masterbaits

drugs are a problem everywhere , even rural communities have the blight.

But you get most prevailance in inner city , tourist destinations , and tbh theres more alkies than junkies thatll will harm you in those places anyway , and even then thats a statistical rarity.But hey as long as the imbibement is legal and taxable its ok...for example..

you kick someone to death on booze or assualt/rape , hey ok your getting time but claim it was the booze .But do the same while on drugs , which is rarer than you would believe compared to booze , then punitively your hammered much more.

but hey on the road you more likely to be killed by a phone user , moggied pensioner or perhaps just not wearing their glasses or declaring their diabetes , or someone that doesnt upkeep their car mecahanically and legally ...global stats say that 1/3rd of drivers or their vehicles shouldnt be on the road , does that stop us from driving?

The majority of addicts are addicted to legal stims , be that nicotine , pres meds or booze , and those are ignored as being socially acceptable.Irony is they dont think of themselves as addicts....and usually frown upon them from a high moral ground.

My point , though rambled , is that if you worry then your gonna worry , it doesnt matter what is going on around you , youll still worry.Lessen any chances of being a victim at all in life by not having a victim mentality by .....

dont bloody go down an unlit alley , alone or in a number , in any neighbourhood.

dont live in schemes.

drive assuming everyone is a maniac.

assume eveyone is on the make , EVERYONE.

move to portugal , de stress , but dont forget the above.

get some meds from the doctor ,and ironically become a junkie , not notice all thats around you ....failing that do it with booze instead.

sick though it is dont repeatedy leave your bloody kids alone in an apt when you go to the pub.....if you do and something bad happens , then blame someone else.

derbyflan

And I'll have a pint of masterbait's scruttocks old original please!

derbyflan

You should easily be sorted for whizz down the marina Failing that... try the benches outside the post offices where the punks with dogs hang out

Can't fail to score

Supremegermalene

I was in Luz, no really, you just don't see it. It's not like people are lolling around on the pavements or anything. Lagos, yes, loads of people on drugs, just like there are in all towns. What you don't tend to find as much is groups of youths shouting abuse at you when you walk past because even if they are high they have more respect for others than people in the UK, and they are more likely to give you a hug

The majority of the annoying loud drunken drugged up people are the tourists who decide to try and be all hard and pick a fight with someone portuguese, who then has back up of around 30 and it can get interesting.

If you are wanting to get away from all of that scene I wouldn't live on the coast I'd live more inland or on the west coast somewhere in more of an expat community not a tourist town.

I'm sure plenty of people on here will disagree with me, as if you aren't really integrated into the younger community you wouldn't be exposed to it and wouldn't have a clue it was going on. I'm sort of feeling bad as it sounds like it's a really bad place and it isn't. I'm sure my town centre in the UK is far worse but I never go there at night so I wouldn't know.

G

Mattiespeople

Wow
Supremegermalene I am so out of touch with all this!! Sort of glad I guess but need tips if young visitors want to go to Lagos in the evening!
Ta for info

Titleist

I live in a small west country town and in the last year we have had two murders relating to drugs, and dont feel safe in the town at night.
Where as in the Algarve we feel perfectly safe the wife goes shopping on her own,and only once my oldest son who was 16 at the time was asked if he wanted any drugs by a man in Portimao. Not once have we felt threatened or intimadated there.
Just cant wait to move to the Algarve.

Cleri

I didnt realise i lived in such a drug infested hellhole
Anyway,on a lighter note,one more for the list

MOZZIES

Zincubus

Thanks everyone !

Afraid it's got to be the COAST for us after 50 years of living in the middle of a self destructing island ( live in Manchester ).

Ideally with as warmer seas as possible !!

So that's Portugal /coastal town/ warm seas / bustling SAFE community /we certainly don't need a busy nightlife - clubs don't interest us at all!

Suggestions below , please

Cleri

Im trying to think where the sea is warm...........
One thing for sure,forget the West coast its bloody freezin all year round

Supremegermalene

Hmm the trouble with Portugal is that people do feel safe, and do silly things they wouldn't do in the UK (like leave the kids at home alone ). I don't think I'd walk around on my own at night over there, maybe in a shopping centre but not in town. I would in a village though were there weren't any tourists as the nasty people tend to target tourist areas.

My BIL died in a road accident near Alma Verde in 2004 and it appears someone caused it and it was to do with drugs, another friend of mine was found at the bottom of Luz cliff, he'd gone off the rails and turned totally paranoid, not sure if he was pushed or whether it was self inflicted. Another acquaintance blew is head off with a handgun, again screwed up with drugs. One of my husbands best friends was shot in the stomach after coming out of a club in Lagos by someone on drugs. I could go on tbh there is more that goes on in Luz than you get on Eastenders you just don't see or hear about it unless you are 'in the know'. Because my husband is from there and everyone knows everybody we hear about everything. It seems like there is a lot more going on there than here because we know everyone. I could have the same going on around me here but I only know the neighbours in my little terrace and a few mums at the school and all my other friends are spread over the country, it is not the same, so all we hear in the UK is the stuff on the news. There is no doubt so much more than what you hear on the news and balancing it all out I would still rather live in Portugal.

