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I do not live in Costa Rica but have been numerous times. What scares me is not “crime” but driving accidents. We were involved in a serious car accident in which a car driven by a drunk gringo hotel owner was driving in the wrong lane. We (actually our Costa Rican driver)barely avoided a head on accident, but the drunk ended up side swiping us. Our vehicle flipped over. We were banged up but not badly hurt and the local CAJA clinic patched us up nicely at no charge. The other driver (who was falling down drunk) failed the breathalyzer but local rumor had it that he paid off the cops (who seemed singularly uninterested in our version of events). The locals, who were very kind to us obviously were siding with Don hotel owner because he was a local employer.
But we still go to CR; still drive there; still may move
there someday.Bad things happen everywhere as do good things.
[quote=”gallinj”] The other driver (who was falling down drunk) failed the breathalyzer but local rumor had it that he paid off the cops (who seemed singularly uninterested in our version of events). The locals, who were very kind to us obviously were siding with Don hotel owner because he was a local employer.
[/quote]thats my big pet peeve for Costa Rica.the exploitation of the system becasue you got it like that and you can.I had received an email from a Canadian client that stated she wanted to cancel her rental reservation with our company because of the information she received at this government website (she feared for the welfare of her two small children): http://www.voyage.gc.ca/countries_pays/report_rapport-eng.asp?id=67000
After I told her that this information was grossly exaggerated and didn’t represent the area the property was in (which happens to be where I live!) and is very safe and off the beaten path, she changed her mind. I also reminded her that I have two very small children and I would never live somewhere that was considered unsafe. Lots of information out there that is misleading. You can’t just make a blanket statement that ‘Costa Rica is unsafe.’ Really? What areas? What type of crime? It would have been helpful if this site states that most of the crime happens in larger cities and that violent crime is rare at our area near Playa Conchal. There is no perfect place and David hit the nail on the head with his overview.
The website you included in your message above, mediatica, says: “There are identifiable security concerns; travellers should be alert and vigilant to their surroundings.”
Well, duh!
Might this same advice not apply in any Canadian city? Any American city? Any European city? Or even in the Okanagan Valley where tracyl lives?
This information is tantamount to saying, “If you’re outside when its raining, you might get wet.”
David–YES. What is said on that site (as I suggested) was very general and could be anywhere. I was shocked to see that someone would ‘temporarily’ cancel their two-week vacation because they feared for the safety of their children. Nothing in that alert would make me cancel my vacation out of the country…
Here is what is said that made her ‘cancel’:3. SAFETY AND SECURITY
The decision to travel is the sole responsibility of the traveller. The traveller is also responsible for his or her own personal safety. The purpose of this Travel Report is to provide Canadians with up-to-date information to enable them to make well-informed decisions.
Crime
Crimes against tourists are particularly common at airports, bus stations, ports, car rental lots, crowded tourist attractions, and resort areas. Thieves target foreigners’ money, credit cards, and passports. Cases of passport theft, including cases involving Canadians, are extremely frequent. Canadians should exercise caution and vigilance with their valuables and travel documents.
Canadians should stay in busy and well-protected hotels, and ensure personal belongings are secure at all times. Valuables should never be left unattended in vehicles, on the beach, in hotel rooms or in bus stations. It is advisable to carry a photocopy of your passport, including the Costa Rican entry stamp, and any other travel document, while keeping your original documents in a secure place, such as the hotel safe.
Travellers should be alert to their surroundings near the ports of Limón and Puntarenas. In San José, high-risk areas for theft include the Coca Cola bus station, the inner downtown area and the public parks. Travellers should also be cautious in Tamarindo, Jaco, Quepos and Manuel Antonio on the pacific coast; and in Puerto Viejo on the Atlantic coast.
Armed robberies and home invasions are on the increase, including in beach areas and on the main highways in the central valley. Thieves often work in teams, in which one thief diverts the victims’ attention while the other snatches their possessions. Beware of “good Samaritans” offering their help to change a flat tire, as they are often the cause of the situation. Carjackings occur, often at gunpoint. Remain vigilant in a stopped car (e.g. at traffic lights) and always drive with the doors locked and windows closed. You should park vehicles in supervised commercial parking lots only and avoid travelling at night.
Sleeping on beaches overnight and camping in Costa Rica are strongly discouraged.
Cases of express kidnapping, where victims are usually picked up from the street and forced to withdraw funds from automated bank machines (ABMs), are becoming increasingly common. Avoid showing signs of affluence, and remain cautious with new acquaintances offering friendship, hospitality, or assistance.
