LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL GUIDEBOOK INFORMATION
Dangers & Annoyances
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Tell your neighbor Ethel you’re off to Argentina, and her eyes get big and, ‘Gosh, is it safe down there?’ It is. Most people leave Argentina without ever feeling they were in a sketchy situation. The country’s flailing economy, however, has put street crime (pickpocketing, bag-snatching and armed robbery) on the rise, especially in Buenos Aires, but Argentina is still the safest country for travel in South America. This isn’t to say you should skip down the street drunk with your money belt strapped to your forehead, but, with a little common sense, you can visit Argentina’s big cities as safely as you could London, Paris or New York. In the small towns of the provinces you’d have to search for a crook to rob you.
Bus terminals are always full of families both traveling and saying goodbyes, but always keep an eagle eye on your bags. This is especially true in Buenos Aires’ Retiro station, where travelers have turned around to find their bags gone.
Kidnappings in Buenos Aires have lately received a lot of press, but these are rarely aimed at foreigners. The country’s economic downturn has also prompted scattered riots and daily protests in Buenos Aires, so it’s wise to be aware of current political events. But generally these have little effect on tourists other than blocking traffic.
Being a pedestrian (which assumes the presence of cars) in Argentina is a different story. Many Argentine drivers jump the gun when the traffic signal is about to change to green, drive extremely fast and change lanes unpredictably. Even though pedestrians at corners and crosswalks have legal right-of-way (ha!), very few drivers respect this and will hardly slow down when you are crossing. Be especially careful of buses, which can be reckless and, because of their large size, particularly painful.
The police and military have a reputation for being corrupt or irresponsible, but, while a foreign visitor may experience petty harassment (usually to procure payment of a bribe), both are generally helpful and courteous to tourists. If you feel you’re being patted down for a bribe, you can respond by tactfully paying up, or asking the officer to accompany you to the police station to take care of it. The latter may lead the officer to drop the matter or lead you in the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the Argentine police system.
Many Argentines are heavy smokers. Prepare yourself to be exposed to tobacco smoke in restaurants, bars, cafés, stores, offices and on the streets. A few restaurants have no-smoking areas. Smoking is prohibited on buses and all domestic flights.
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