San Jose General Reports

[Prolijo]

whoops, you've done it again...start by offering an answer and end by making a judgement...

And your point is? Are you saying you disagree with that "judgement" or are you just trying to be the usual complete dickhead that you usually are whenever I make my posts?

Call it an answer or call it a judgment if you prefer. Who cares besides you? However, since you felt compelled to make some sort of dig, I feel compelled to educate your ignorant ass.

Like many things in life, the answers to many questions are often not exactly black and white and so are necessarily somewhat subjective. However, my "answer" was not merely my personal "judgment". As near as I can tell, it seems to be the judgement of just about every guy that I've ever heard speak up on the subject (with very very few exceptions). In fact, up until now, I can only vaguely recall reading ONE guy advocate exploring the street scene in SJ. Come to think of it you were probably that ONE guy who I was thinking of. Most guys these days seem to advocate the exact opposite, to not even go out on the streets after dark whether to shop for a SW or for any other reason. Apparently, you're the one rare exception who disagrees with virtually everyone else on this subject. That's fine by me. I hope you catch something.

Read back over my post. First of all, I never said my response wouldn't include any personal judgments. What I said was that I'd offer "at least a couple of (hopefully) less controversial answers". "LESS" controversial means that they were at least somewhat open to debate and thus I never suggested that they were 100% definitive answers. OTOH, I WAS hoping that there were so damn close to definitive that no one would disagree with me. Thanks for dashing those hopes. Secondly, what about that "judgment" you say I ended with? Again, reread my post. I carefully couched my statement by stating that I was "pretty sure" most guys would agree with me and allowed that some (albeit a very few) might disagree. So again, I think I made it clear enough that my "answer" was not being presented as some sort of absolute definitive one. However, while that near universality may not raise this "judgment" to the level of a definitive answer, IMHO it comes pretty much as close as one can come.

And that is why I offered that answer, er excuuusse meee, judgment. Not because I agreed with it, although I do, but because it seemed to me to be the nearly universal collective judgment of this body of SJ mongers and thus was something that nearly all of us would agree with. I intended to leave the more controversial aspects of the questions raised by Rodeo to others to fight about. Unfortunately, it seems that some assholes have to be contrary about even the most simple things.

[Mr Jetsetter]

I couldn't agree more with Prolijo's take and "judgement" on the San Jose street scene.

[Member #2666]

archie and diesel,


from the street (short time/tln)? don't even go there. you won't save that much money and you will run a much greater risk of
a) **** chicas
b) transvestites
c) drugged out chicas who will either
c-1) try to rip you off in some way or
c-2) give you some disease
i've heard a very very few guys advocating this approach as a means of getting real "bargains" (probably the same cheapskates who take the bus from the airport ) but i'm pretty sure the vast vast majority of guys will agree with what i just said.

.

whoops, you've done it again...start by offering an answer and end by making a judgement...

[Prolijo]

archie and diesel,

i'm glad you understand where i'm coming from. on both of your last posts i completely agree. the last thing i meant to imply was that my position is right for everyone. each one has to try to make as objective an assessment of risks and probabilities as possible and then based on their personal level of risk tolerance decide what they want to do. and there are plenty of times when this cheapskate opts for a cab, just not always.

my problem is that whenever i read a post by someone that seems to me to be overstating the risks i feel i have to counterbalance it. in doing so, it might appear that i am understating the risk and perhaps to a degree i am, but as much as anything else i'm just playing the devil's advocate. then my response usually elicits a fevered response by the majority of guys who don't see it the same way as i do and then the tables turn and i find myself having to defend everything that i've said. i probably should just keep my mouth shut and do my own thing.

okay, group hug, no hard feelings, kumbayah, we'll all buy each other drinks if we ever meet in sj, and all that. now let's get back on the subject of chica's like diesel said. which brings me to rodeo....

sorry rodeo, this can be a very controversial topic and i'm not ready to get involved in yet another one this week. so i'll leave it to the other experts here as to what constitutes a fair rate and what would be overpaying. i will offer at least a couple of (hopefully) less controversial answers to some of your questions.

mp price bbbj only? not really sure, f/s is so cheap i've never gone for just a bbbj
mp full service? this is safe enough since it is a non-negotiable fixed price. tico places run $20-25/hr or something a little more than half that for a half hour. more upscale "gringo" places run about twice that or $40-50. someone else can speak up on how much to tip if any.

from a casa/brothel (short time/tln)? to my knowledge, sj does not really have a "casa/brothel" scene like other places unless you confuse those with mp's.

