Safety in Madrid

William posted this in Friendconnect:
I'm in Facebook but.. Anyone who spends any time using FB it might want to read this: Facebook exodus

Steven:
I'll bet those types of reports are mostly coming from envious competitors. I'm a lot more worried about these kinds: Identity theft which are about identity theft, etc. Scammers are getting more and more sophisticated and what better way to scam someone than to . . .

  

. . . convince them that they're actually talking to a friend. I've had several Steven Starrys on FB contact me wanting to be my "friend". Why? If I were you, I'd double check any weird contacts by "real" friends by actually talking to them on the phone. Also, though you may need an online checking account, I'd keep your main one completely offline. Another thing is programs on your computer such as Skype which might get hijacked. Skype has a feature that allows people on your contacts list see your desktop. Go check it in the configuration panel. If it's already on, I'd start to worry. If nothing else, go check your contacts list and eliminate any contacts that have added somehow themselves there. And, by the way, teachers, etc. who are advertised on MadridTeacher, or anywhere on the internet for that matter, should be reminded that we're sitting targets for all kinds of scams. There's a frequent one involving a parent sending their child as a student and paying a god-awful amount of money. If it's too good to be true, then it ain't.

Police beat English teachers:

El País article - According to daily El País, local police officers beat a couple of English teachers near Triskel Tavern in Madrid on Oct. 2, 2008.

"Skimming" on Expatriatecafe.com - A post about a warning from the U.S. Embassy about a rip off scheme involving credit cards.

How can I detect a scam?

Nov. 28 update: The word is out on the street that gratuitous violence and violent crime such as muggings are up. For example, a thief (or who knows what?) tried to break into the house of a neighbour of a family member through the front door just a couple of nights ago at 3 a.m. in the morning. The elderly mamas and papas are worriedly talking about youngsters that just walk up, grab their purses (etc) and walk away with them. Many of them feel that the country is going to hell.

PaininSpain.com: The Unscrupulous - Unscrupulous taxi drivers, waiters, and bartenders try to squeeze extra money out of tourists.

According to Que Madrid (Sept. 8, 2006), crossing the street can be pretty dangerous around here, as there was one month with 186 people run over and 13 killed. According to Que Madrid (July 4, 2006),

According to Que Madrid (Sept. 7, 2006), robberies by strangulation and knockout were up in the centre of Madrid by some 400% over the summer.

According to Que Madrid (July 4, 2006), crime was down by 35% in the first trimester in Madrid, and the truth is that there is more security out there these days, but keep your eyes open in the centre of Madrid.

Prologue
In 13 years in Madrid, I haven't been robbed even once yet. Though, perhaps I've come near to it. Madrid is safer than most places in the world, but there are a few problems. Here they are:

Pickpockets
There are some real pros working any and all of the crowded tourist areas in Madrid. According to an article in Qué (Feb. 15, 2006), there are two main bus lines which you have to watch out for: the 27 and the 34, especially at rush hour.

I've been reading story after story over the years about how these guys work and, let me tell you, whenever I have to ride either of those lines, I watch anyone near me like a hawk.

Pickpockets have several techniques to rob you. One main technique is to take advantage of any "funnel" points. For example, they might block the exit door on the bus so you have to squeeze by and when you do, get whatever they can. (I was targeted at the Rastro by a group of 6 or 7 people using this technique at a point that got really narrow. I was walking along and suddenly found myself squeezed up by a group of people that felt me up all over. I had my wallet in my sock, but it doesn't matter, they could just have easily gone down on their hands and knees and gotten it in a flash.) Another is that they'll watch people (perhaps before they even get on the bus) to see where they keep their wallets and mobile telephones so they know where to find them. (If you're the "un-worried" kind that likes to carry their purse or bag wide open behind them, you're sure to be targeted. My wife once had her backpack emptied out as she walked along by a group of gypsies who actually got cocky with her when she caught them and complained.) Another is that they'll carry a jacket or coat over one arm to hide what they're doing with the other. (I've been targeted in the Plaza Mayor using this technique as some of the access points are a bit narrow. My brother-in-law caught the guy just before he was going to act. I had no idea of what was about to happen.)

One thing you can do is to get a special wallet that goes inside your clothes up against your body. Another thing you can do is to carry a dummy wallet with some spending money, just enough for you to get by with and not have to pull the other one out in public. Another is to carry your belongings in front of you where you can see them.

The best thing to do is not to carry too much around and not to look too rich. (By the way, there are companies out there telling their employees to dress down a bit because of this type of problem.) But, just the fact that you look like a foreigner will make you a target. I should say, though, that I haven't actually been robbed since I got here in 1993. However, I hardly ever go out at night (I'm married, etc.), I stay away from bad areas of town and I run away from trouble.

I should also say that the pickpockets themselves can look just like your grandmother, but that they can work in teams with others. If you actually get pickpocketed, be aware that you might be up against more than one of these guys and you may find yourself face-to-face with a knife if you go after them yourself. Nowadays, all too many people around here are ending up getting stuck with a knife for my taste.

