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I emailed my comments below to Scott for his opinion earlier today and he suggested I also post this here.
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Saw this on a website today http://doingcostarica.blogspot.com/2011/05/costa-rica-tourism-crime-theft-murder.html and thought I would ask your opinion?
“I would say that 98.9% of the BAD things that happen to tourists while in Costa Rica are a direct result of their STUPIDITY when traveling abroad.”
“Lastly, only the worst of the worst stories get printed, so perception and drama RULES on the internet. If tourists weren’t so STUPID, crime against them wouldn’t be so high. Yeah, I said it.”
How big a factor do you think “stupidity” really is?
it’s a very big factor — walking around san jose at night wearing a lot of expensive jewelry; leaving a laptop, camera, and cel phone (all visible) in a rental car; leaving all your luggage along with passports in the rental car, or the guy who left his laptop and briefcase containing all his meds and $3000 in cash in his car — everything gone in all instances in a flash. and nowhere in the US would people be so stupid as to do those things, but in costa rica. . . it’s the brain left on the plane syndrome.
“Stupid is as stupid does.” ~ Forrest Gump.
It beats the hell out of me why anyone would do things in San Jose that they wouldn’t think of doing in downtown anywhere in the U.S. 😯
First of all perception rules everywhere. Most of the time you are more affected by your perception of the event then by the event. Second people tend to belive what they want to believe and if you diliver a contray message then its the shoot the messenger syndrome. This to me is one of the most distateful thing about human behavior as when one is trying to provide food for thought many people look at it as, well you don’t think as I do, so you are lame and “shoot that lame messenger.”
I found that people are living longer but maturing less. Oh well. Either wisdom is on the decline or all the really wise people are truly wise because they are in hiding!
Stupid eh? What exactly is stupid? Lack of ability or lack of information or lack of effort or all of the above? Look, there is a learning curve to everything. Costa Rica’s learning curve is steep and rises the moment you choose to live here, and then again when you choose to build or work here.
Tourists are on vacation. Let me repeat myself. Vacation. Does anyone ever consider that when they travel to a large city at home they are not on vacation????
So right there you have the vacation mentality. They don’t want to think. They think all the time at work. They see all the uncivil wild behavior here and they want to go feral: Domesticated now gone wild.
If you chose to live and work here and behave as if you are on vacation, well that is really stupid. Tourist also are choosing to travel well outside their comfort zone: language ability, social and infrastructure difference, so it leaves them more vulnerable to a higher tourist learning curve.
Yes there is a learning curve for tourist and many do not want to endure the learning curve. They want to be on vacation. So when you are not thinking you do dumb stuff and you pay the price.
Regarding all the bad stuff blown out of proportion. It is true that one hears more from a dissatisfied customer. Just look at the Amazon reviews, If every company was as bad a one or two of the reviews of their product I would not buy anything from any of them.
So the internet and the huge amount of disinformation can actually be a disadvantage.
You have to weigh and then make a decision. Take your best shot (calculation/guess) and let the chips fall where they may.
If one out of every 1000 tourist experiences crime here you might say that crime is no big deal, unless you are that one tourist out of a thousand.
I’ve traveled quite a bit in Costa Rica but I hate cities and have stayed out of San Jose except on rare occasion. Twice I had a local guide, the other times it was passing through to get to other side of the country. In the rest of the country I felt fairly safe and have walked through some pretty rough areas. We were stopped by police several times for ID checks but never to be bribed.
I would do the same in almost any major North American city with the exception that if I had business there. I also have the advantage of being fluent in English. . . so I am not at a disadvantage.
The two times I have visited New York City I had local guides that warned me that two blocks THAT direction is a very bad part of town AND “you don’t want to be HERE at night”.
I’ve visited tourist areas in coastal US cities where it was generally safe and worry free. But the nice harbor restaurants on the tourist pier are almost always within site of the docks and low rent neighborhoods only a few minutes walk away. These are places you do not go unless you are a local.
