Job Discussion Forums

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

Yesterday night. I was walking and suddenly felt this glob all over my back. There was a guy that just past me. And he acted like some bird pooped all over me. Suddenly a guy in a suit came to help me and started wiping me all over. Head shirt back. It looked like bird poop but ddidnot smell like it. i originally thought how friendly this guy is. But then i noticed him wiping near my pockets were there was no problems. Then i told him im okay and left him. When i started reading my footprint tour guide, they said it is a common trick where someone squirts ketchup or mustard on you and a accomplice tries to wipe you up and pickpocket you. So take care all.

carlos-england · Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2005 4:25 pm Post subject:

You should have chinned him and made him eat the
salsa golf his mate spilled all over your jacket Smile

mind
you Argentina is not a dangerous country and though be vigilant
(like you need to be anywhere) You can go about your business
in a calm and peaceful manner.

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

That's the first time i've ever heard (in a first person kind of way, as in not 'a friend of a friend of a friend's cousin had their kidney stolen'..) of anyone having that trick pulled on them...it's in all the guidebooks for pretty much every country in the world. Where abouts did it happen? Someone once told me that around the Japanese gardens is where the nasty people hang out to prey on tourists/foreigners but i've never had any problems in over a year here. Yet.

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

it happend on 9 of julio and santa fe while i was at the middle intersection.

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

That sucks, i've heard of robbers hanging out in the middle and once, whilst stuck in a monstrous traffic jam witnessed a very well dressed and attractive young lady getting her hand bag snatched whilst waiting in the middle section (around corrientes and 9 de julio). Unfortunately for the robber, he was very quickly detained by a group of guys who obviously thought playing the hero might result in a date with the aforementioned lady.

He was dragged back into the middle whilst someone else hailed a (slowly)passing police car. In the meantime the muggee proceeded to use her pointy stilettos to very good effect in the mugger's genital area and stomach whilst one of the guys held him down. The police also found this quite amusing and waited for a fair while before deciding that splitting the guy's eye/forehead and castration were as far as they could reasonably allow the girl to go in full view of hundreds of interested onlookers. he was hauled off in a van, presumably to another good thrashing.

The young lady got a round of applause. Rather like the guy who shot and killed 2 robbers who tried to steal a few grand off him after coming out of a bank last year. 2 dead thieves equals a a round of applause and a pat on the back apparently.

waterdance · Joined: 18 Sep 2005 Posts: 54

i guess i look like a sucker or something because it happened again to me today at julio de nueve and cordoba. Three people involved. The stuff smelled like peanut and oil. it came off easy. this time when it happened i put my hands in my pocket and turned around. they turned around and took off quickly.

carlos-england · Posted: Sun Oct 16, 2005 12:05 pm Post subject:

You aren't wearing those ridiculous long american shorts
and basketball tops are you or something similar? A good
tip is wear what the locals wear. If you have been targeted
twice within a space of a week then you are doing something
seriously wrong in regards making yourself stick out like a sore thumb
and I guess it is your dress code.

matttheboy · Joined: 01 Jul 2003 Posts: 854 Location: Valparaiso, Chile

I'd really have to agree with carlos, you must be doing something to stick out and make yourself a target. These things do happen but twice in a week? The same trick? Thousands of people cross 9 de julio every single day without any problems and this happens to you twice? Are you wearing shorts and sandals with socks or something? Walking around with Lonely Planet open on the map page? Safari gear?

amy1982 · Joined: 09 Dec 2004 Posts: 192 Location: Buenos Aires

lesson 1: don't post on dave's looking for sympathy...

sorry waterdance i can't believe that happened to you TWICE! but i'm glad to hear that you turned around and sent the would-be muggers running Evil or Very Mad

perhaps you could find an argentine (probably a young one) and ask him/her if there's anything about you that makes you look like a target. sometimes it's not so easy to tell and could even be something like the way you walk. or maybe it's easier to change like your shoes.

it may just be that you're new to the city and don't walk around looking as confident/nonchalant as the veterans do and that you have some REALLY bad luck on top of that. i hope nothing's happened in the past few days...

carlos-england · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 11:07 am Post subject:

I have been a bit short of the sympathy thats for sure
but something doesn't ring true about all this. For a start
there is no way any mustard sprayer is going to operate
around Cordoba/Plaza del Mayo/Casa Rosada because as
we all know. The place is streaming with cops all around the
city centre and district. Do we all agree if a mustard sprayer
did their thing there isn't like 5 cops in any direction within
a 100 yards of the incident taking place. I'm not saying that
it does not happen but for it to happen to someone twice
within their first week of them being there... I seriously doubt
it.

guillebaires · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 2:55 pm Post subject:

Carlos, I think that you are missing that this happened while crossing the 9 de Julio, on its central boulevard... and there is no police presence at all...

carlos-england · Posted: Mon Oct 17, 2005 4:37 pm Post subject:

Guille

This bloke is BS'ing us, out of us all, nothing has happened
to us in your country. But this feller has been robbed twice
in the busiest and safest part of your city in a week. He has
been moaning about getting bugs on his computer and other stupid
shit.

Nothing has happened to him, unless he has gone out into town
with his clown suit on... which if it is true is my guess on whats
happened.

citruscinders · Joined: 27 Oct 2004 Posts: 49 Location: Canada

If it did happen and he does want to try to change his profile to fit in more, try getting a mullet cut or growing a tail - as in a long strand of hair down the back of your neck (remember 1985- 1990's?). Or you can wear a sweater over your suit around your neck. Good luck dude.

carlos-england · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 2:43 pm Post subject:

vivaBarca · Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2005 2:54 pm Post subject:

As I lived 1 block off the corner of Cordoba and 9 de Julio for a month, and basically had to cross that street at least 5 times a day, every day (problem-free, I may add), I feel compelled to throw in my 2 cents. I would definitely agree with Carlos that there is an overwhelming abundance of policemen in this area - but only during the day, and not necessarily on weekends. I find it hard to imagine that something like this could/would happen during a weekday, when they police all sit there looking angry as mobs of people speed by. But, I could see how this could happen late at night, perhaps, or maybe on a weekend. If there�s anything I�ve gotten used to living in the Microcentro, its the absolute dichotomy between the weekday and weekend/weeknight. Concernig the latter...there�s just nobody around. I�d walk around on Sunday and be absolutely amazed at how quiet it was. Anyway, I�m not here to judge whether a crime was perpetrated or not...just to drop some knowledge.

P.S. I think this entire debate is moot and the real issue we should be tackling is that the Mullet and Rattail are actually now considered �fashionable