Chile Forum

Hello All!!

My name is Fortunato (yes, really) and I am moving indefinitely (a one-way ticket ) to Santiago at the beginning of October (sometime in the first two weeks) for a job with a mining maintenance company. While this company is supposed to be finding me housing, I was wondering if some of you could make a few recommendations as to where a reasonable place to live (affordable, safe, accessable) is and what life in Santiago is like. My boss, from Uraguay, during my training sessions has told me that I should be worried about getting robbed because I am a six-foot white guy with redish hair, is that true? She tells me that in Chile the 'good guys' live behind bars . .

While it doesn't seem like the wild wild west, I'm just curious what I should be prepared for. Is it safe to go out at night? Drinking? Socializing or should I perfect my spanish before I venture out? And on the topic of venturing out, does this forum arrange meetups like the toytowngermany.com forum does in Munich (where I trained)? Or does anyone know where to find english speaking meetups in Santiago (not that I don't want to speak spanish, but I do like to talk in my own language and it's easier to meet people <what can I say, I'm kinda shy>)?

Thanks!

And I look forward to maybe meeting some of you in person in the next coming months.

do some searches of the forums for answers on your social life questions.....

as for getting robbed, never listen to a latino ( or PX), you will never leave your house,

it is really rather safe!

True.
Santiago is relatively safe.
However, the easiest way to get into trouble, is to go out at night, drinking.

.

http://www.pazciudadana.cl/docs/pub_20110607103119.pdf

Don't ever read the published crime statistics. They're all lies. Especially the reports that are cited in the major papers, such as "Balance de la delincuencia 2010" by the Fundación Paz Ciudadana which draws their data from police reports. A complete waste of your time.

Just remember this: on average, almost 65 percent of the households in Santiago do not get victimised at least once a year. That alone should make you feel better.

Always rely upon the subjective assessments of short-term foreign residents.

patagoniax wrote:.

http://www.pazciudadana.cl/docs/pub_20110607103119.pdf

Don't ever read the published crime statistics. They're all lies. Especially the reports that are cited in the major papers, such as "Balance de la delincuencia 2010" by the Fundación Paz Ciudadana which draws their data from police reports. A complete waste of your time.

Always rely upon the subjective assessments of short-term foreign residents.

told ya

It depends where you live with how safe you will feel, it also depends where you are coming from so what is your point of reference. In my opinion, I do not feel "safe" in Santiago, but I live in real Santiago, not the gringo bubble. If you use the search you will find many a thread about this subject. As far as your physical appearance, be prepared to get ripped off just about everywhere you go and by everyone, they will double prices for you (gringo tax). If you want to avoid this, make good relationships with the people in your neighborhood corner store and if you find a Chilean friend go with them to buy things and see what the real prices are.

As far as your physical appearance, be prepared to get ripped off just about everywhere you go and by everyone, they will double prices for you (gringo tax).

Hey Laserforsail,

there are actually a lot of people, who, inspite of not living in a "gringo bubble" and having lived in Santiago for quite some time, feel pretty safe here. I´m one of them:-). Of course, you should always bear in mind normal common sense security precautions like you would in every big city in the US or Europe, too. Mostly, keep an eye on your belongings, CHilean criminals are not so likely to use violence but will watch out for an opportunity (the two times someone stole something from me was once in a overland bus while I was sleeping and the other time in a café because I just put my bag under in some corner and forgot to watch it). So you really can live here and go out at night without being assaulted or anything. If you´re concerned about safety, just take a taxi back from the bar, they are really cheap here! And it´s certainly not true that you will get ripped off everywhere you go, in my experience Chileans are really friendly to foreign persons and maybe except from some tourist locations, I cannot remember that anyone has tried to charge me ever a gringo price (although from my physical appearance and accent it´s quite clear that I´m not a Chilean) which I found a common practice travelling in other countries here such as Peru or Brazil.

jessicak1234 wrote:be prepared to get ripped off just about everywhere you go and by everyone, they will double prices for you (gringo tax).

So that's where all this BS about Chile being cheap comes from People pay normal price, but assume they pay double because they are gringos, and that in "real Chile" everything is half the price they pay.

Ventisquero wrote:

jessicak1234 wrote:be prepared to get ripped off just about everywhere you go and by everyone, they will double prices for you (gringo tax).

So that's where all this BS about Chile being cheap comes from People pay normal price, but assume they pay double because they are gringos, and that in "real Chile" everything is half the price they pay.

I have no idea what you are trying to say...

So that's where all this BS about Chile being cheap comes from People pay normal price, but assume they pay double because they are gringos, and that in "real Chile" everything is half the price they pay.

mm, good point, maybe I AM being constantly ripped off and just have failed to notice until now

Yea, some gringos just seem to have a big sign around their neck that says "sucker" or "gringo that really has it coming" everywhere they go. Not getting ripped off in part is about knowing that you are being ripped off, carrying that you are being ripped off, and finally calling someone on it when they are ripping you off.

If you are paying attention, after sufficient amount of time, at some point you kind of get a 6th sense and almost instinctively counter any inclination to rip you off that might be in the air. A smile, a joke, something to change the tone of the situation to delete the idea before it has fully formed in the head of the person doing it. Then also, I have been engaging in gringo tax evasion since I was 12 running around the beaches of Mexico. Perhaps it takes a really long time to develop the skill. It does seem to be easier in Chile, because Chileans do tend to be terrible at really selling a lie. An Argentinean by contrast, will not even blink.

I might also point out, again, that what foreigners in Chile often believe to be a "gringo tax" is really an equal opportunity rip-off that a Chilean would have done against another Chilean, except for the fact the Chilean being ripped off was born here and seen it coming a mile away and thus the Chilean doing the ripping off decides not to bother trying.

As for robberies of 6 foot tall males, not the most desirable target for most robbers anywhere in the World. Really, in Santiago, there are a lot of 6 foot tall foreigners around.

Just curious, do you have a budget or housing allowance? Because a nice safe area in Santiago from a Uruguayan perspective could be a lot different than a Yankees idea of safe. Also, if you’re not into riots or tear gas, stay away from the Centro part of Santiago.