Originally Posted by
stimpy
How much time exactly have you spent in west and north Long Beach or Compton? South Central? Certain parts of North Hollywood? When I lived there I had a friend who worked in Long Beach Homicide. It was waaaaay worse than what was in the LA Times.
In both places, you have to know where to go and where not to go. And if you go to the wrong places in LA at the wrong time, you can end up just as dead. Same for many other US cities.
Same thing for many areas of JNB. Like previous posters said, it's not the tourist that's the target, but the resident.So let's put a little weight behind the claims of the residents. I also (used to) know South African policemen and they can tell you some stories too.
Heck, last time I was there I was just minding my own business driving down the road in Kempton Park and the next thing I know I'm smack dab in the middle of a potential shootout. The perpetrator's bullet ridden car pulled next to me with four cop cars and all kinds of cops armed to the teeth in tow.
I remember a hairy encouter in downtown PTA. My dad and I was sitting in the car waiting for my mother. So my dad decides to go grab a paper and as I'm waiting for him, three men approached me and told me through the window that my dad needs me in the store....yeah right...so we hot footed it out of there.
Oh yeah, my uncle used to be bank manager at one of the big branches in downtown JNB. He eventually took a voluntary demotion because he got tired of being robbed by gunpoint.
I definately agree with previous posters on driving. BE CAREFUL!! Don't be intimidated on the road, drive defensively. Road deaths are absolutely horrendous.