Take Care Down Here

[ihpguy]

Sunday I was assaulted at 2pm directly in front of a kiosk and Posto 10, at the corner of Anibal de Mendonça and Vieira Souto. I was wearing only a fake watch, sitting in the shade on a bench on the sidewalk right next to the kiosk. Single adolescent. My backpack was securely between my knees and lower legs. I told him in Portuguese that I had nothing for him. So he hit me above the eye and ran. The street, sidewalk and beach were crowded. No one went after him. The police would have let a young teenager walk anyway. Down here they are called privates. The owner of the kiosk got me two bags of ice and plenty of paper towels to stanch the bleeding. Also called the tourist police nearby in Leblon, firefighters and ambulance/EMT. After waiting twenty minutes, two other customers walked me to a cab across the street. If he had a knife or gun, and I had been stabbed or shot, I would be dead. Hospital Copa D'Or saw me immediately. Two stitches. No waiting. My best friend down here, who happens to also be an attorney,  told me that the new thing is if a purse, wallet or cellphone isn't visible, they now go for backpacks. Everyone reading this, take care or go somewhere other than Rio de Janeiro.  The economy here is in the dumps. Since the start of 2017, over 20 hotels have shut down. The Copacabana Palace laid off a bunch of staff last week. Sofitel is closed probably for up to 2 years. Think of a reopening in time for Reveillon 2020. Just 2 examples. If Bolsonaro wins on Sunday or is in the second-round runoff, things could get much worse for gays here. People have been attacked on the new VLT at night as security has been cut back. Also, if you go to a sex motel, don't let the michê choose. At his, he might be in cahoots with whoever is at the front desk. Set-up for a robbery. I normally never go south of Botafogo. First time to Ipanema since March or April. If I didn't own places both in Rio and São Paulo,  I would be doing the circuit of Ibiza, Sitges, Barcelona, Mykonos, Athens, Lisbon and Porto.

Edited October 4, 2018 by ihpguy
Forgot to add some information

[spastik00]

Super glad to hear you're okay.  Stay safe down there.  Man, that's some scary stuff.  As angry as hearing Bolsonaro voters makes me, if the crime rate is getting that bad it's a least a little bit understandable that they might want a "law and order" type candidate.  It just sucks that he seems to hate us even more than he hates the criminals.

[ihpguy]

1 hour ago, ihpguy said:

Sunday I was assaulted at 2pm directly in front of a kiosk and Posto 10, at the corner of Anibal de Mendonça and Vieira Souto. I was wearing only a fake watch, sitting in the shade on a bench on the sidewalk right next to the kiosk. Single adolescent. My backpack was securely between my knees and lower legs. I told him in Portuguese that I had nothing for him. So he hit me above the eye and ran. The street, sidewalk and beach were crowded. No one went after him. The police would have let a young teenager walk anyway. Down here they are called privates. The owner of the kiosk got me two bags of ice and plenty of paper towels to stanch the bleeding. Also called the tourist police nearby in Leblon, firefighters and ambulance/EMT. After waiting twenty minutes, two other customers walked me to a cab across the street. If he had a knife or gun, and I had been stabbed or shot, I would be dead. Hospital Copa D'Or saw me immediately. Two stitches. No waiting. My best friend down here, who happens to also be an attorney,  told me that the new thing is if a purse, wallet or cellphone isn't visible, they now go for backpacks. Everyone reading this, take care or go somewhere other than Rio de Janeiro.  The economy here is in the dumps. Since the start of 2017, over 20 hotels have shut down. The Copacabana Palace laid off a bunch of staff last week. Sofitel is closed probably for up to 2 years. Think of a reopening in time for Reveillon 2020. Just 2 examples. If Bolsonaro wins on Sunday or is in the second-round runoff, things could get much worse for gays here. People have been attacked on the new VLT at night as security has been cut back. Also, if you go to a sex motel, don't let the michê choose. At his, he might be in cahoots with whoever is at the front desk. Set-up for a robbery. I normally never go south of Botafogo. First time to Ipanema since March or April. If I didn't own places both in Rio and São Paulo,  I would be doing the circuit of Ibiza, Sitges, Barcelona, Mykonos, Athens, Lisbon and Porto.

My spelling sucks, a long with autocorrect. 

They call the young teen thieves "pivetes"

[Latbear4blk]

I am very sorry for your horrible experience, and happy you are OK.

