked over my single sentence above to reassure myself that I avoided spelling mistakes :-)

Marnie: on this forum, our mutual friend's screen name is drdawggy, not dr_dawggy.

dr_dawggy is his screen name on that place I'm banned for life from.

Gotcha! LOL!!!!

My regards to Mr. Marnie. More LOL!!!

No one I would rather be 'gatcha'd' by. :-)
~M

I once more move MarnieWDC be named Chief DE for the Argentina forum, with drdawggy as her humble adjutant!

I am in awe of the lengths to which Marnie will go to meet the needs of inquiring visitors to la Argentina. She just helped me translate a Spanish expression to English. After consulting Google's online translator, which provided a literal but worthless translation, I asked if she would be kind enough to ask her Spanish tutor to help out. The tutor is probably still laughing at Marnie's use of raw and unrefined street slang.