Job Discussion Forums

[MotherF]

[TeresaLopez]

I have lived for many years in infamous Mexico City. I live in an off the beaten path neighborhood, just a normal area, take the Metro almost daily, walk all over the place, and have only ever been pickpocketed once in the Metro, and another time in a micro. I use common sense, don�t go into known bad areas for the most part, don�t flash a lot of anything of interest.
On the other hand, when I lived in Chicago, I had two different apartments burglarized in the period of 5 years, was pickpocketed on the L, had a car broken into and was involved in a hit and run accident (I was the victim). When I lived in Milwaukee, I had a dog stolen from my yard, my car vandallized twice, and an attempted break in. Things happen wherever. But I feel safer in Mexico than I ever did in the US.

[Don Alan]

I knew people who were mugged and stabbed in Chile and my own wife had a glass bottle thrown by a nutter seriously gashing her back. Chile has a lot of petty crime and fair bit of violent crime. If you decide for Chile avoid Santiago.

[just_a_mirage]

I have lived in Guayaquil for six years. It can be very dangerous if you are unprepared for the realities of living here. Express kidnappings, where people who have hailed cabs are held at gunpoint by a people who stop taxis (usually with the assistance of the cab driver) are on the increase. Robberies are on the rise, with cell phones being the biggest target of the thieves.
That being said however, there is a lot of work in Guayaquil, and actually some great places to work. You just have to learn which areas to avoid, and what to do if you become a target.
The biggest issue for Ecuador is the visa. It is difficult to get a long-term visa to teach here.

[Broseph]

Essentially is it all about taking standard safety precautions then? There's not some countries in south america that are worses than other? Although I suppose it's a matter of opinion really...

[spanglish]

Talking about countries isn't a helpful way to determine if a place is safe or not. You need to look at cities, neighborhoods, regions. Perhaps if we're talking about Central America, you could make some generalizations because the countries are so small.

[Broseph]

[Isla Guapa]

The size of a country has a lot to do with one's ability to discuss its overall safety. For example, Mexico is a lot bigger than England, so it's hard to generalize about how safe it is or isn't. I feel safe in Mexico City, but someone living in another area of the country might have an opinion quite different from mine.

[posh]

[ScottishGringo]

[naturegirl321]

[ScottishGringo]

Yes I had, I bought a VW camper van and drove all over Peru, spent nights parked up in slum towns and sleeping in sketchy areas...no problems.

[naturegirl321]

How long were you in Peru for? You really lucked out if you slept in shanty towns.

[ScottishGringo]

Around 1 month, just travelling around. Fun times. People were always great, they'd give us food and beer and great advice.

[wiganer]