Said that, and I said it sincerely, I think you are just overwhelmed for your bad experience and not thinking straight. You are over reacting. You do not know wether or not you would be dead if you were stabbed, because you were not. If you did, I bet the reaction of everyone and everything would have been different. But I do not know, just like you don't. I know people in Washington DC who have been violently assaulted multiple times. None of them is going around asking everyone to leave the city and never come back. 

Indeed we have to be careful. In Rio and everywhere else. Thank you for sharing this awful moment, it is a good reminder that we have to be always aware of our surroundings.

I honestly hope that you can overcome this traumatic experience, and be able to enjoy Brazil again. I am going in December, and thanks to you, I will avoid going around with a backpack as much as possible. Fortunately, my hotel will be right at the beach in Salvador, not Rio.

Hug.

[mvan1]

3 hours ago, Latbear4blk said:

I am very sorry for your horrible experience, and happy you are OK.

Said that, and I said it sincerely, I think you are just overwhelmed for your bad experience and not thinking straight. You are over reacting. You do not know whether or not you would be dead if you were stabbed, because you were not. If you did, I bet the reaction of everyone and everything would have been different. But I do not know, just like you don't. I know people in Washington DC who have been violently assaulted multiple times. None of them is going around asking everyone to leave the city and never come back. 

Indeed we have to be careful. In Rio and everywhere else. Thank you for sharing this awful moment, it is a good reminder that we have to be always aware of our surroundings.

I honestly hope that you can overcome this traumatic experience, and be able to enjoy Brazil again. I am going in December, and thanks to you, I will avoid going around with a backpack as much as possible. Fortunately, my hotel will be right at the beach in Salvador, not Rio.

Hug.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/brazil-murder-rate-record-homicides-killings-rio-de-janeiro-police-a8485656.html

Brazil can be safe -

However, read the above link and remember the recent statistics shown in the article - - - - uh, oh!

[sanddunes]

Sorry that happened to you, it is definitely a horrible experience.  It might be a good idea to always carry a little cash in case of a mugging.  Better to hand over 20 or 50 reals than to tell them you have nothing...

[Badboy81]

I have been going to Brazil for years and never had any issues...Rio is about as dangerous as any major US or international city...

Nothing happening currently with the economy is anything new...the economy has been all over the place for the last 15 years or more depending on the season and depending on who is reporting...

Always use COMMON sense and your best judgement...

What made the kid attack you out of nowhere with the place crowded?  Not saying this but did you give the guy any reason to single you out?

Again....I know that Rio has its dangers but its very rare for anything major besides a bag snatching in Copa or Ipanema due to all the police presence...

Everybody use your best judgement and always be aware of your surroundings...

[Uqtyang]

I am sorry this happened to you. Take care

[brockmiller]

Very sorry to hear this happened to you and thank God you are alive to tell this story.

[demedici]

ChThat is a terrible shame. I have heard that a muggers feel cheated when they go to the trouble of brandishing a season and get nothing for it. They are already pumped up on adrenaline and it is very common for them to attack the victim of they don't get something for their troubles. We should all take precautions in Brazil, especially Rio. Just as we would in parts of Chicago, Detroit and St. Louis. All cities with dangerous naighborhoods. 

[likeohmygod]

Really happy to see that you are fine.

Anyway I agree with Latbear. I live here since the beginning of the year (even if most of the time i am outside Rio) and i did not notice an increase in violence, after the Carnaval when during that there has been the peak. Maybe you're overreacting (as i did when almost the same thing happened to me in posto 4, search my old thread in the forum for more information). 

I want to remember to all the folks that are reading this, that the only way to stay safe in Brazil, is to walk without visible goods, trying to don't look as a target. Backpacks will make you a good prey because they make you look like a tourist. It can contain a computer, a camera, a wallet. 

A good idea would also be to walk around without any kind of watch on the wrist. (but i cannot stay without a watch) 

And there's another golden rule to follow. Always keep a 20 reais note, because assaults can become much more dangerous when they realize that they took a risk for nothing. 

[AdamSmith]

3 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

I want to remember to all the folks that are reading this, that the only way to stay safe in Brazil, is to walk without visible goods, trying to don't look as a target. Backpacks will make you a good prey because they make you look like a tourist. It can contain a computer, a camera, a wallet. 

Exactly. Oneself was robbed at knife-point in genteel old Boston, MA because I was, late at night in Chinatown, pulling a fat rolling briefcase that must have bespoke affluence. They took my iPhone, laptop computer, and wallet cash.

Stuff can happen anywhere. It should not make one paranoid to proceed fearlessly enjoying one's normal life business, as @Latbear4blk and @likeohmygodwisely observe above.

