It can happen any time of the year and especially in the peak summer period when there are lots of visitors to potentially become victims of petty street crime. Be alert of your safety and well being.
Be aware of your surroundings and look around you as you go about your day.
Try NOT to standout. Don't stand in the open and look at a map or check your pockets. Don't always walk the same ways where those watching will see that you are a potential target.
Especially be carefully at ATM money machines and places outside where you make purchases and take money in and out of your pockets, wallets and purses.
There may be eyes trained to watch you.
Also beware in store checkout counters as there may be spotters watching and make cell phone calls to their friends outside on the street. They will know exactly which pocket / location you have placed your wallet in.
Also avoid situations where you may be stopped for a question and several people are around and/or close to you. It may be a setup for a pickpocket activity.
Riga is no worse than any other large tourism location; but, the economic conditions may tend to bring out the worst in every society.
No one area is worse than others and or more safe. Just be aware and on the lookout.
We would suggest that more care be made in earlier morning hours before 08:30 and evening hours after 16:00 both when the streets are crowed and when only a few people around.
Specific areas to perhaps be aware of are (both inside and out in the squares; Central market; bus station; train station; tunnels under streets; streets around the central train station, McDonalds and the Circus. Also in the Old city the main street between Freedom Monument
and the river - City Hall.
The Tourism Hotline number to call is:
+371 2 203 3000 (English OK)
We will not recommend one way or the other; but, our experience is that dealing with the Latvian / Riga police is a waste of time with no results.
There have been no awareness of purse snatchers this year; but, in past years, the bad guys will walk up behind women especially in the old city and grab purses and run quickly down a side street. Again this tends to happen as people are coming out of cafes and restaurants and may be distracted.
More on Scams < -- read about the money exchange scam
.
No comments:
Post a Comment