Vancouver's dirty little secret

Post by **webmaster** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:10 pm

And then Canadian media rants on how dangerous it is to travel to all of Mexico, when there are some incidents in Acapulco...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6355285.stm

Greetings

Mogens

sonofdob · Post by **sonofdob** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:22 pm

yes...drug addicted prostitutes should be wary of the downton eastside of vancouver...sheesh...let's keep in perspective here...sonofdob.

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:37 pm

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sonofdob · Post by **sonofdob** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 6:55 pm

mexibeach...I know what you mean...it's ridiculous really how the media distorts the reality of situations just to sell the news...sonofdob.

pop&fresh · Post by **pop&fresh** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:08 pm

its amazing

i lived in vancouver for 6 years and the crap was difficult to deal with

i mean you can go around hastings with your vehicle but dont park in a parking garage, your vehicle will get broken into

i once had a guy break into my vehicle while i was standing on the other side of lol

go figure

the truth of the matter is , when they go to court they get let out
why i have no clue.
i think that there are just to many brasen thieves that know the system wont put them in jail to quickly besides i mean in the cities eyes , all they are trying to so is suport the crack habbit

yeah right geese is this one of the reasons i left lol
}

bruce

ronald · Post by **ronald** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 7:54 pm

and then Canadian media rants on how dangerous it is to travel to all of Mexico, when there are some incidents in Acapulco...

No apologies for Vancouver or anywhere else for that matter.. I was part of a delegation that was invited to a 'traditional feast' on Hastings street. We were bussed in and forced to endure a litany of speeches without any beverages, so I got bored and decided to walk down the street for a pop. Five blocks both ways to an open gas station, and it was not pretty.... we have something like that in almost every community in Canada..but I think putting that up as a comparison to Mexico is a red herring for many reasons with one major one.

We all know where the 'seedy' parts of our community are, and while I don't necessarily believe you have it coming to you if you go there and get your head bitten off.... you can't say you weren't warned. If a tourist from anywhere were to get themselves sliced open on Hastings street I would surmise they were only there to buy a hooker or drugs. Tourists in Acupulco were shot in the lobby going into their own hotel in the good part of town, and the Ianero's were killed in their own hotel bedroom. Nowhere Close to the Same.

Neither do I want to turn this into a 'class war', but economics tell the tale throughout the world. I would guess that the most of us that take our yearly vacations are middle class with some even living on snotty hill, the point being we don't live anywhere close to those areas in our own communities, and hate them as much here as we do anywhere else. We expect security of our person in our choice of tourist hotels in the same way we expect it in our own country.

Finally for us Canadians anyway.. If I did go to Vancouver and took a tour that ended up there, and the tour bus hit a whale..I mean a vehicle, and I was injured, I can count on the Police being totally involved, government investigators out the yingyang investigating, prodding, scrutinizing, legislating, reporting, covering their a$$, and penalizing everybody, All kinds of media scrutinizing and reporting everything, lots of insurance all around, too many lawyers trying to buy a chunk of the pie, a Political opposition party screaming to high heaven blaming the government, and for all of us free health care with no surprises. I can more or less count on Police accountable to the judiciary, and a really good lawsuit against everybody including the person who sold me the tour tickets... AND a judicial system that helped me collect whatever I won.

Anyway: I know what you mean Mogens, and even agree with you on the intent of what you right, it's just that there's something else in play here, most likely a fair bit of ethnocentrism, something I'm guilty of as much as anybody else.

Post by **webmaster** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:03 pm

Ethnocentrism, nope, I'm not Mexican, I'm Danish. What is involved here is me sneering at shortsighted people that get carried away by the news and the media spin. That's what I find pathetic.

Would I stop a trip to Canada based on that story I linked? Nope, if someone got grazed by bullets in a Vancouver hotel lobby? Nope. I know better. Did I stop flying around after Sept 11? Nope. Did I sweat more in my flights to the US? Nope. I just don't fall for that stuff.

Finally the Cancun case, nobody really knows what happened they could have been easily mixed up in drugs and stuff like that, but that would of course never be mentioned, the Mexicans are the bad guys, always, no?

Mogens

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:12 pm

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ronald · Post by **ronald** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:19 pm

Has never stopped me or slowed me down either... I've never been bothered by extra security or new rules... I figure it is really designed for my benefit even though I don't seem to see or sense it...(I am comfortable in my own false sense of invulnerability) and it is helping to keep the stupid ones employed.

the Mexicans are the bad guys, always, no?

NO: I don't think so... They are learning it somewhere... most likely too much TV.. ya'll know where that comes from...LOL.

I think my country is exporting all the quick buck artists to Mexico, Costa Rica, etc. helping to accentuate the greed everywhere.

ronald · Post by **ronald** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:23 pm

You forgot how the powers here in Canada will let those responsible bad guys out once they're caught. What's the point of catching them when they will just be freed in less than 24hrs?