[redxs]

9 hours ago, likeohmygod said:

Really happy to see that you are fine.

Anyway I agree with Latbear. I live here since the beginning of the year (even if most of the time i am outside Rio) and i did not notice an increase in violence, after the Carnaval when during that there has been the peak. Maybe you're overreacting (as i did when almost the same thing happened to me in posto 4, search my old thread in the forum for more information). 

I want to remember to all the folks that are reading this, that the only way to stay safe in Brazil, is to walk without visible goods, trying to don't look as a target. Backpacks will make you a good prey because they make you look like a tourist. It can contain a computer, a camera, a wallet. 

A good idea would also be to walk around without any kind of watch on the wrist. (but i cannot stay without a watch) 

And there's another golden rule to follow. Always keep a 20 reais note, because assaults can become much more dangerous when they realize that they took a risk for nothing. 

May sound stupid... but I like to take my backpack to the beach with stuff in.

What would you suggest? Put stuff in cheap supermarket carrier bag?

[likeohmygod]

I usually go to the beach with a kind of a soft bag (which shows that there's not a lot inside and clearly not anything with a shape of something of valuable) when i am alone. If i am with friends or with some muscle garotos, i bring my backpack.

Said that... Shit can happen everywhere and independently on how good you're following the rules. 

In NYC I've seen a guy getting robbed with a knife while leaving the subway station. The only difference is that in the US the guys usually get arrested by police or shot. 

[Badboy81]

3 hours ago, redxs said:

May sound stupid... but I like to take my backpack to the beach with stuff in.

You can buy pretty much anything on the beach on Rio while you are there..

If you take a book or a magazine, just carry it with you...

Again, LOOKING LIKE A TARGET,  CAN MAKE YOU A TARGET

Criminals don't have xray vision to see what is in the bag, they just see a bag....

[sfcastro]

Check out this video on Scam City for Rio showing a classic bag grab on the beach

https://www.scamcities.com/scam-city-season-1-episode-3-rio-de-janeiro/

[Tomcal]

i echo Badboy i have said before, when going to the beach wear your shorts shirt flip flops and 2-$20. R bills and a $10. that will get you everything you need for the afternoon! Drinks chair and umbrella! do not bring your phone! you can be without it for a couple of hours! 

[firecat691614502759]

Amazing how crime seems to increase after  a 3rd World country puts on the Olympics.  The rich get richer and the poor get much poorer which of course leads to more crime.

[espnzone]

On 10/4/2018 at 4:34 PM, ihpguy said:

Sunday I was assaulted at 2pm directly in front of a kiosk and Posto 10, at the corner of Anibal de Mendonça and Vieira Souto. I was wearing only a fake watch, sitting in the shade on a bench on the sidewalk right next to the kiosk. Single adolescent. My backpack was securely between my knees and lower legs. I told him in Portuguese that I had nothing for him. So he hit me above the eye and ran. The street, sidewalk and beach were crowded. No one went after him. The police would have let a young teenager walk anyway. Down here they are called privates. The owner of the kiosk got me two bags of ice and plenty of paper towels to stanch the bleeding. Also called the tourist police nearby in Leblon, firefighters and ambulance/EMT. After waiting twenty minutes, two other customers walked me to a cab across the street. If he had a knife or gun, and I had been stabbed or shot, I would be dead. Hospital Copa D'Or saw me immediately. Two stitches. No waiting. My best friend down here, who happens to also be an attorney,  told me that the new thing is if a purse, wallet or cellphone isn't visible, they now go for backpacks. Everyone reading this, take care or go somewhere other than Rio de Janeiro.  The economy here is in the dumps. Since the start of 2017, over 20 hotels have shut down. The Copacabana Palace laid off a bunch of staff last week. Sofitel is closed probably for up to 2 years. Think of a reopening in time for Reveillon 2020. Just 2 examples. If Bolsonaro wins on Sunday or is in the second-round runoff, things could get much worse for gays here. People have been attacked on the new VLT at night as security has been cut back. Also, if you go to a sex motel, don't let the michê choose. At his, he might be in cahoots with whoever is at the front desk. Set-up for a robbery. I normally never go south of Botafogo. First time to Ipanema since March or April. If I didn't own places both in Rio and São Paulo,  I would be doing the circuit of Ibiza, Sitges, Barcelona, Mykonos, Athens, Lisbon and Porto.

Hate to get political but Bolsonaro is running on an anti-crimr platform, certainly he’s not fond of gays but sounds like you were a victim of street crime not a hate crime.

I’m not seeing the linkage you’re trying to make between him and an increase in assaults of gays.

