Quote From the New York Times
I was reading an article in the New York Times about Fortuño being elected Governor of Puerto Rico by more than 220,000 votes. They said it was the largest margin in history. It’s funny, they didn’t mention until later in the article that the current governor is being indicted on Federal charges for misappropriation of public funds…$56k to be exact. Hmm, I wonder if that is why many people didn’t vote for him. Any who, here is the quote that I wanted to share with everyone, it really is Puerto Rico.
Many Puerto Ricans are simply fed up. Voices rise to a shout when politicians are named, and the corrosiveness of a government that is weak, broken and accused of stealing can be seen in a wider disrespect for law and order. San Juan is now a city of rising crime, where drivers ignore red lights and residents make multiple copies of every government bill or notice because they expect the bureaucracy to mishandle it.
Note: Ignored Red lights, mishandled paperwork and crime. Come on…really?
November 29th, 2008 at 8:19 pm
Actually… in SJ, the ignored red lights are quite common. It’s like a red light isn’t a red light, but another form of a Yield sign.
The paperwork, well it’s always a good idea to have a copy for your records.. so I keep copies of all of it.
Crime, it’s been safe IME. Yesterday my car was broken into, but that’s the only thing that’s happened to me since moving here. And thankfully, it was only my camera that was stolen. At least the interior was untouched.
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November 30th, 2008 at 7:36 am
Rob
The press sensationalizes everything! You are right on the paperwork and I find myself driving ‘island style’ more often than not, not because I have a lack of respect for authority but more because I am doing what everyone else does and it will most likely get me somewhere faster.
I don’t think the violent crime is bad here. I am sure there are bad areas of the island I haven’t been to and perhaps if I were caught up with the wrong crowd, I might see more, but Summer and I feel 100% safe cruising Puerto Rico. This is a very family oriented culture with deep roots in respecting their elders, their history and their nationalistic pride.
The majority of the crime is the ‘smash and grab’ crime. Mostly addicts looking to pawn a camera (eh hum) an iPod or get some quick cash out of a tourists fanny-pack sitting on the back dash of a rental car (those little arrows are a dead giveaway).
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December 2nd, 2008 at 1:11 pm
Stefan,
If you don’t deal in the drug underworld you have not much to fear about PR crime since 90 percent of the murders are drug related.
And as a native guy from Cabo Rojo, I can tell you that there is a huge distintion between the way of life that people on the Metropolitan Area and “la Isla”(non-Metropolitan Area Towns) live. The western part of the island to me is the best.
My brother-in-law was a police officer in Rincon for 15 years and he hardly saw any action.
But the Metropolitan area life is different in many ways. You really have to watch your back specially after midnight, and the criminal activity skyrockets on that area.
I guess this is due to the high population density, erosion of traditional values and income inequality that exists on the Metro Area.
Nevetheless, I doubt you will ever get crushed to death in a Walmart store in Black Friday as happened to that poor guy in Arkansas.
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December 2nd, 2008 at 6:19 pm
Stefan and Ivan,
I live in the SJ Metro Area. Specifically in Guaynabo (Garden Hills area). I feel quite safe here… I regularly walk from my house to the Torrimar Train Station (and back), which is a mile away… in the evening. I don’t feel unsafe during that walk.
But there are parts of SJ that I go to regularly for work, that I am not 100% comfortable in during daylight hours, much less once the sun goes down.
For me it’s a matter of being smart. I don’t drive a flashy car, I don’t let anything of value show (even my surfboard if I’m in SJ… if I’m not in the car, it’s not on the car), and I just try to blend in with a crowd (easier said than done for me).
So far though, it’s worked… only 1 bad incident to report in the past 17 months… only my second one ever in PR (my wallet was stolen from a locker when I was here visiting family about 10 years ago). Who knows, maybe I’ll move out west and join the Rincon crew. Stefan, you know anyone looking for a Graphic Designer
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December 2nd, 2008 at 7:22 pm
Ivan – You might not get crushed to death in Walmart in Puerto Rico, but you might die of starvation waiting in line at Kmart…
Like Rob & Ivan mentioned, don’t get involved in the drug crew, be aware of your surroundings and don’t tempt someone to smash you car window by locking a surfboard inside. Simple as that
. I’ve walked around Isle Verde by myself after dark, but there are certainly parts of San Juan that I would not feel so confident that I would come out in one piece. Rincon is so mellow, there really isn’t a lot of crime here. Although I think it is increasing with the thugs that come from San Juan to party in Rincon on the holidays/weekends. You see a big increase in smash and grab crime as the tourists roll into town. And a friend of ours got mugged and stabbed (it was minor, no hospital visit required) near the Tamboo last year.
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December 4th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Stefan:
I live in a nice Washington DC suburb, and my car was stolen twice in the last year. It is all a matter of prospective. I visited PR several times in the last 6 months and got offered a job teaching genetics at the UPR Mayaguez. I am looking forward to the adventure. Thanks for the tips on how to start a garden. I might be living just down the street from you. TKO
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May 6th, 2009 at 3:08 pm
On March 20, 2009, Acevedo Vilá was found, by a federal court jury, not guilty of all the charges against him after being charged by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with 24 counts of campaign finance corruption and conspiracy to violate United States federal election laws.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/An%C3%ADbal_Acevedo_Vil%C3%A1
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