Travel Safety
As most foreigners who are long term residents here would vouch, Costa Rica is an extremely safe country to live in compared to where they have come from. Even the capital city of San Jose, notorious as it is, is safer than most large cities in the U.S. or other Latin American countries. In general, the absence of aggression and general menace characterizes the society. With normal ‘common sense’ precautions, majority of tourists enjoy a pleasant vacation without any incident.
However, as with all places in the world where tourists congregate, thefts and robberies do occur to some who let their guards down. Since the introduction of a Tourist Police Corp initiated by the country’s tourism authorities, most tourist destinations have seen a drop in criminal incidents, and the government has also committed to increasing general police presence in all the main tourism zones.
COMMON CRIMES
You should be watchful of various scams and tricks that attempt to distract you or take advantage of a lapsed moment of focus. Tourism authorities have in fact issued warnings to alert foreign visitors of the common patterns of crimes that have emerged in recent times; the following are a few examples.
* A common trick is to have the first person accidentally spill a disagreeable substance on you, while the second person helps to clean your clothes, a third person walks away with your possession. If you are the unfortunate target, keep your hands on your possession and tell the person firmly that you do not want help, pick up your possessions and walk into the nearest café, restaurant or any shop, get cleaned up as much as you can and ask the shop owner to help call for a taxi.
* Someone spots some money on the floor and asks if it is yours, you check your pockets or purse, exposing your money in the process; in the ensuing conversation with your guard dropped, your pockets or purse is pilfered by another person.
* You have a flat tire and pull over to the roadside, the car behind stops to help, while one or two persons keep your focus on the tire and the conversation, the other transfers your belongings into their car, and abruptly, they take off. If you do get a flat, lock your doors and call, or pretend to call, for help on your cell phone; otherwise, flag down another car; one of these gestures will likely succeed in sending the gang away. If the car can still be driven, try to get to the nearest gas station or into the first parking compound that you see and ask for help from the business establishment.
* You are having a quiet time on the beach with no one else in sight, but when you come back from a little swim or a stroll, your belongings are gone.
* Another common beach crime involves theft of cell phones left in vehicles parked at quieter spots, obviously committed by thieves who are adept in unlocking car doors.
* The trunk of your vehicle has been popped open and your luggage are all gone, even though you are in the middle of a bustling street. The lesson is, use hotel parking or a designated paid parking lot. Do not park on roadside even in populated areas, as thieves operate in inconspicuous way.
OTHER PRECAUTIONS
Notebook and laptop computers are popular targets for robbers in San Jose; if you have to travel with one, do not make it obvious by hanging a computer bag over your shoulder; these days, thieves also presume that most backpacks contain a notebook or laptop computer if they are carried by a foreigner. If you leave it in your vehicle, keep it hidden. If it is left visible, syndicate members may wait around for you to return to the car and then demand for it.
Pickpockets work in congested city streets and crowded public areas, especially at bus stations, bus stops and onboard buses. Carry your backpacks and money belts in front of you or keep them close.
Not just tourists but locals too have been known to get robbed when walking through or around city parks, even in broad daylight. After dark, stay away from obscure sections of the city.
It is said that Costa Rica has the world’s highest record of U.S. Passport theft, so guard it well. Keep it locked safely away if possible; a photocopy of the identification page and the page with your entry stamp is legally sufficient for traveling or driving around the country.
Do not get into any taxi that does not have the official yellow triangle on the door; especially if you are alone and moving around at night.