[Latbear4blk]

On 10/5/2018 at 7:19 AM, likeohmygod said:

Really happy to see that you are fine.

Anyway I agree with Latbear. I live here since the beginning of the year (even if most of the time i am outside Rio) and i did not notice an increase in violence, after the Carnaval when during that there has been the peak. Maybe you're overreacting (as i did when almost the same thing happened to me in posto 4, search my old thread in the forum for more information). 

I want to remember to all the folks that are reading this, that the only way to stay safe in Brazil, is to walk without visible goods, trying to don't look as a target. Backpacks will make you a good prey because they make you look like a tourist. It can contain a computer, a camera, a wallet. 

A good idea would also be to walk around without any kind of watch on the wrist. (but i cannot stay without a watch) 

And there's another golden rule to follow. Always keep a 20 reais note, because assaults can become much more dangerous when they realize that they took a risk for nothing. 

I bought a belt with waterproof pockets. I can keep cash, cards, and phone safe and close to my body. I do not think I need to carry anything else. I can even get into the water with the belt on. Anyway, my hotel will be at the beach.

Also, I forgot to comment earlier, I never liked wristwatches and stopped using them more than 10 years ago when cell phones started to give you the time. 

[BlkSuperman]

When my husband and I visited, we wore khaki shorts and had an undergarment waist pouch. When we wore the khaki shorts we kept our phones and about $50R in our pockets. We made sure we stayed together at all times, especially when we were out at night.

[SolaceSoul]

On 10/5/2018 at 12:23 AM, Badboy81 said:

I have been going to Brazil for years and never had any issues...Rio is about as dangerous as any major US or international city...

But point out the obvious for those who may not know....  you’re a tall, athletically built darker black man. This makes a BIG difference.

It should go without saying, but petty criminals look for easy targets that would put up the least resistance — and black or darker skinned brown men in good shape who look like they could be locals or like they would fight back (or be armed themselves), or 6’5” tall white guys like Tomcal, are not going to give petty criminals looking for a quick grab and the path of least resistance their easy, quick payday.

I was just having this conversation with a fellow traveler friend of mine here in Rio who is also a brown-skinned, well-built black man. We were talking to two of the former garotos / beach boys we know about safety in Rio. They both laughed and remarked (in Portuguese): “you two don’t have to worry much about that, no one is going to bother you, that’s for the white people.” So, if I get ONE privilege out of 5,000....

I’m not as dark as you, Badboy, but I’m over 6 foot tall, a lighter skinned Kinky-haired 200-pound mixed race black / Latino guy. And rarely are any street thieves targeting me, much less fucking with me in Brazilian cities (or most other cities, for that matter). I have FAR more to fear from the police in the USA than from young guys trying to rob me or knock me over the head in Rio. It’s relatively safe for me to walk in “hood” areas outside of Zona Sul, like Tijuca or  Jacarepaguá. Of course, I don’t do dumb shit like wander around favelas, go near drug trafficking areas or look like a gringo tourist with electronic goodies hanging off my body. I look like I could be a local — until I open my mouth and a weird non-Brazilian way of speaking Portuguese comes out (so I am circumspect as to where I speak and who hears me).

That being said, I see young(er) Cariocas on the Metro proudly wearing gold chains and wrist watches, and using their smart phones in public. Sometimes, it’s not just WHAT you do, it’s WHO is doing it. 

A retirement-age white man that looks like Mitch McConnell or Lindsey Graham with a bag that may or may not have goodies in it is going to be targeted in Rio. This is not “victim blaming”. It’s knowing your audience. When I travel in the American South in a car, I know that, as a man of color, I’m at FAR higher risk of getting pulled over by the cops (and possibly getting arrested, beaten or even killed). It’s not right — it’s actually very wrong to have to be — but I am conditioned for life to be prepared for these events. There isn’t any reason that you shouldn’t be conditioned and prepared to be targeted in certain cases in other parts of the world as well.

[Tartegogo]

This whole thread is useful to me, both the report on the event and how others’ looks or outfit influence the chance of getting mugged. 

[floridarob]

2 hours ago, SolaceSoul said:

or 6’5” tall white guys like Tomcal, are not going to give petty criminals looking for a quick grab and the path of least resistance their easy, quick payday.

 

Tom would take them to dinner and have sex with them after (prob a 3-way)....they'd come away with more in the end, and forget what they were doing in the first place, lol

[HotBottom4U]

Sorry for your experience,  I know it must have rattled  you.  Thanks for the sharing and the warning....