Jessel

Never had any problems here in Central Portugal, everyone I have met, young and old have been very friendly. However, I have recently seen two high value cars badly keyed, something I have not observed before in this region of Portugal so there is obviously some growing resentment towards the better-off.

Big Ant

Citreon AX - and as I was calm, I declined obvious temption of pushing his door panels in one-by-one with my towbar. He and his friends were simply 'plonkers'. Blocking a lady, on her own, trying to humiliate her, for 4 hours.....very nice. She was smartly dressed, just been attending her weekly PT lessons. Anyway, 240 bhp 3 litre BM, I wish she'd done it herself Now, that would have wiped smile of their faces.

Funny thing, he chased her down the road....all aggressive, not spotting the other BM following calmly behind him (my car). Wife hadn't even noticed him....he simply couldn't keep up with her.....rather wish he had, big mistake, massive !

Enjoy fine weather Cleri, it is beautiful down here this week, nice balance of light clouds and full sun.

BA

painguy

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/north...2703-21293347/
it's been going on for years violence in portugal
and now this incidenthttp://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/north-east-news//tm_headline=gateshead-tourist-is-killed-in-the-algarve%26method=full%26objectid=28782403%26siteid =79310-name_page.html

painguy

http://www.sundaysun.co.uk/news/nort...name_page.html
From his local town rag

micmc47

Whilst not wishing to play down the tragedy of the recent murder, or the unpleasantness of the few mugging incidents there have been, its important to keep a sense of perspective here. I've recently moved away from Whitley Bay, a seaside town on the North East coast of the UK which used to be - in my youth - a pleasant, family holiday resort. Binge drinking and associated yobbery have now turned it into somewhere which resembles a wild west cow town on pay night - and not just at weekends. The problem is common to many UK town centres, so the very few incidents that we've had here don't worry me unduly. I'm not complacent, but I know where I feel safer, and it certainly isn't in the UK.

Joao

I think your comments are too general. I've been though this before with someone else on this forum. The population of UK is over 62 million the population of Portugal is just about 11 million. You have to factor this in when you are comparing problems.
I agree that some parts of UK are not very nice, but I bet you percentage wise there are more good parts in UK then there are bad, just the same as Portugal. Those who read the Portuguese newspapers will know full well of what goes on, just like we do who read the UK papers.
Everyone has their own view on how good or bad a place is to live, that is why there is a choice in life.
Joao

micmc47

Hi Jaoa, I hear what you say, but the fact remains that cases of violent assault in England and Wales are 5 times higher per 100,000 population than in Portugal, and 12 times higher in Scotland - so its not as simple as 'there's more people in UK than in Portugal so that's why there's more crime'. (Independent Stats from Civitas). Its a different culture here, as is illustrated to me every time I wander around Tavira after a meal on any Saturday night, and reflect on what would be going on in my UK home town at the same time. BIG difference - and many of my ex-pat friends agree its the same for them - but none of them live in Albufeira... I'm not saying its perfect here. I think that many Portuguese drive like homicidal maniacs, but you can't have everything...

tombo

================================================== ======
Yesterdays Correia da Manha said there had been about 7 attacks in the Albufeira/Montechoro region. Not just a straight muggings but the victims
received a good hiding, stabbed and hospitalised. These are only what is reported in the press. Loads go unreported.

An unlimited supply of dope of any kind for personal use and condoned by the Portuguese government does not help the situation.
T+

boobella

in the past 2 months I know of 2 bar fights, 3 muggings (by so called daily mail hoodies) 2 robbery's and a young lady who was molested in sleepy tavira.....you would be surprised what goes on when we are all tucked up in bed........I can tell you now that if you walk around tavira in the small hours there is a good chance you will get mugged........but who is to say the youths are doing this!

you don't see the youths in tavira much, they are in different places and don't go out until late, plus they don't have the money they have in the UK, drugs are massive in the area, the youth is the same all over the world, drink, drugs, fight and sex.......they were the days!!!

unfortunately I think it will get a lot worse due to the bail, taxes/prices go up, mass unemployment etc

Hairy feet

Great reading. We fly out on Thursday for another househunting trip, and I'll be honest I'm a little uncomfortable with what I'm reading. We're staying about a mile outside of one of the towns on the Algarve, and although we are usually tucked up safe by midnight maybe thewalk back from town isn't too wise... how sad.

