Stephen <mca### [at] aolcom> wrote:
> 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.
>
> --
>

Thar's true. It all depends o  where you go an your attitude. If you're in a
dodgy area and a stranger is trying to be friendly with you, he's probably
trying to rob you. I've only been robbed at gunpoint once - and that was at the
workplace.

-Nekar Xenos-

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