The US Embassy in San Salvador issued a warning in December that street crime and gang activity, including extortion and kidnapping, has increased and violent crime is now “endemic throughout El Salvador.” Visitors should take precautions for their personal safety and not broadcast their travel plans.
The website www.ihatetaxis.com gives tips on how to pick the right taxi, avoid taxi scams and arrive at your hotel safely. The website covers more than 300 international airports, train stations and ports in 85 countries.
In recent years, security in Colombia has improved significantly, but in recent months there has been an increase in violent crime in many of the major cities, the Department of State reports. The incidence of kidnapping in Colombia has diminished significantly from its peak at the beginning of this decade; nevertheless, terrorist groups and criminal organizations continue to hold civilians for ransom or as political bargaining chips.
Editor’s note: In the following letter, ITN is withholding the identities of certain individuals.
In late 2013 my wife, Sharon, and I started planning a trip to Hong Kong and sought to rent an apartment, as, versus staying in a hotel room, we like the extra space, and occasionally we like to cook a meal.
It seems like all “roads” in Africa go through O.R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, and on a trip to Namibia and Zimbabwe, my husband, George, and I passed through several times.
On the first leg, we flew KLM Royal Dutch Airlines from Los Angeles to Amsterdam to Johannesburg. We had been sitting 20-plus hours in economy on the long-haul flights when we arrived on June 25, 2014, at about 10 p.m.
While I enjoyed Rick Steves’ article on street crime, “Avoiding Scams and Pickpockets” (May ’14, pg. 59), I think he left out an important point. If you see a pickpocket in action or have someone make a grab for your wallet, make noise. Yell “Pickpocket!” or “Thief!”
These folks are cockroaches, making quick hits and scurrying off. They don’t do well when exposed.
Dear Globetrotter:
Welcome to the 462nd issue of your monthly foreign-travel magazine, the original travelers’ forum.
If you’re seeing a copy of ITN for the first time, here’s the concept of the magazine: travelers share with others their experiences, observations and opinions — both positive and negative — regarding travel firms, destinations and travel in general.
The Department of State reported that since January 2010, 31 US citizens have been murdered in El Salvador, including a 9-year-old child in December 2013. During the same time period, 335 US citizens reported having their passports stolen, while many others were victims of violent crimes.
Typical crimes include extortion, mugging, highway assault, home invasion and car theft. Criminals sometimes follow people making withdrawals at ATMs and banks, then rob them on the road or at a residence.
The US Department of State reports that the security situation in Chad has steadily improved since an effective peace agreement was reached between Sudan and Chad in early 2010, however the security environment could deteriorate unexpectedly, particularly in eastern Chad and border areas, in light of the recent conflict in neighboring Central African Republic.
The Louvre is Europe’s oldest, biggest, greatest and second-most-crowded museum (after the Vatican). It is home to Mona Lisa, Venus de Milo, Michelangelo statues, and paintings by the greatest artists from the Renaissance to the Romantics. Lately, it is also home to groups of pickpockets. It got so bad that in April 2013 the museum staff walked out in protest. The Louvre had to close for a day, and the management finally beefed up police patrols.