from the street (short time/tln)? don't even go there. you won't save that much money and you will run a much greater risk of
a) **** chicas
b) transvestites
c) drugged out chicas who will either
c-1) try to rip you off in some way or
c-2) give you some disease
i've heard a very very few guys advocating this approach as a means of getting real "bargains" (probably the same cheapskates who take the bus from the airport ) but i'm pretty sure the vast vast majority of guys will agree with what i just said.

from a bar/club (short time/tln)? going on-site at a strip club will be a set price but that will range from semi-reasonable at a tico strip-club with a decent looking chica all the way up to soak the rich gringo prices for the beauties you will find at the high-end clip-em joints. doing "take-out" from a bar will also vary greatly depending on whether you are taking about a low-end tico bar or a higher end bar like the blue marlin where the usually openning asking price is $100/hr. that is asking price. some chicas will stick on that price and some guys will pay it. most guys, or at least the ones with cr experience, subscribe to the "no cien" mantra meaning never pay $100 for just an hour. those guys will either try to bargain up the time that their $100 will buy or bargain down the price. the price range you stated seems to be the rough consensus, but there are plenty of guys who will pay more for a chica they find especially hot and there are also plenty of guys who claim to routinely be able to negotiate even less then $50. ultimately it comes down to your negotiating ability and/or how far you're willing to push back on price. i'll refrain from making any further comment on either extreme.

[Rodeo9112]

Granted, I have not fully RTFF, just skimmed it. Is the going rate for chicas in San Jose between $50-$75 US? Thought I saw some as low as the 30s/40s as well. Obviously hobbying all over depends on a lot of variables: your looks, negotiating skills, demand for the particular chica, location, etc. If you could help with the following or direct me to a particular thread, I'd appreciate it, thanks!

- MP price (BBBJ only/Full Service)
- From a Casa/Brothel (Short time/TLN)
- From the street (short time/TLN)
- From a bar/club (short time/TLN)

Thanks!

Rodeo

[ArchieLeach]

Prolijo,

You're far more experienced in SJ than I am. And it appears that, while we may be of slightly differing opinions on this, you're being reasonable in your approach and in your arguments. So I have no issues with that. I appreciate your take on this. I still disagree, but not stridently or irreconcilably. I don't think your position is unreasonable. You seem to qualify your statements appropriately, and therefore I should make sure I do as well. I'm certainly not saying your are GOING to get mugged, and if you do get mugged you WILL be seriously hurt. You're right, it's all about percentages.

And, as someone said earlier, we all have different levels of risk tolerance.

As for the other members who are presenting food for thought here, let's all keep in mind that Prolijo's just trying to stem the hysteria that can so often flow from situations like this. There is a downside to giving the impression (as I may have done) that SJ is a place not worth going to because it's so dangerous. I certainly don't feel that way. I love the place. And I understand your wish not to see the discussion get irrational. I empathize with that position, usually being on that end of the discussion myself. I see where you're coming from and don't have a problem with it.

No hard feelings. Pura Vida bro.

[Diesel E]

Yeah, and I know a guy who got permanently disabled in a car accident. I guess that means I shouldn't drive a car. Sure, anything can happen. That doesn't mean it is likely. And it doesn't mean that we take lots of other risks every day that are probably more likely and just as or even more consequential. Sure walking can be easily avoided, but does it always really need to?

As for the case you cited, it being third-hand, I have to wonder what part he left out. If he did not resist, why did they attack him so severely? I suppose it could have been just for "fun" but that is not the usual M.O. usually those guys are in much more of rush to run off with their haul so they can score some crack or whatever they do with it (and so they won't get caught, not that there seems to be much risk of that). Also, left out of your story is how many times in those 7 years he walked without getting mugged and what other contributing factors might have been present.

You asked, no wait you challenged for an example of serious damage done to someone from the mugging and I provided one. If you want to get more details talk to Tom next time you are in CR.

Obviously we can not live in a bubble to avoid all potential risks in life but we can make smart decisions to avoid unnesecary risk. Just as in any city of size there are bad areas, SJ is no exception. I certainly wouldn't walk through portions of the inner city at night where I live just to save a few bucks.

I agree the chances are small that you will get mugged, hell I walked a few times between the DR and the Castillo in the wee hours and lived to tell the tale. My main point is that I am on vacation in a foreign country where I stand out as gringo, to me it is worth the extra money. If you feel comfortable walking through SJ at night well more power to you but I think we can both agree that the newbies to SJ (I include myself in that group as Dec was my first trip to SJ) and the not so physcally robust should absolutely go the taxi route until they have more first hand info to make an informed decision.

