Saturday, October 08, 2005
More musings on travel
I’d like to dedicate a little more meditation on traveling, as some of my pet theories have bubbled up from the subconscious and I want to include them. One of the most common concerns about traveling is the issue of crime/safety. Most commonly the reply is a statement about crime statistics and how parts of America and Canada are more dangerous (South Central LA, the Bronx, East St. Louis, downtown Montreal, etc.) than you would encounter overseas, etc. These statements are true enough, and from a purely statistical point of view, you are as safe as or safer outside America than in. Africa is a notable exception, but the entire continent is off the backpacker radar anyway. All these statements also miss the point.
I’m concerned less with the likelihood of crime than the reaction to it. When you are the victim of a crime at home, you know where to go, who to call, and what to do. (I hope.) Is this true while traveling? Probably not; moreover, the perpetrators are most likely locals, gaining extra protection (cops paid off), or may be the police themselves. These circumstances occur here in America, but are exceedingly rare. Moreover, even if the police aren’t directly involved or paid to look the other way, they may want a bribe to “help” you or simply ignore your plight. Am I generalizing? Sure, but these are legitimate concerns.
Also remember that you are filthy fucking rich compared with the natives. I touched on this in my last post, but I didn’t mention all the resentment the locals can feel. This is one of the main differences between expatriates and travelers, but the differences are a matter of degrees. One gets mugged while the other has his home robbed while he’s away. One gets ripped off in some tour scam while another finds her lothario has cleaned out her bank account and skipped town. Speaking the language and being familiar with the area will ameliorate the risk, but you have a bull’s-eye on your ass; don’t forget it. Expatriates have an advantage long-term, but are more exposed in the short term. Travelers may never gain the trust of the locals, but don’t hang around either.
As a final word on this topic, I must mention that people who do not consider themselves crooks are often on the wrong side of the law, but they know how to get away with it here at home or don’t realize they are breaking the law. Smoking a certain green leafy material is the most common example, and while inexpensive, the penalties are often severe and certain countries will execute your ass for even small amounts of the harder stuff. Your dealer could be in with cops to set you up for either jail or to extort a bribe. Better the pay-off than a 3rd world prison, but who needs the aggravation? Overstaying your visa is another common travelers’ crime, and you could be either jailed, heavily fined, deported, or any combination of the three. The general advice I’ve read on the various boards and blogs is to report yourself to your embassy ASAP and hope you don’t get busted before then. Another is to turn yourself in at an airport immigration office, as they seem to be more lenient, i.e. pay a fine and go home.
Anyway, more later, like when I feel like writing… (
I’m concerned less with the likelihood of crime than the reaction to it. When you are the victim of a crime at home, you know where to go, who to call, and what to do. (I hope.) Is this true while traveling? Probably not; moreover, the perpetrators are most likely locals, gaining extra protection (cops paid off), or may be the police themselves. These circumstances occur here in America, but are exceedingly rare. Moreover, even if the police aren’t directly involved or paid to look the other way, they may want a bribe to “help” you or simply ignore your plight. Am I generalizing? Sure, but these are legitimate concerns.
Also remember that you are filthy fucking rich compared with the natives. I touched on this in my last post, but I didn’t mention all the resentment the locals can feel. This is one of the main differences between expatriates and travelers, but the differences are a matter of degrees. One gets mugged while the other has his home robbed while he’s away. One gets ripped off in some tour scam while another finds her lothario has cleaned out her bank account and skipped town. Speaking the language and being familiar with the area will ameliorate the risk, but you have a bull’s-eye on your ass; don’t forget it. Expatriates have an advantage long-term, but are more exposed in the short term. Travelers may never gain the trust of the locals, but don’t hang around either.
As a final word on this topic, I must mention that people who do not consider themselves crooks are often on the wrong side of the law, but they know how to get away with it here at home or don’t realize they are breaking the law. Smoking a certain green leafy material is the most common example, and while inexpensive, the penalties are often severe and certain countries will execute your ass for even small amounts of the harder stuff. Your dealer could be in with cops to set you up for either jail or to extort a bribe. Better the pay-off than a 3rd world prison, but who needs the aggravation? Overstaying your visa is another common travelers’ crime, and you could be either jailed, heavily fined, deported, or any combination of the three. The general advice I’ve read on the various boards and blogs is to report yourself to your embassy ASAP and hope you don’t get busted before then. Another is to turn yourself in at an airport immigration office, as they seem to be more lenient, i.e. pay a fine and go home.
Anyway, more later, like when I feel like writing… (