The UK does have some very dodgy areas, and crime rate but equally certain areas are strongly policed and are very safe. Do the Portugeuse police patrol/police strongly?

MrBife

But not to be taken out of context - same as this

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tees-13032432


Which for some reason was not featured strongly in the Portuguese press ! Why is that ???

Police don't patrol strongly as as present there is no need to with the possible exception of Albufeira where there is some kind of special unit set up. The police are under pressure from Government to sort out this kind of negative publicity and for sure will do so in their own Portuguese way.

As stated earlier you are 500% more likely to have this kind of problem in the UK

Hairy feet

I know the Grenadier pub very well, having lived within a 1/4 mile away from it for several years. Its decent area but I wonder what caused it to kick off the way it did? Wonder who spilt whose drink?

And if you saw tonight's Middlesbrough Evening Gazette you'd see the headlines of 3 people beaten unconscious outside a M'bro pub.

Anyway, back on topic. How many Algarve residents would be happy to walk through their town at midnight?

max0603

Lived just outside Albufeira for nearly 4 years and regular visit the town for nights out. We know a large network of ex pats, and although somebodys next door neighbours, friends aunt sisters boyfriend know somebody whose been mugged, nobody we know has.
Albufeira has some lovely areas for meals, quiet drinks etc. However the strip including the Montechoro end is a magnet for pissed up gangs of Brits looking to get smashed out of their tiny minds and getting drugged up as cheaply as possible then looking for trouble. if they get on the end of a good kicking it's easier to say there was 5 or 6 of them and they robbed me, to save face.

If your over 25 and have an IQ a bit higher than a plankton, stay away from this area of town. Simples

newintavira

I've never felt concerned walking round Tavira late at night. Having said that, New Year 09/10, a gang of youths threw a large firework at my wife and I while the band was playing on the main square which exploded dangerously close to us. It was no exaggeration to say that we would have been maimed had their aim been any better.

We lived in South London for 12 years and never had a firework thrown at us, but found ourselves in plenty of more intimidating and uncomfortable situations - in that respect I would certainly rather be here.

All that said, the Albufeira strip has always been a nasty, drunken s&*thole--we stopped there for a drink last year and walked the entire length of it not finding a single place we fancied stopping. As always the "you want hash, ecstasy, cocaine?" hustlers were out in force --but it's always fun to confuse them by looking English and answering them in Portuguese

The stuff going on in Albufeira (and Tavira, by the sounds of it) is all very unpleasant and obviously horrific for victims and their families, but it shouldn't stop people going about their lives. The TripAdvisor forums are full of talk of cancelling holidays and suchlike which to me is an overreaction.

Coming from a place like London, where millions of us had to still get on the tubes and trains after the 7/7 bombs and where the latest stabbing or shooting was an everyday read in the morning paper, my desensitized brain isn't sending me panic signals, although this increase in crime is obviously a bad thing which needs to be addressed.

However, I would still rather find myself alone on the Albufeira strip at 3am, than in Croydon at 3pm when the schools close for the day!

boobella

I agree with joao and tombo on this, for most expats ignorance is bliss, they don't speak the language, read papers etc so they don't know what goes on, this would be the same in the UK if you did not speak the language, read papers etc

the poor chap who died in a fight in a Middlesborough pub was not reported in the Portuguese press because it happen in the UK, the chap who got killed in Portugal was from the UK and that is why it hit the UK headlines, thousands of brits come here on their holidays!

as max says if you are a bit older, you keep away from these places or rough areas, but when you are on your holidays or a brit who lives here you are always a target for mugging just like any other place, even if you speak the language they know you are not Portuguese and that means you have money

it depends on where you live in the UK, there are lots of lovely safe places but the news is always doom and gloom and most people believe it

I am sorry to say that I would rather walk home from a night out where I lived in the UK than Tavira

a lot of kids in the uk get bad press, so like any kid at that age you just stick two fingers up and live up to it

it is society that has failed them

i love both the uk and Portugal but sometimes I ask myself, if Portugal did not have the sun would I live here?