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In today's A.M. Costa Rica..........


I will disagree with the "well guarded" at midnight comment. Well, maybe the front entrance to the Presidente and Balmoral, but those dudes aren't gonna do squat to help you. You won't find a cop standing around anywhere. A.M. Costa Rica needs to get out more!

When I used to stay at the "La Gran Via" I would walk back at 2 or 3 am. Never a problem, but what was I thinking. I made that treak many times. Not the best idea at night.

Berk....

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FRUITCAKE... and you thought it was something you eat! Not on CRT!

Oscar Rojas Vargas, 23
Damn I hope that wasn't Oscar that works at the Presidente.

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY

These sorts of incidents happen in virtually every major city of the world. Last month there was a shooting in Seattle in the trendy nightclub area and this is not that infrequent of an occurrence.

If you go to the State Deptment web site (the info was posted here some time back) there are very few deaths from robberies in Costa Rica of US citizens. Mostly drownings, drugs and highway incidents.

San Jose does have a lot of robberies, this is true. The vast majority end without any bodily harm.

Coata Rica also has one of the highest highway mortality rates in the world.

San Jose taxis are anything but safe. San Jose taxi drivers are nothing short on insane in the their driving practices

There is no means for getting around San Jose that can guarantee your safety. You really have to be careful no matter what you do.
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Geez.... I didn't think I would have to spell it out. When going from the DR to the Presidente, at night, put your ass in a taxi. The chances of you being injured inside the taxi due to an accident is nada compared to what possibly awaits you walking on the street.

Berk.....

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FRUITCAKE... and you thought it was something you eat! Not on CRT!

i think there is more to this story then we are reading ...i still think the street from the delray (walking past the nyb) to the pres ...is a little creepy at times , i do my best to walk in the middle of the street and always keep my wits about me ...i still think the teanage beggers worry me the most , as they seem to get more pushy on every trip ...i have found at least for me a way to keep them away...all that crap change (less than 100 ) i keep in one pocket and when the K*ds come up on me i throw them that change ....its like a few pennies but it keeps them away ...it still makes me mad that the owers and the city wont put police around that area as most of the people who are staying in san jose walk in that area .....hell even T.J. mexico put a police station hub right on the street where most of the action is ...

We all have to weigh the risks.

I use taxis quite often late at night for short trips (less than 7 blocks). I am frequently terrified. I do not consider the risk nada. That is just me.

I happen to think that the actual risk in percentage terms is pretty low either way.

The Presidente has a over a hundred rooms, at least 60% to 70% capacity every night. The chances of any one individual getting robbed is really very, very low. Though there is no question, it does happen.

I think the more important point is DON"T FIGHT BACK. Just give them your shit and walk away.

In fact if you think about it, taking a taxi would not have necessarily prevented this robbery since it happen right outside the Presidente.

Here we go again!! Fear mongers making a mugging/robbery a major issue on this site!! For the life of me, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE COME HERE, SINCE IT IS SOOOOO DANGEROUS! One mugging in front of the Presidente ( where you would have to walk even if you take a taxi) and this "crime ridden city" is back as a major topic. HOW MANY MUGGINGS WERE THERE IN EVERY MAJOR CITY IN THE USA IN THE SAME 24 HOUR PERIOD? I willl never understand the obsession with fear mongering here. As I have said before, I live here and the risk of being robbed is no higher than even in middle size cities in the states. The biggest difference is the # of drunk "rich" gringos making a fool of themselves and not paying attention to what is going on around them on the streets in the gulch. The criminal element knows this and if you were hell bent to rob someone, where would you go to do it in San Jose Actually in the last 2 years, the vast majority of crime in the gulch has been against other latinos, not gringos. Of the last 4 I am aware of, 2 were Ticos, one a Colombiano and one was one of our DR chicas.

Sorry about being so passionate about this subject, but I just do not see the reason for all the fear if you just pay attention to your surroundings and act like you know what you are doing If I had to live in fear, I would find some place to go; and I sure would not live here.

The above is just my humble opinion and I would never expect everyone to agree with me. I agree that everyone should be aware of the possibility of danger here (JUST AS IN IN OTHER CITY IN THE WORLD), but I do not agree with making it sound like SJ is sooo much worse than other places

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

Thank you for saying the same thing I was thinking!

Nice meeting you the other day!

Gracias Kc,

How about that, we agree on an issue

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Old and retired but still bang, and bang, and bang!!!

HA HA, I never realized we disagreed on anything.

BangBang/KCC....

What may seem alarmist bul*shit to you is actually a good idea for many of us.

I keep coming back to this: Newbie Americanos flock to C.R. for cheap poon. Many of us don't have our street-smarts in play while in country; we drink too much, get loose, have fun.

Minimizing any potential danger is a disservice to Joe Mid-America, some guy whose biggest danger in life has been avoiding blue-hairs in the Wal*Mart parking lot. Not all of us grew up in cities or high-crime areas, and many of us need to know that crime is a distinct possibility when we travel to Latin America.

Before you discount every warning as being bul*shit, may I hum bly suggest that you put yourself into the shoes of a typical, wet-behind-the-ears novice traveler.

No, San Jose is probably no more dangerous than downtown Minneapolis at any given moment, but the risks are real, particularly for guys who haven't ever come face-to-face with crime.

Just my dos centavos.

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Pura Vulva! Wandering through the dark, I am El Ciego.

I don't disagree with that Brother. There are risks here as with many places you my go. But I don't think San Jose is inordinately dangerous.

Like I said earlier, everyone has to weigh the risks for themselves. Everyone has different circumstances and fits a different profile.

I am totally convinced that the bad guys profile their victims here. They are looking for what they perceive to be easy targets.

Be on guard, keep your wits about you and use common sense at all times.

I do agree with BangBang that some of the fear mongering is a bit over the top. I consider San Jose much safer than most large US cities. That is not saying a whole lot.

It is certainly a LOT safer than cities in Colombia or Brazil. Rio is insanely dangerous.

Hold onto your socks, BB57, but I agree with you, too.

I also completely agree with El Ciego. CR is no more dangerous than any other metro area, IMHO. Everything we do is a calculated risk and very dependent on our individual strengths and weaknesses. Something that is not risky for me may be very risky for someone else and something that I have deemed "safe" may be very risky but I am not aware of it.

Maintaining a high awareness and not making yourself a target is good advice for everyone, IMHO.

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"Your love gives me such a thrill
but your love don't pay my bills,
I NEED THE MONEY!" - John Lee Hooker

Disclaimer: The above is merely the opinion of the author unless specific scientific data is included.
Your mileage may vary. https://costaricaticas.com/phpBB2/viewto ... 978#206978

El Ciego got it right. If you get "Liquored Up" , get your ass in a taxi.

The knee-jerk reactions from some of you guys that live down there anytime something negative is posted would be laughable if it weren't so ignorant. For Christ's sake a guy got stabbed in the neck in front of the Presidente and you clowns want to blow it off as "fear-mongering" and "oh well bad stuff happens everywhere and it's worse in the US." If this isn't a newsworthy post for CR travelers that spend most of their time in the area then what is? Why must certain members turn so many topics into complaining or some type of pissing match...

Does anyone know if it was Oscar from the Hotel Pres.? I believe William"s last name is Vargas and wonder if maybe they are brothers...

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Living well is the best revenge
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwUtj_YnNoY