With that being said can we end this subject and chalk it up to personal choice ? I would much rather discuss the finer points of stimulating the Costa Rica economy through it's greatest renewable resource, which of course would be the Ticas.

[Prolijo]

Why do you think the streets are deserted late at night?

They're pretty deserted at night in my neighborhood here in the states too, I guess that must mean my suburban streets are dangerous too rather than simply people are spending their evenings chilling out in front of their TV's after a long day at work. The streets downtown in my city are even more deserted at night because it is mostly businesses downtown which are closed at night and most people live elsewhere. Sure security issues are a factor why streets are empty in downtown SJ late at night, but there are other ones. Besides, I wasn't just talking about "late at night". I've been saying "after dark". What is "late at night" anyway? 10PM, midnight or 2-3 in the morning? If it is really late at night and the only ones out are drunks and muggers, I'll probably be creeped out too and opt for a cab. Earlier in the evening, the streets aren't actually completely deserted, so there goes your theory or at least at those times. Later, sometime between then and the wee hours of the morning I'll readily admit it starts to get more iffy. But as you can see a lot of these guys are talking in absolutes or even extending their exaggerated fears to walking in the daytime.

In fact, I've heard a good rule of thumb that others might find helpful in making their personal safety decisions. If you see a local couples sitting on benches after dark holding hands or kissing or whatever (ie it is what they call a "kissing park"), then the park area is probably pretty safe for walking through. This is not something I made up but heard this from locals and I've seen couples in Morazon and even Parque Espana as late as 10-11PM if not even later (it probably has something to do with when the police patrol shuts down for the night).

[Prolijo]

Look, you can walk at night 99 times and not have a problem, but the 100th time you may get mugged, beat up, seriously hurt, or even killed. NO THANKS, I'll spend $100-200 for taxis. I usually carry more than $20 in my wallet, but I'm more concerned about being pistol whipped or shot in the stomach during the robbery.

Most of those who claim to walk at night are just too cheap to pay for a cab. They are usually the same guys taking the public bus from the airport. There are a bunch of guys like this. They don't mind risking their well-being to save a couple of bucks.

In the end, it's everybody's own choice as to what to do. Personally, I won't walk 2 blocks at night, and I try not walk much in the daytime ALONE. Walking alone is just not as safe. This is where the wingman comes in handy.

Look, you can have sex with a prostitute with a condom 99 times and not have a problem, but the 100th time that condom might break (btw, that effectiveness rate comes right off the condom box) and if that happens you may get syphillis, gonorhea or even die from AIDS. NO THANKS, I'll stop mongering. That is the same sort of logic. What you seem to be saying is that if there is a risk of something really serious happening to you no matter how remote, then you will refuse to take that chance.

My 100 figure was a completely arbitrary one for purposes of illustration. If a guy can live every day in San Jose for years before he has a mugging incident, then that number is probably much higher than that. More than that, even if you get mugged (or have a condom break), the odds of that incident ALSO resulting in serious injury (or in the case of the condom failure resulting in you catching an uncurable disease) is several orders of magnitude beyond that, making those odds unlikely in the extreme.

As for your other comments, I don't claim to have walked at night. I have walked at night. I don't always do it, but sometimes I do, so I guess that only makes me sometimes "cheap". But if it was only about saving money, wouldn't I never take a cab. Frankly, I find those comments fairly offensive, since they seem to be directed at me. Apparently, you don't have a clue about what motivates me. I'm not calling anyone an idiot for taking a cab. IMHO, this all comes down to one's perception and tolerance for risk. If you're too uncomfortable walking anywhere even during the day, then by all means take cabs. However, if you want to get personal and judgemental then I'll just come out and say it, feeling uncomfortable walking in SJ at night is one thing, but anyone who thinks walking alone even during the day is just not safe is a real pussy.

[Prolijo]

When I was staying at the Castillo this last December I chatted quite a bit with the owner of the Gardens restaurant ( a fellow cheesehead ), he has been living in CR for about 7 years. Apparently he got mugged a while back and did not resist but they used his head as a punching bag anyway. He was in the hosital for over a week and had multiple surgeries to try and fix the eye area without much success. He also said they caught the attacker(s) and the only punishment they got was 24 hours in jail.

It comes down to personal choice of course but in my book I would rather pay the buck or two for the cab - why take the chance.

Yeah, and I know a guy who got permanently disabled in a car accident. I guess that means I shouldn't drive a car. Sure, anything can happen. That doesn't mean it is likely. And it doesn't mean that we take lots of other risks every day that are probably more likely and just as or even more consequential. Sure walking can be easily avoided, but does it always really need to?

