Some tips to be secure at the heart of the city
Buenos Aires is considered as an unsafe city and many people associate it with thefts. The truth is that this can happen, as in any big city. But with the right tips, you can at least try to avoid one. Especially in tourist zones you should pay attention. The Florida Street is for example a very popular shopping area for tourists. Thieves know how to exploit this fact. So how can you protect yourself? You should never have a lot of money in your pocket or bag. Also, it is better to use a neck pouch that fits snugly to the body. Bags can be stolen very quickly. One should, for example, pay attention when a motorcyclist passes. With a quick movement you can lose all your papers. Even in buses with an open window you should be very careful. It may happen that a mobile phone is stolen from the hand through the open window. With phones you should therefore deal as carefully as possible and don’t present them too publicly. This is even an advice when crossing the street. Just write an SMS while running, it may be that a passing person snatches a cell phone.
Should there be an attack, it is strongly recommended not to resist, because the perpetrators are usually armed. To prevent violence, the safest option is to give whatever you have. If a theft has occurred, you should not hesitate to communicate these to local authorities. There is a Commissioner for tourists in the Avenida Corrientes 436 (free phone number: 0800 – 9995000). There you can get aid in different languages. In case you lose your passport you should not miss to make a complaint, so that the re-emigrations isn’t in danger. Special care need to be taken in tourist areas. These include not only the Calle Florida but also La Boca (here pay particular attention to side streets, which lie off the Caminito), the Plaza de Mayo, the district of San Telmo and Recoleta and the train station in Retiro. Even you should be careful that you are not observed during cash withdrawals and exchanges. If it’s possible it’s better not to withdraw large amounts. The thieves know many tricks to rob somebody often they work together. One popular method is to spot someone with mustard and to offer his help and then everything is close to steal. It may also happen that one bumps into someone and appeals, so that you turn around and in time will be robbed by a mate. Another tip is to have your bag or backpack always at the front of your body, so that you have a better control over it. In the moment there are also some problems with counterfeit money in Buenos Aires. For this you should pay attention with the 50 and 100 pesos notes. When you pay the taxi driver, it’s better to give them the money with small notes. It is a favourite trick of the drivers to change the notes so quickly that you hardly notice it and return the 100 pesos, saying that it was counterfeit. Especially at night it is advisable to call taxis, so that they are registered and it’s better to not stop them on the street. In hotels you need to keep a constant eye on your luggage and to enclose valuables in the safe, if one exists. All in all, you shouldn’t be too afraid because all this things but enjoy your stay. But a little caution should always be resonate.