Foreigners have been sexually assaulted at beach resorts as well as by taxi drivers in San José. Travellers should use official taxis only, and avoid taxis that do not have working door handles, locks and meters. Do not ride in the front seat with the driver. As incidents of sexual assault sometimes involve the use of sedative drugs, travellers should also avoid leaving their drinks or food unattended in bars and places of entertainment.
By comparison, here is what the Canadian travel advisory site says about crime in the US:
[i][*] Street crime can spill over into commercial, hotel, and entertainment areas. Riots, though rare, occasionally occur; these are usually confined to the poorer districts of major cities, but the violence can spread to central commercial and hotel areas. Full cooperation is recommended when stopped by police.
Violent crime remains a serious concern in Florida. Criminals have demonstrated that they will use violence with little or no provocation. Many attacks have occurred in the Miami area, and others have taken place on rural roads and at interstate highway rest areas. Some rest areas have dusk-to-dawn security on site (which is indicated on the highway sign). Proceed cautiously when exiting a freeway (including Interstate 95) into large urban centres, especially after dusk. Theft has increased, particularly from trunks of parked cars in the North Miami Beach area, South Beach and at airports. Be alert, as criminals use a variety of techniques to steal personal belongings.
Passport theft is on the rise in the United States. Travellers should ensure that their travel documents are secure at all times.
This kind of warning does not seem to deter Canadians from travelling to Florida … especially now that the Canadian dollar is at par with US dollar and predicted to go even higher this winter.
[quote=”gallinj”]This kind of warning does not seem to deter Canadians from travelling to Florida … especially now that the Canadian dollar is at par with US dollar and predicted to go even higher this winter.[/quote]
What a great comparison – – and I can assure you that having lived in Tampa for over 22 years prior to our move here – that kind of warning DOES NOT deter the Canadians from traveling to Florida!!
[quote=”mediatica”]David–YES. What is said on that site (as I suggested) was very general and could be anywhere. I was shocked to see that someone would ‘temporarily’ cancel their two-week vacation because they feared for the safety of their children. Nothing in that alert would make me cancel my vacation out of the country…
[/quote]Unfortunately, many folks who aren’t well traveled can be influenced by these sorts of messages. I could personally write some hair curling crime warnings for France, Italy, Spain and the UK based on my experiences living in these countries although I doubt many would heed them…after all these countries are in Europe…so how scary could they be (-;?
It is a hard one, in California we live in a rural area and don’t know where are house keys are but just down the road in a small town my mother was robbed 15 or 20 times in a year. Last week in EPA a friend had his wallet taken – he forgot his rule and stuck it in his back pocket then a lady had her purse snatched at Pricesmart. She left the purse in her shopping cart while unloading groceries and even though she and her husband were only inches away the thieves saw their opportunity, grabbed the purse and were out on the pista before anyone could do anything. We have been here nearly 3 years and during that time I have been stupid and careless and lucky so far….working on the stupid.
Don’t give the thieves ANY opportunity, they have lots of time to watch for their chance and they don’t get distracted.
If I knew then what I know now would I make the move? In a heartbeat!
Also please do not post duplicate messages. If you see the same message on the web page, either go to another web page on the web site or skip web site altogether and go to next web site ( select “I Did Not Post On This Website” option ). URL Text is the label or caption for the clickable link, it is also auto included as part of the anchor in message but sometimes it may need to be adjusted in order to display properly.
If given the choice of walking the street at night in Tibas or east downtown Vancouver, I would chose Tibas.
Why would you compare Vancouver with Tibas? Vancouver is larger than San Jose!! Yes, East side is not the place to be in the middle of the night, but other areas are perfectly fine. We lived in Richmond, Burnaby, Coquitlam, New Westminster, North Vancouver, and did walk late in the eveing without any problems.
Would I do it here? That really depends. Grecia, Atenas, perhaps, but we even close windows in our car when driving through Alajuela or central San Jose.
As everyone is saying, choosing the right (safe) place is the key to living happily here.
As a statistical comparison Vancouver is only 31% larger (2.1 million) than San Jose metro (1.6 million), but the overall crime rate is 6 times higher than San Jose or 10/1,000 vs. 64/1,000. That was the point. Additionally, Vancouver has the 3rd highest crime rate in Canada and #1 in drug related offenses. Just some statistical perspective.
The main difference is what’s considered a crime here and there.
In V. many crimes are minor (drug use, tax avasion, minor thefts). Such crimes are typically NOT included in the CR statistics for obvios reasons.V is #1 in drug related offenses? May be, but we’re talking mostly about marijuana growing/consumption.
I’m just saying that Vancouver, in general, is quite a safe city. BTW, crime in Vancouver is down 7% (stats for 2009).
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