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Old 01-13-2012, 05:26 PM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,914,193 times
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^ 150 countries wow, yet all those happened in Europe, or are you just mentioning the ones that took place in Europe. I'm hearing about Italy a lot so far....
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Old 01-13-2012, 05:47 PM
 
Location: California Mountains
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trimac20 View Post
^ 150 countries wow, yet all those happened in Europe, or are you just mentioning the ones that took place in Europe. I'm hearing about Italy a lot so far....
A lot of them happened in Italy because we lived there for seven years. A lot of them were in Europe because a vast amount of our travel was done there, even before our years in Italy. Things happened to daughter and son during many of their visits to us in Europe, and during daughter's backpacking trip through the Continent alone.

Last edited by Ol' Wanderer; 01-13-2012 at 06:20 PM..
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Old 01-13-2012, 05:58 PM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
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Originally Posted by Ol' Wanderer View Post
A lot of them happened in Italy because we lived there for seven years. A lot of them were in Europe because a vast amount of our travel was done there, even before our years in Italy. Things happened to daughter and son in Europe during many of their visits to us, and during daughter's backpacking trip through the Continent alone.
I don't want to sound racist, but is there an element of truth to the stereotype that a lot of Italians can't be trusted?
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Old 01-13-2012, 06:16 PM
 
Location: California Mountains
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Originally Posted by Trimac20 View Post
I don't want to sound racist, but is there an element of truth to the stereotype that a lot of Italians can't be trusted?
Nope. Not a grain of truth. It's the opposite in a way. Most Italians are touched with a sense of paranoia, which makes them instinctively distrust everything that is not within their spheres. That includes their government and most foreigners. However, a friendship with most Italians is a friendship that lasts for generations and extends to the people on the periphery of the relationship as well.

There is nothing that would prevent me from trusting most Italians. I feel exactly the same way toward them as I do toward most Americans, Irish, British, Germans, Spanish, Australians, etc.

Last edited by Ol' Wanderer; 01-13-2012 at 06:35 PM..
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Old 01-13-2012, 08:51 PM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,914,193 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ol' Wanderer View Post
Nope. Not a grain of truth. It's the opposite in a way. Most Italians are touched with a sense of paranoia, which makes them instinctively distrust everything that is not within their spheres. That includes their government and most foreigners. However, a friendship with most Italians is a friendship that lasts for generations and extends to the people on the periphery of the relationship as well.

There is nothing that would prevent me from trusting most Italians. I feel exactly the same way toward them as I do toward most Americans, Irish, British, Germans, Spanish, Australians, etc.
That's good to know. Most Italians I've met have been very friendly.

I guess I've had lots of bad experiences in Asia. A lot of the locals there I have to say can't be trusted. I was afraid Italy might be the same.
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Old 01-14-2012, 09:06 AM
 
Location: Viña del Mar, Chile
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haha,I dont know ifthis would classify as a crime or not, but I bought a prepaid calling card from a retail store in Bucaramanga and asked the girl to help me with it. She said it was all set and done, but after I had left... I realized she put it on her phone and not mine Was only like 5 bucks I think
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Old 01-14-2012, 10:08 AM
 
Location: Victoria TX
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Although Ive only been to about 120 countries, I guess I've been luckier or more careful than Ol Wanderer.

1. Bogota, Colombia, a bag under my seat was cut from behind, by a passenger who got off before the bus left. Cheap binoculars and a few items of no value.

2. Shilong, India, my wife's belly pack unzipped and wallet taken out, while boarding a crowded bus, but I carry all the important stuff in money belt, so it was just her DL and a few bucks. Reporting the incident to the Indian police was the travel experience of a lifetime, though.

3. Burundi, waiting for the Zaire ferry, someone grabbed my bag and ran with it, but the locals all yelled and ran him down and got it back, nothing lost.

4. When I returned a rental car in Cyprus, they opened the trunk and tried to charge me for all the things that were "missing", but I refused to pay and they lost patience with me.

5. My wife did have one very compelling experience in Hanoi. She went out to the market to buy food, and saw a fish she wanted. As always, she was very careful to make sure the price was understood, and when the fish was killed and cut, they demanded more than she had with her. Unable to pay, several people physically restrained her and her purse taken from her. She broke free, grabbed her purse and ran back to the hotel, where the hotel staff returned to the market with her and sorted everything out.

Quite honestly, those are the only incidents I can think of, and I've given away a great deal more of value while traveling than all that was stolen from me. I've never once had to use physical strength or even threats to protect myself. But a couple of time, in a dispute over a bill, I used the magic words "Call the police", and things got settled very quickly.

