Wednesday, May 14, 2008

Crime

This week tell me about your experience of crime. What's Porto like as a city? Is it safe? Have you ever been mugged? Do you know anyone that's been mugged? Is there much violent crime here? Has anything ever happened to you on holiday, either in Portugal or abroad?

Have a good week

Paul

6 comments:

JR said...

Hi,

Crime :-((

I haven't any experience of crime, fortunately!

I think Porto is a quiet and safe city. Of course there are places and unearthly hours we must prevent. I'm very relaxed, I never think that anyone can mug me! Althoug I always beware in the underground, even at the evening, when I am in the foreign cities.

There always were violent crimes in the course of History, for instance, those that happened during the Inquisition or during Nazism.

The queerest story about crime happened with Maria José in Barcelona. Sure she'll write about that. From that time on she became our "heroine"!!

See you next week!
Judite

pmmrb said...

In generally we can consider that Portugal is one of the safest place in the world, most of the time we can walk late at the night in the biggest cities without be bothered or stolen. I have lived in a small village, like others in Portugal, where people used to leave the door not closed with the key when they go out, and never were stolen, because they lived like a family and trusting each other.
In the past most of the crimes took place without any death, and were related with small crimes with no relation with criminal organization, unfortunately in the most recent crimes we realize that they are becoming more dangerous, and some of them result in deaths in the both sides, to the criminal and to the police, we realize that each time theses crimes include guns and some of them are more organized, in my opinion this can be the result of economical problems and instability, the increase of east and Brazilian immigration that in some case are not well integrated in the Portuguese society.
But in spite this, Portugal is still a secure country to live, where we can do almost everything without have afraid to be killed or stolen.

Paulo

MJ said...

Yes Judite. I had a happy story, because the end was funny. I will write about that…
I visited Barcelona two years ago and I went with a group about ten persons. One day, after the work, we decided to go at “Sagrada Familia” by underground. When we were waiting to the underground, I was speaking on mobile phone. When the metro arrived I finished the call, I put the mobile phone in my wallet and didn’t close that. All people of my group entered in metro and I was the last. When I put my right foot in underground I felt thrust me forward. I saw immediately to back and I felt my wallet slight. I saw two or three black men behind me and I looked for my wallet and I realized didn´t have my purse with money, documents and my plane ticket.
I didn´t enter in metro and I said for my group: “I have just stolen”. My group hurries out and didn´t believe in that.
I run in the station to look for a police. I have always thought in my documents and plane ticket.
Suddenly, when I was going upstairs, I looked to my left side, where had a moving staircase, and I saw one black man with anything under the arm. I didn´t see my purse and I didn’t recognize the man, but I had a presentiment, this thing under his arm could be my purse. I told him: “you stole me, give me my purse”. The man became surprised and said “I´m not steal you”.
I ran quickly and I was waiting for him on the top of stairs. When he arrived I pushed the black man to the wall and repeat: “You stole me, give me my purse if not I will call the police”. The man gave me my purse and my money.
I didn’t think in danger and I won back all my things. It was an act by instinct. I will never repeat this feat!!!!
MJosé

Ritucha said...

Hi everyone,
I'm back to the blog. I think Portugal is still a very safe and quite country. Although some cases of violence, between some specific groups, we can walk with confidence on street. Of course, at night I'm afraid of walking alone and sometimes, when I go to a ATM machine, I look everywhere to see if anyone is watching me. But, generally there are no reason to be afraid. In relation to Porto, I think it's safer then Lisbon. Lisbon has much more people and consequently the delinquency is higher. Fortunately, I don't have any story that happened to me. I think I would died of heart attack if something hapen to me!!

See you tomorrow at class.
Rita Rebelo

Beyba said...

Everyday we see different types of crimes on TV. There are child abuses, domestic violence, sex crimes, homicides, kidnappings, genocides, burglaries, tortures … I can’t find the worst!!!
I think we can stop these crimes if we denounce every case we know. In Portugal we have an institution to help victims of crimes – APAV - the call number is 707 20 00 77.
Fortunately, I’ve never been a victim of a crime but when I heard stories about that I always think how I reacted if I was… I always feel very revolted!

Aldora

Mália said...

I think all places can be safe or not! I go out at night often and happily I never have had any problem, but I know I have had luck.
Once I had a problem, when I went to the gym, my car was attacked and had stolen some personal objects, I was furious. It was strange sense, someone with our stuffs. After I saw that my stuffs had disappeared I went to the police to present a complaint about that and I saw that police didn’t have conditions to do a good work.
Some years ago my mother had a problem, someone stolen her bag and she didn’t have money to the transport to come back home, nor money to call us, she was very upset with that.