To go to a similar city in another country where you do not know the culture or language is almost suicidal it is so crazy.
Yep, the Forest Gump quote sums it up.
I think my comments about traveling in rural or small town areas applies in many countries. I’ve done business and been a tourist in many large US cities but feel much safer away from them. You, I or a tourist from any country can probably have a very safe holiday doing the winery tours of Napa Valley California just as well as doing the Arenal Volcano region tours in Costa Rica. In Virginia 90% of the state is wonderful and relatively crime free to travelers. That is as long as you stay out of the port towns and capital and away from I95 in the North. Even medium size cities in most of the U.S. are fairly safe. Its the big cities that eat tourists for breakfast.
The comments on rental car scams in CR also apply in the U.S. Remember the German tourist killed in Miami a few years back and THEN hearing about the fact that tourists leaving the airport in rental cars identified by their plates were being targeted by bump and run holdup men?
One morning we awoke in a popular Costa Rica tourist spot and went out to the parking lot which had been empty the day before. . . It looked like the rental companies lot. . every car was a small 4WD 4 seater and all, even though many brands looked exactly alike. A tourist can be identified a mile away driving one of these. While many Ticos drive the same cars I suspect most are ex-rental because they are never so new or clean. That does not mean I would rent something different. But it is something to be aware of.
Study (don’t just read – STUDY) the tourist guides. Most have good information.
[quote=”2bncr”]If one out of every 1000 tourist experiences crime here you might say that crime is no big deal, unless you are that one tourist out of a thousand.[/quote]
Math 101.
1/1,000
10/10,000
100/100,000
1000/1,000,000
2 million tourists “supposedly” here in 2009.
2000 unsolved crimes ?………….Nice.
The U.S. embassy in San Jose replaces more stolen passports each year than any other U.S. embassy or consulate in the world.:roll:I’ve often used the quote from John Wayne (I think?) -“Life is tough. It’s even tougher if you’re stupid.”
We combat veterans are never in “The stupidity mode when traveling.” We learned to see and listen to everything in our surroundings. You were almost skinned, if you lost or left you weapon(s) unsecured! To this day, the only thing I keep in my vehicles are wet wipes; only because my wife insists!
[quote=”Disabled Veteran”]We combat veterans are never in “The stupidity mode when traveling.” We learned to see and listen to everything in our surroundings. You were almost skinned, if you lost or left you weapon(s) unsecured! To this day, the only thing I keep in my vehicles are wet wipes; only because my wife insists![/quote]
Well, when you get to Costa Rica, that’ll change. The law requires that you have in your vehicle a safety vest, a fire extinguisher, two safety triangles, a first aid kit, battery cables, a tool kit, and The Klub.
(Okay, I lied about The Klub, but . . .)
[quote=”Disabled Veteran”]We combat veterans are never in “The stupidity mode when traveling.” We learned to see and listen to everything in our surroundings. You were almost skinned, if you lost or left you weapon(s) unsecured! To this day, the only thing I keep in my vehicles are wet wipes; only because my wife insists![/quote]
Well, when you get to Costa Rica, that’ll change. The law requires that you have in your vehicle a safety vest, a fire extinguisher, two safety triangles, a first aid kit, battery cables, a tool kit, and The Klub.
(Okay, I lied about The Klub, but . . .)
David,
Roger that……hell, I may as well also keep my AK-47 in my Toyota 4Runner! I guess I can scare the chickens off the road with the Klub (smile.)U.S. student killed on Costa Rica class trip – CBSNews
URL: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/06/03/501364/main20068553.shtmlRegardless of the accuracy and details, this kind of event has a national impact on the tourist industry as well as potential retirees.
Unfortunate all ’round.
😥 “Wasted on the Way”yes, it’s sad,and very tragic and might i say, completely stupid? i am sorry for the boy and his family. sorry that costa rica will now have more adverse publicity. but mostly i’m sorry that kids just don’t listen or follow the rules, which are not to persecute them but to keep them safe.
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