Last edited by jtur88; 01-14-2012 at 10:22 AM..
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Old 01-14-2012, 10:44 AM
 
Location: California Mountains
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Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
Although Ive only been to about 120 countries
Jtur, 120 countries is an incredible amount of places to visit. My number is much lower. Our 150+ is for the whole family (four members) since many times we do not share the same desire for the same destinations. Between husband and me, we have only visited either 96 or 98, and the majority of them are in Europe and Pacific Islands.

Many of the things that happened to me happened when I travelled alone during the years I lived by myself in Europe while waiting for husband to retire and join me. A lone woman traveller seems to attract more people with nefarious intentions.
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Old 01-14-2012, 10:57 AM
 
Location: The western periphery of Terra Australis
24,606 posts, read 55,914,193 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jtur88 View Post
Although Ive only been to about 120 countries, I guess I've been luckier or more careful than Ol Wanderer.

1. Bogota, Colombia, a bag under my seat was cut from behind, by a passenger who got off before the bus left. Cheap binoculars and a few items of no value.

2. Shilong, India, my wife's belly pack unzipped and wallet taken out, while boarding a crowded bus, but I carry all the important stuff in money belt, so it was just her DL and a few bucks. Reporting the incident to the Indian police was the travel experience of a lifetime, though.

3. Burundi, waiting for the Zaire ferry, someone grabbed my bag and ran with it, but the locals all yelled and ran him down and got it back, nothing lost.

4. When I returned a rental car in Cyprus, they opened the trunk and tried to charge me for all the things that were "missing", but I refused to pay and they lost patience with me.

5. My wife did have one very compelling experience in Hanoi. She went out to the market to buy food, and saw a fish she wanted. As always, she was very careful to make sure the price was understood, and when the fish was killed and cut, they demanded more than she had with her. Unable to pay, several people physically restrained her and her purse taken from her. She broke free, grabbed her purse and ran back to the hotel, where the hotel staff returned to the market with her and sorted everything out.

Quite honestly, those are the only incidents I can think of, and I've given away a great deal more of value while traveling than all that was stolen from me. I've never once had to use physical strength or even threats to protect myself. But a couple of time, in a dispute over a bill, I used the magic words "Call the police", and things got settled very quickly.
'Only' 120 countries? Haha. Stop boasting, mate. You're in a select group. Many people are lucky to visit 5 countries in their lifetimes. Kudos to you for being so widely traveled though.

I found Vietnam the worst for cheating/being ripped off in SE Asia. It wasn't a crime per se, but one om driver in Saigon (you probably know what an 'om' is) wanted to charge me US $200 for a one hour trip to the markets and the War Museum. He was serious. Without telling him to rack off, I bargained it down to about $50, but it felt like pulling teeth. He kept going on about how he was a 'good guide' and how poor he was, to get sympathy. I suppose I gave him $50 because I did feel a bit sympathetic for him but it was still far and away a big rip-off. That's not the way to endear yourself. On the other hand I did meet 3 motorbike taxi drivers who were great. I paid them considerably more than they asked for. That's how I am. I guess most Vietnamese people work on the principle that you have to cheat people to get money because they're all stingy bastards.
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Old 01-14-2012, 01:14 PM
 
Location: Victoria TX
42,579 posts, read 86,764,762 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Trimac20 View Post
'Only' 120 countries? Haha. Stop boasting, mate. You're in a select group. Many people are lucky to visit 5 countries in their lifetimes. Kudos to you for being so widely traveled though.

I found Vietnam the worst for cheating/being ripped off in SE Asia. It wasn't a crime per se, but one om driver in Saigon (you probably know what an 'om' is) wanted to charge me US $200 for a one hour trip to the markets and the War Museum. He was serious. Without telling him to rack off, I bargained it down to about $50, but it felt like pulling teeth. He kept going on about how he was a 'good guide' and how poor he was, to get sympathy. I suppose I gave him $50 because I did feel a bit sympathetic for him but it was still far and away a big rip-off. That's not the way to endear yourself. On the other hand I did meet 3 motorbike taxi drivers who were great. I paid them considerably more than they asked for. That's how I am. I guess most Vietnamese people work on the principle that you have to cheat people to get money because they're all stingy bastards.
In Vietnam, I found that the US$20-billl was the smallest coin in circulation. They just automatically demanded twenty bucks (or a multiple thereof), and if you tried to bargain it down, they just walked away.
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