They're dropping like flies. El Mundo Somebody I know was on his way to work yesterday morning from his house out in the suburbs and stopped into a gas station which had police officers all over the place. It seems the attendant had found a body with a bullet hole or two in it out back. It's the third body in under 24 hours that they've found.

So, when I talk to Spaniards I say: "maybe I'm overreacting a bit, but it seems to me that things around Madrid are just a bit more dangerous. Does it to you?" Invariably, I'll get a nice long worried chat on how things have changed. The people I know say that now when they go out at night, they're extra careful and when they go down to the parking garage in the mornings, they look around more in the shadows.

There's another new trend lately, which is to move out away from the center to the suburbs or "dormitory" towns on the outskirts of Madrid. I think that a lot of this is driven by people's reaction to the incredible amount of new immigrants that are moving into neighbourhoods in the center. Reports like these serve to illustrate why this is happening:

Madridiario.es - Robberies up by 20% in 2005. According to this Madridiario report on 3/2/06, the centre of Madrid is by far the most dangerous place to live in at 44,000 + robberies and crimes in 2005 (though these don't include those that weren't reported, obviously). It might well be because it's the main tourist area in Madrid.

In a related report today in local daily Qué, neighbourhood associations in Latina, the neighbourhood area directly south of Puerta de Sol, complain that it's dangerous to go out at night. If you're coming here to live for a spell, you might want to check out the neighbourhood you'd like to live in at night. It may look a whole lot different from what it looks like during the day.

However, I should point out that the conservative press is saying that Madrid is still safe.

The ironic thing about this trend of moving outwards to escape immigrants isn't working altogether because some of those "ill-mannered immigrants" are following these "suburbinites" out to their homes and robbing them. What's more is that it seems that these robbers prefer people to be in their homes when they come calling so that they can get the information on where the safe's hidden more quickly. (Last week one family in the Sierra was threatened with the robbers cutting off their child's ear if they didn't come clean with where the money was.)

The week before last a star pistol marksman shot and killed two robbers and his entire neighbourhood stood 100% behind him in celebrating the feat. It seems many "suburbanites" are fed up with all the robberies and they're happy to see those criminals get their "just rewards."

In fact, I would say that though Spaniards are getting more and more irritated all the time by the growing insecurity, that they have not yet reached anywhere near the extreme level of mass hysteria Americans have to suffer through. For example, when I joke around that I see the potential for a huge black market developing in Spain for guns for Spaniards to protect themselves in their own homes, they look at me as if I were some sort of alien and shake their heads "no" and look as if they were considering the idea for the first time.

But, I think that more radical elements within this society are taking action. Just this past weekend, for instance, a "skin-head" type attacked and killed a 17 year-old Columbian in a park. Some people think it's gang related, though this particular case might not be. However, there are a lot of new gangs of the "import-variety" popping up all the time and they are, in fact, extremely violent. It's yet to be seen whether the likes of "Cortes," "Pizarro," and "Franco" himself are still to be found anywhere in Spain and what they will do about it.

El Mundo article (Spanish)

La Policia detiene... (Jan. 27, 2006)
It seems there are guys dressed up as cops running around on the highways pulling foreigners over, flashing a badge and robbing them. This article's about a couple of them. I hear stories all the time about tourists to Madrid are targeted. My advice? Don't walk around looking like a rich tourist with a confused look on your face. It's like huge flashing banner saying: "I've got loads of cash on me. Fool me or hit me and take it."

Safety for teachers giving private classes ....

I haven't had any problems as of yet, (thank God) as far as giving private classes or with any strange occurrences with students, however I have to say, when someone calls me for classes, especially private classes, I do find myself automatically asking them a series of questions to make sure they are "real" students and not just for safety reasons either. I ask them where they work, why they want classes and a bit about their "English-speaking" history. Most people have a similar story and you can tell who is serious about studying pretty much right off the bat. If they tell you where they work, you can always do some detective work and check their story. I must admit that I am reluctant to have male students at my home, unless I know them. This is not to discriminate, rather, despite the boxing classes I've taken, I don't think I really stand a chance against a guy twice my size ... or half my size, for that matter! :) I have done intensive courses with students in my home and have always had a meeting with them in a public place prior to starting the classes. I think that it is a good idea to get their personal details, ID, phone number, etc, just to have it on record. I would say that common sense is the most important factor and if you are uncomfortable meeting in their home or in your own home, maybe propose to hold the classes at their workplace or in a public place like a quiet bar, etc. Especially if you live alone. If you are not comfortable with a student, you are not obligated to teach them, of course. And, I find that once you get the ball rolling, most students come from a reference from other students. You can stay on the safe track by accepting only students with a reference or students that want classes at the workplace. Does anyone have any comments or questions? -Victoria (Post recovered from hacked forum.) 

Safety For Students, too, Good points!
Not long ago a new female student requested somewhat apologetically our initial interview take place in a cafeteria. Since then I always make it a point to suggest it first to put the ladies at ease. Some accept and, after a taste of my decidedly avuncular charm, feel more reassured. Or so says my latest new student whose favourite flick is Play Misty For Me. Brownies for our first class, and now carnations and a bottle of Bailey's? My wife can't see the humour in this at all.:? (Post recovered from forum. Author: dunno.)