www.CostaRicaTicas.com

My point is that we can't do anything to control what the crooks or more recently the cops do to us, but we can do something about our own actions. If what we ourselves do has no relevance to our chances of becoming victims, then the only thing these stories do is reinforce the misperception that crime is rampant AND TOTALLY beyond our control.

Fuzebox,
Why are you picking on Prolijo, when you're not even the one he is talking about? YOU never cease to amaze ME. This is at least the 2nd time in this thread you've complained about me "only" criticizing the poor poor victims even though numerous times I've said at length that ANY mistake that the victims MIGHT have made NEVER justifies or excuses what has been done to them. And I've also expressed my sympathies for the victims numerous times (how much more can really be said about that). This case was no different:The post was addressed to Triple FFF and was about him. He clearly wasn't looking for anybody's pity, yours or mine. But if anybody should complain about what I wrote, it should be him. However I'm willing to bet that, unlike you, he understands and appreciates what I wrote and why. He specifically stated he appreciates my overly analytical nature and must have expected it when he made his reply to me.

What is the point of posting these crime stories at all on this DISCUSSION board if we're not going to be allowed to discuss them? Are there JUST so that one member after the other can offer their condolences? How boring is that and who really thinks that not all of us, who face similar risks, don't also feel that reaction of sympathy for the victim and disgust and frustration over the situation? My point is that we can't do anything to control what the crooks or more recently the cops do to us, but we can do something about our own actions. If what we ourselves do has no relevance to our chances of becoming victims, then the only thing these stories do is reinforce the misperception that crime is rampant AND TOTALLY beyond our control. If that's the case, our only choices are to either accept the risks as a given (in which case, what's the point of posting about more incidents) or else avoid the risks by not going to CR at all.

I prefer to think that there are some things we can do (or not do) for our part to at least IMPROVE our odds somewhat(though I doubt there is anything we can do short of skipping SJ altogether to completely ELIMINATE the risk of becoming victimized there). And if any good is going to come out of what happens to these guys it will be from analyzing it for whatever lessons we glean. Okay, most of the lessons that I pointed out are nothing new, but neither are incidents of this type. For that matter, if the only point of telling these tales in the first place was to warn others about what could happen, then the specifics of each case, however mundane or common, also matter. When you study the specific details, FAR more times than not, such contributing factors as TMG's and FFF's exist, leading me to believe if you eliminate those factors (not walking around when drunk, not walking dangerous and deserted areas alone late at night, not wearing any valuables, etc.) you can greatly improve your odds of avoiding any incidents or reducing the consequences if they do happen.

Lastly, my post was completely on topic. This thread started out being about cop shakedowns over alleged passport violations. FFF's original post only mentioned being taken in by the police. Based just on that one might have thought it was another example of police misconduct. As it turned out in that case the cops were only doing their jobs and really were doing FFF a great service. So I thought it was important and completely relevant to the thread to highlight that distinction. Another theme of this thread has been how to deal with the cops if they do try to shake you down (flatly refuse, demand to be taken to your hotel, don't get in the car or call their bluff and go to the police station). Here was a guy who was taken to the police station, so it was also extremely relevant to the discussion to compare his situation to what might happen to one of us if we were taken in.
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GM, joke if you will but at least I AM consistent
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Triple FFF, I'd also like to know what happened to the 3 ticos. Did they take them in as well? Were they robbing you (as I assumed) and if so did they get away with anything?

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

A few months ago, a non-member, non-monger friend was mugged and slightly stabbed as he waited for a cab on a major thoroughfare. Two guys on a motorcycle pulled out of traffic and nailed him as he was standing 40-50ft from the corner. He turned to run and one of the helmeted crooks poked him with a blade, breaking his skin and resistance.

Some time later, he and I were passing the scene of the crime and he pointed it out to me. What was also very obvious in hindsight was that he picked a very poor spot to hail a cab: The block he was on is occupied by a large private office building and the property is surrounded with a high cyclone fence with a tall hedge inside. He was not visible from the office building and had nowhere to go when the crooks nailed him. Had he proceeded to the next block, he would have had many doorways of small public businesses to step into and other people to witness the attack if not assist. By trying to hail the cab from a position that offered no escape and no defense he inadvertently assisted the crooks.

To me, that is what these discussions are about: Increasing awareness of our surroundings and vulnerabilities. Victims should be treated with kindness and respect but pointing out the "errors" they may have made just might keep someone else from repeating the error. Helping each other avoid the bad guys is what this is about. No?

Sam, that's just the way I feel about you. So? And your point was?

Amen, brother. This is what the boards all about.

Sorry, I was about to write something and quickly feel asleep reading your long winded post. My bad! Carry on Jo.

Sorry, I was about to read your post but quickly realized I rather read something posted by someone with at least a modicum of intelligence. Was that comment short enough for your limited attention span? If not, maybe you should up your dose of Ritalin. Now, can we all move on?

This might have already been mentioned, but I didn't want to go back and read 11 pages of this thread.

If you're really concerned about your "stamps", just take 10 minutes out of your schedule, grab your passport and walk over to Avenida Central. Go into the little print shop that's "catty-corner" from the Presidente. It costs 1200 colones to get a small laminated color copy of your passport and entry stamp. It takes about 5 minutes, and you're done. And the entry stamp that I received was reddish-pink and very legible.

Didn't you get two of them for you and your wing? If they charged you that for each one, you got gringo-gouged. The price is ¢600.