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Safety
Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful city. It has amazing beaches,
beautiful scenery and very enthusiastic people. However, just like any
other big city, it can be dangerous if one does not use common sense
and a little precaution. Although the biggest mistake one can make is
to not visit Rio because of safety concerns.
Rio is divided primarily into 2 areas, Zona Norte (North Zone) and
Zona Sul (South Zone). The north zone is more dangerous and is usually
ignored by tourists unless taking in a match at Maracana Stadium or
venturing to a samba school rehearsal. The south zone is where the
rich and famous live and play, in the bairros (neighborhoods) of
Copacabana, Ipanema and Barra da Tijuca.
If you want to minimize the risks during your stay, use common sense
and your gut instincts.
Avoid walking on the beach after dark.
Try to stay in well lit streets that are busy.
Take taxis at night.
Do not flash money and valuables around.
Try to become familiar with the streets and plan your
route ahead of time.
Carry a photocopy of your passport or a photo ID with you.
Take only what you need with you.
While walking on sidewalks watch out for
cars leaving garages and Brazilians who are not paying any attention
to where they are going!
Scams
There are plenty of scams that innocent tourists fall victim to. Some
become outdated, while new ones are always being invented. To help out
other tourists, feel free to email us with stories or advice so we can
keep our information as up to date as possible. Most scams will happen
and the victim will not even know it!
Taxis - If you have no idea where you are going, taxis will often take
the long way or even use a higher tariff or rate fee. Note: Tariff 1
is used Mon-Fri from 6am to 9pm, while tariff 2 is used for all other
periods.
Shoe Shine Kids - Most shiners are young kids who carry a brush and
wooden box in hope of shining your shoes. There are 2 types of scam.
One is being overpriced, normally you should pay around R$5 for this
service. We have heard of people paying R$50 per shoe! The other scam
involves them putting nasty smelling gunk on your shoe (without you
noticing) and then trying to save the day by offering a shine.
Beach Kiosks and Huts - Being overcharged or adding extra items on the
bill are common at the street kiosks and beach huts. This happens
because some of the waiting staff receives their pay in free beverages
or whatever profit they can make by overcharging customers. The best
way to avoid this problem is to verify a price before you begin
indulging, and asking them to itemize the bill. Many beach huts also
post their menus and price lists on their huts. Don't be afraid to
double-check.
Police - If possible, try to avoid going to the police unless it is
absolutely necessary. Police receive very poor wages and are therefore
very good at extracting bribes from tourists. If you are caught with
drugs, not carrying photo ID or simply being in the wrong place at the
wrong time it will definitely lighten your wallet. The fine will
depend on the severity of the “charge” against you. For example, we
were traveling in a taxi late at night and were pulled over. After the
police searched us, we were charged with not carrying proper ID. The
"fine" was R$10. On the contrary, I encountered 3 tourists who had
been caught with drugs and paid R$3000. A lot of time, it depends on
how much money you have on you!
Drugs - Anyone who approaches and offers to sell drugs should be
refused. They typically have a connection with police and you will
find yourself in another bad situation if you deal with them.
Bag Snatch – Not really a scam, but definitely worth mentioning. It
has been known to happen in the beach areas of Copacabana and Ipanema.
If you leave your bag or belongings unattended or unwatched for a
split second, there is a good chance they will be gone. Try to take
only the necessities to the beach, and if you decide to rest, hook the
bag around a chair leg or even an arm. |
