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Horror stories always make the headlines and no one ever hears about the good things that people do.
After spending two and a half months in Costa Rica in the Fall, I had to come back again. I arrived on Jan. 1st. for a two-month visit and in the hassle of going through customs I left my fanny pack at the x-ray machine and it had my passport in it.
The next day I went back to check to see if it was there by any chance before I went to the US Embassy to start the process of getting a duplicate passport.
Someone had found my fanny pack and turned it in to security. They had it and gave it to me. Everything was there including my cell phone, passport and a small amount of change.
(I know I can’t use my cell phone here, but it is a good time to learn how to use all of the features. I brought the manual and hope to be a master when I get home.)
In my opinion the crime in Costa Rica is not as bad as some people would lead you to believe, but I have learned my lesson and I will be more careful from now on.
A big THANKS to the honest people in Costa Rica.
Jerry Minchey
That’s a great story, Jerry. Too often we do hear only the bad things that happen to people, but sometimes when you get the back story, you see that the crime people experienced was brought on by their own stupidity — like the guy who leaves his briefcase in his car with $3000 in it, all his meds, all his paperwork, and then when it gets stolen in broad daylight he can’t figure out why. My motto: A fool and his money are soon parted! Or the person who wanders around San Jose at night wearing a $5000 Rolex and a Mr. T set of gold chains around his neck and he can’t figure out why he’s a target for robbery and then bellows on the flight back to the US that Costa Rica is riddled with crime, while under my breath I’m mutter “and idiots, too!”. Recently I heard about some gas station scam where the victim claims the attendant charged him $42 worth of gas that somehow didn’t make it into his tank. HUH? How does that happen? Where did the gas go if not into the car? I’ve met a whole lot of people with stories such as this and all I think to myself is that they are almost too dumb to leave home. And in the last three years I’ve also heard many many stories such as yours where wallets, cell phones, backpacks, etc. were returned to the owner intact with not a colon missing, or how a store clerk runs after a customer to give them the change or some other item they’ve forgotten. The good stories warm your heart; the other ones make you ponder how to take the necessary precautions so as not to wind up a hapless victim.
While we’re taking about good stories, I got sick a few days after I got here. I must have looked really bad because a Tico outside a store asked me if I needed him to take me to the hospital.
Later that night I was feeling a lot worse, so I called a doctor and he gave me the name of some medication I needed to take and two shots I need to get. I went to the faracia and got the bottle of medication and the pharmacist took me in the back and gave me the two shots — total bill US $9.00 for the medication and the two shots.
The next morning I was feeling great and have been every since. The doctor called me at 9:00 a.m. the next morning to make sure that I was alright. When was that last time a doctor in the US called you to see if you were alright?
I love Costa Rica!
Jerry Minchey
You were lucky… I had a quite famous cosmetic surgeon recently tell me that he could help me with my facial disfigurement.
I didn’t even know I had one … 🙂
Scott Oliver – Founder
WeLoveCostaRica.comI am no expert on life in Costa Rica. I am learning. But I do have the common sense to take most of what I read about crime in CR with a grain of salt. It may be statistically on the rise, but however much increase there may be, there is no reason to suppose it is a dangerous place to live. It is human nature to accent the rare scandal and ignore the ubiquitous good that keeps human society functioning and as far as I can see, Costa Rican society is doing just fine. Americans are notoriously a fearful people and should stay clear of crime stats. They have enough false fear on their plates right now with which to deal.
Maravilla, the gas station scam is this: A person loads up with small amount of gas and then leaves. The gas station attendant collects his money then doesn’t reset the pump. You come along and are now paying for that gas again and more as you fill up. Moral: Always make sure the pump is reset when you fill up. I had this happen to me in a gas station in Quepos and if you didn’t see it, it’s difficult to prove that they’ve scammed you. I have nice things happen to me in this country every day; but this is just one you have to learn the hard way!
Yesterday’s (Sunday’s) Chicago Tribune posted a traveler’s alert in its travel section. It seems that with the addition of the new tourism police, crimes against tourists have decreased by as much as thirty percent in tourist destinations. Today’s A.M. Costa Rica carries a story about an alert tourist who helped police nab some ladrones who were trying to steal his luggage. With the additional police and common sense about staying alert in a foreign country, no one should feel any discomfort about traveling in Costa Rica.
Many years ago I read a travel tip about buying gas. Never pull your car up so far that you can’t read the meter on the pump. I personally get out of my vehicle and talk to the attendants as the gas is being pumped. They have always been friendly and honest and they provide an opportunity for me to practice my Spanish.
editor
I had a very similar thing happen with my passport the last time I was in Costa Rica. I dropped it while putting my shoes back on after going through security. Someone found it and turned it in.
Meanwhile I noticed it was missing while waiting to board the plane. Panic set in and every pocket of my clothes and (many pocketed) computer bag was checked. I had also used the restroom and went THERE to check. . . Finally we decided I needed to go inform security. I figured I would enjoy being stuck in the San Jose airport much more than the Miami airport without a passport. . . On the way to security one of the airline employees boarding the plane recognized me (from the found passport) and directed me to the security desk that had my passport.
What COULD have been a disaster if a dishonest person had found my passport just turned into a moment of panic then rejoicing!
Some points from my friend in CR. That expensive camera or laptop computer you carry may represent a year’s (or at least many months) income for many Costa Rican’s. Like flashy jewelery it can be a very large temptation so leaving them laying about is not a good idea. Another thing they pointed out is that family is VERY important in CR. Family is so important that if someone steals to feed their family they do not feel it is a crime since their first responsibility is to their family. That is probably a factor in areas that have both high poverty rates and high crimes against property.
Other than the communication gap I feel as safe or safer in Costa Rica than in an American city. Rural America is a different story but we still have crime here as well. I think that anywhere you go in the world the problems are similar they just present themselves in different ways.
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