Where we live we have found that once one government department makes a regulation all the other government agencies make it their policy too. For instance our Resource Managment (SERM) made a rule up here for a lot of lakes that requires when fishing that you practice immediate catch and release.

Well that caught on really big time. It's standard policy for the RCMP now!

Post by **webmaster** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:35 pm

I don't think I'm invulnerable, that wouldn't be very smart, I learnt that along the way, which is why I am still alive. But I do not think we can live in fear, at least that's not my way of living, I prefer to live and if s*** is going to happen to me, s*** that is out of my control, so be it, but I'm not going to diminish my enjoyment of life based on what the media says or what other people say, which tends to be the reason I never read the newspapers or watch the local TV. I've lived 10 years in Guadalajara (México!! You know that place where people get killed alll the time! Yeah sure

) and I've not had one single incidence of crime in my life or among my family members (not even a cellphone, purse or coin). Ahhh now that I think about it that is not right, I once paid a gardener in advance 50 pesos and he never did my garden...

Anyway, curious to hear what your personal stats with crime are (all of you).

Greetings

Mogens

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 8:40 pm

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palapa_gal · Post by **palapa_gal** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:04 pm

mgallard wrote:Anyway, curious to hear what your personal stats with crime are (all of you).

Nothing to tragic.

1. Had my car broken into (did not happen in the downtown eastside where I have parked numerous times with nothing happening to it.)
2. Another time had stuff stolen from in my car (my fault, left the window open

)
3. Police discovered a copy of my credit card in a bust they made. Luckly they hadn't gotten around to using it yet.

Think that is about it.

Post by **webmaster** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:07 pm

Lori, that's in your lifetime, no? Come to think about it, in 39 years, only had my wallet and watch stolen (in Acapulco!!!

was my fault, was totally drunk- never again! hahaha)

Greetings

Mogens

palapa_gal · Post by **palapa_gal** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:20 pm

Yup, that's lifetime. Actually, that's only in the last 20 years. Can't think of anything in the first 19 years.

pvfan · Post by **pvfan** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 10:51 am

mgallard wrote:Anyway, curious to hear what your personal stats with crime are (all of you).

1. My son was the victim of a hit and run driver just over 10 years ago. He survived (thank God), and the driver was eventually found, and charged. (Only received 1 day in prison and a fine, but that was something at least.)

2. My house was broken into, small stuff stolen, thieves stole my sense of security most of all.

3. My store I manage was robbed at gunpoint (turned out it was a pellet gun, but was still scary for my staff who didn't know that). Lost my sense of safety and security at work.

We live in a world where bad things happen every day. We should all be on the alert to keep ourselves safe, but you can't live in a dark, locked room to keep yourself safe. You wouldn't have any enjoyment out of life, and what is the point of living then?

I'm still going to Mexico, even with all of the "bad things" happening. Seems like there are more bad things happening in my own city.

Maybe I should move to Mexico......

michelle/tyler · Post by **michelle/tyler** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 4:16 pm

nothing criminal has ever happened to me in my life Thank god the thing I dont understand is how someone can get 4 years plus a day for murder be sent to a penetentiary and be out in less than 2 for good behaviour

delectdee · Post by **delectdee** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 5:32 pm

Nothing criminal in my life as well...some stuff for my family though.

I work in the juvenile 'justice' system....if you- the public- knew of half what really happens and the laxitity (real word??) towards 'children in crisis' (yep- that's cynicism) you'd be blown away. The recidivism for youth and adult is outrageous- especially when it comes to the violent and property crimes.

If anything ever happens to you- I encourage you to file a victims impact statement and follow the court case. Be a pain in the butt! It may be the better reward or best satisfaction you'll get in the justice system. IMHO.

DELETED · Post by **DELETED** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 6:04 pm

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smitty · Post by **smitty** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:55 pm

Or the classic stall and delay tactic by defence lawyers - when the case finally comes to court - even for the most violent crimes - a plea bargain and time served or delay of justice and a dismissal .

Me and Laurie seem to have encountered more trouble then other posters . The worse was a guy was stabbed at a bar and stumbled across and bled to death in our driveway . The same house and a guy attempted to rape a woman in our backyard - Laurie heard the screams and I fought him till the cops arrived . He bit me all over and I got bad infections .

Me and 3 of my friends got swarmed after an Argo game . Actually we were "gay bashed " even though we weren't gay . Bunch of young homophobes intent on beating up gays saw us and started beating . We blamed Roger for wearing his sons red soccer jacket .

I got assaulted (hockey stick to the head ) on my route a few years ago. The guy didn't even get 2 minutes for high sticking ( I bled ) because he was nuts and the cops knew it would be a waste of time . I got shot in the left eye with a marble from a high powered slingshot while waiting for public transit . Thank God for the orbital bone .

Lots of other minor incidences but those are the most violent .

Vancouver's dirty little secret

Travel advisory... don't go to Toronto either...

secret

Canadian Injustice