Absolutely, and if you get to thinking about the dangers even in your home country, you might never leave your own home. Of course, then you could start to worry about burglers....

Rita

I was flying back and forth quite a lot to EZE in the immediate aftermath of the dedollarization debacle; back then people at home and elsewhere not familiar with Argentina were thinking it was "dangerous" because of the images on the TV and the stories in the paper. I had enjoyed my times there then too even while my sympathies were with those enduring the miseries then and the miseries that were to follow. Actually, that's when I started to most heavily recommend that people should visit there. And, not surprisingly, most that have visited there recommend it strongly.

That reminds me, the Sheraton Buenos Aires Hotel is hiking its price in Starwood Points in a couple of hours .... and awards will be nearly double in points if not redeemed now.

Back to the issue of driving in Buenos Aires... it seems that the city government is finally going to crack down on traffic violations. The last couple of weeks have seen unprecedented amounts of check-points around the city with police checking for blood alcohol content. Also, its been announced that Buenos Aires will introduce the point-system for traffic violations, and the city will also expand the usage of cameras to take snap-shots of violators.

I can see Buenos Aires drivers changing habits rapidly, as the fines will also be sharply increased across the board.

I found Argentine taxi drivers more than willing to stop wherever you saw fit on long distance drives - they generally treat it, and price it, as their only fare of the day. Argentine driving, even in cities, isn't horrible, but they alternatives are so cheap why bother?

I think it's a matter of learned behavior. We in the US are so attached to our cars. You have to relinquish control even when you use a taxi.

Rita

For those that can read Spanish, here's a link to an recent article in Clarin about traffic deaths in Argentina.

http://www.clarin.com/diario/2007/01...ad/s-03601.htm

For the fourth consecutive year, traffic deaths have increased. Speeding and alcohol are the principal causes. Forty four percent of victims were pedestrains.

John

Doesn't surprise me although in all my many times on Argentine roads I have never seen an accident and only once have I ever nearly been involved in one and that was when I had to waken up our taxi driver on the autopista going to EZE

On a recent trip to Cairo I lost count of the number of accidents I witnessed compared to there Argentine drivers are positively saintly