On 17/12/2014 20:31, Jim Henderson wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Dec 2014 20:17:15 +0000, Stephen wrote:
>
>> Your ex-pat countrymen paint a picture that is not attractive of the SA
>> way of life.
>
> It's not just ex-pats.  I've a friend who lives in Jo'berg, and she's had
> her office broken into numerous times (and all of the equipment stolen).
> There clearly are places that are not safe in SA, and you can't count on
> the police to deal with such crimes effectively.  I'm sure there are
> places where that's not the case, but I would also hesitate to travel
> there right now.


I would not mind, in fact I would like to visit SA. From what I have 
heard it is a beautiful place in most parts. I suppose that most of the 
South Africans I have met need to justify leaving their country and 
emphasise the darker* aspects of life there.
I am not saying that security is not a problem especially if you are 
well off. I have lived and worked in some dodgy places but if you use a 
bit of common sense and respect. You would need to be unlucky to run 
into trouble. A case in point is when I was stopped at a roadblock in 
Kingston Jamaica, by a machete wielding group of locals. Who politely 
asked for a donation to repair the road. “No problems, how much do you 
want?” I paid up and went on my way. Coming back I was stopped again. I 
blurted out that I had already paid on the way out of town (instantly 
regretting it btw). The reply was. “Sorry man, didn’t recognise you.” 
Right! How many dandelion headed white men did he see in a day? But 
there was respect on both sides. So everything was fine. I even left 
them laughing over trying to get money out of a Scotsman.
I could go on. But will just finish with the last time I was nervous 
about my personal safety was in America. NM next to the Texas border. A 
discussion in a bar about incomers turned heated between two locals. 
Remembering the gun laws, I made my excuses and left. No offence 
intended but I felt out of my depth and thought it the better part of 
valour, to be somewhere else :-)


* Don't read anything into that.

-- 

Regards
     Stephen

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