I discussed my concerns about drugs with someone a couple of years ago, I have 2 boys and don't want them getting into that scene. The person I spoke to used to be a drug runner years ago over the border from Portugal into Spain and she said I was very naive, that the drug situation in the UK is far worse, and just being exposed to it is not going to make your child a user. She has 2 kids and neither of them touch drugs as they have been brought up around it, see what it does to people, are intelligent and have made the decision they don't want to try it. So, I'm going to take the risk, I think the benefits of an outdoor life in the fresh air rather than stuck in front of a tv are worth taking the chance that my kids are sensible enough to not get dragged into it. Of course they'll probably try it but that would happen anywhere.

Sorry for the essay!

G

anna58

Thoughtless if not cruel treatment of animals.

Algarveaddick

Mmmmm, not so sure about that Supremegermalene. In town you have safety in numbers, and some nasty assults have taken place in out of the way areas. The serious criminals target those places, because thats where the money is...

It also depends on where you come from in the UK, if you come from an area like I did, you are used to looking out for yourself and not looking like a victim. My wife and I both feel 10 times safer than we did in the UK, and we didn't feel that threatened there to be honest. A lot of it is about frame of mind.

Agree with anna58, although it is mostly thoughlessness, rather than actual cruelty, and they treat people thoughtlessly too if you think about it...

terrytheengine

We have lived here, close to Lagos, for 24 years and seen a lot of changes, some for the good and others not so good, however we have never regretted our decison to move here.
What you have to remember is that there is no such place as Útopia, there are always´for and against arguments, but overall, as far as we are concerned Portugal wins hands down.
SNIP,NO ads allowed

local

I have no idea if I belong to this comunity, once I'm not British, but Portuguese. But, anyways, I'm taking this oportunity to introduce myself and tell what did drag me here...
Knowing that Algarve is chosen for thousands of British every year, I was wondering what it may appeal to them, so I simply found this forum and I've learnt a lot of your own experiences and it's amusing at times to see how you see Portuguese living, but mostly is intersting to see through different eyes the experience of living here, once since I was born here and have ever lived here, can't exactly get the same views from outcomers.

I live in Lisbon, have been in Algarve for several times for vacations, and allow me please to share my experience as Portuguese about what I see in Algarve, I won't put it in straight way of what is good or bad...I will mention some items that I believe they deserve some attention and perhaps some explanation.

The streets are the first welcome Algarve offers to you, in the streets you find lots of restaurants, to me, I have to look where the portuguese menu is written, I can read at almost every restaurante or café English Break Fast menu. The hotels have staff who speak Englsih, people in the shops speak English, at some they don't, but mostly they do...as to sum up, I'd say British people in general are very well treated, cause the services are thinking to welcome you.

Laid back attitude, that is fact that none is about to change with our Restaurant services....you get to get used and think that is how we work, I don't agree about the lack of effeciency, we can take time in doing things but we sure care about being proffesional in what you do, do it well and we like to please the customers. I also get annoyed when the clerk is talking for an endless time and we must like 'hmmhmm' to make him/her to get their attention at us...Other aspect I agree with you is, the driving, I cannot drive as most of the people do, trust me, I am not maniac when I drive, yes, and I'm portuguese, I see it pointless the behaviour of some drivers, I always say that the police isn't where is neccessary to be for punish them

One thing that kept me wondering was, masterbaits said this:

For the first, yes do not live in schems, don't ever get convinced to a person to do schems, but brazialian people are the ones you should be attentive to, cause they can easily put you in 'traps'.

Please do not generalise, as I said I am not.

A doubt, by saying everyone is on the make, is the same as everyone is cheating you? If is that, no, again, that is not true. Do not confuse gentle manners as a way to cheat you, it happens to me, I work at a monument in Lisbon, and when I say ' hello, goodmorning' people sometimes turn their backs and say, oh this to pay, only because I was nice, I have no idea of how the British use to attend their customers, but isn't a common thing everywhere to smile at them and say hello, or good evening etc...? what I sense generally is, not just British, but general tourists get suspicious when we are nice, they think we will cheat them after...that is sad and untrue. But then when we talk to them until the end of what is the service about, they get relaxed and all goes well, and it's been a joy for me to work with British people, you are very intersted about everything and quite exigent, you expect quality at wherever you go, there is nothing that scapes from your eagle eye.... I'm a guide at where I work.

I'm sorry if I rambled, but I just wanted to leave a Portuguese impression...mostly my advice is enjoy your living/vacations here and allow yourselves the difference of a new country.

Cleri

Hi Local
Welcome to the forum,you are most welcome,and its nice to have a Portuguese perspective

Im afraid british do get suspicious if someone smiles at them and says hello
Its a rare occurence in Uk.
I went back in April,walked into a bar and did just that,they thought I was mad!!!! I had forgotten its not the "done thing" over there

I would also just like to add,that nearly all Portuguese people I have met,have been fantastic.I know a few "bandits" in the Algarve who see the tourist etc as a money making opportunity,must say I find it alot different up here

Ps,which monument? I will call and say hello next time Im in Lisbon