As for the case you cited, it being third-hand, I have to wonder what part he left out. If he did not resist, why did they attack him so severely? I suppose it could have been just for "fun" but that is not the usual M.O. usually those guys are in much more of rush to run off with their haul so they can score some crack or whatever they do with it (and so they won't get caught, not that there seems to be much risk of that). Also, left out of your story is how many times in those 7 years he walked without getting mugged and what other contributing factors might have been present.

[Kid Brooklyn]

Look, you can walk at night 99 times and not have a problem, but the 100th time you may get mugged, beat up, seriously hurt, or even killed. NO THANKS, I'll spend $100-200 for taxis. I usually carry more than $20 in my wallet, but I'm more concerned about being pistol whipped or shot in the stomach during the robbery.

Most of those who claim to walk at night are just too cheap to pay for a cab. They are usually the same guys taking the public bus from the airport. There are a bunch of guys like this. They don't mind risking their well-being to save a couple of bucks.

In the end, it's everybody's own choice as to what to do. Personally, I won't walk 2 blocks at night, and I try not walk much in the daytime ALONE. Walking alone is just not as safe. This is where the wingman comes in handy.

[Dodger Bulldog]

No one writes a report like "I went to CR and did NOT get mugged."

I went to CR and did NOT get mugged.

And I have to laugh, because a while back Prolijo chewed me out on this very board for stating that I had walked from the Del Rey to the Apartamentos Sudamer after dark (about nine blocks).

At least his admonishment was mild and reasoned, rather than going completely over the top like many others do.

I enjoy being amongst the people, even after dark. I have gone into neighborhoods throughout Central America after I have been warned that no gringo has ever come out alive. Probably because no other gringo ever went there in the first place.

Sometimes people claim that hey heard the warning from a local, as if that is supposed to give it extra credence, making anyone who questions it a fool.

I have learned that the LEAST reliable advice comes from the locals who have a long memory. They may recall a murder that happened on some corner 15 years ago or so and have been afraid of the place ever since. They neglect to consider that thousands of people have come and gone on that same corner daily without any other incident.

Hopefully my luck won't run out any time soon.

But I have been very fortunate to have had a very powerful guardian angel so far.

You all probably don't have one, so take a taxi. I certainly don't want your blood on my hands in case of the unlikely chance that you have a problem.

DB

[MCruddy]

Maybe Eliot Spitzer should have booked a few days at the Sportsmen's Lodge, and told his wife and staff he was on a fishing trip. He could have saved $80,000, avoided a scandal, and stayed in office. Talk about thinking with the wrong head!

L

Here, here. I agree. Stupid fool.

[Diesel E]

3) Your initial response also included the speculation about "getting seriously hurt with the potential for permanent damage". I'm sure you could cite numerous cases of guys getting mugged (more on that in a moment), but I challenge you to cite even one case where a gringo got seriously hurt (other than in his wallet) let alone suffered permanent damage from a mugging where he did not resist. It hasn't happened. Would I WANT possibly to get even just scuffed up or punched in the stomach or MAYBE something slightly worse? Of course not, but your post suggested risks far greater than anything like that.

When I was staying at the Castillo this last December I chatted quite a bit with the owner of the Gardens restaurant ( a fellow cheesehead ), he has been living in CR for about 7 years. Apparently he got mugged a while back and did not resist but they used his head as a punching bag anyway. He was in the hosital for over a week and had multiple surgeries to try and fix the eye area without much success. He also said they caught the attacker(s) and the only punishment they got was 24 hours in jail.

It comes down to personal choice of course but in my book I would rather pay the buck or two for the cab - why take the chance.

[Ken_Apples]

Hello Guys!

From the threads here on the forum I can see that some of you contributors have alot more experience in CR than me, so I adress this question on this thread:

From what I understand:

If you are married or have children with a woman from CR - You can live and run your own small business in CR legally.

This seems to be the cheepest and most smooth way to get recidency and to get going with your company in CR.

However, if the girl decides to leave you (divorce) - and that has happend MANY good guys before - Will she be able to take "half the house and half the wallet" when she leaves, or is it possible to, in some way "protect" your business from beeing "stolen"?

I do not by any means whant to be sneaky or unfair towards the girl - no way. I just don't want to get "robbed on my business" because she wants money.

I have not been able to find good information on the subject, but maybe you guys can help me with some basic guidelines.

Best regards, and hope for some good info / Ken Apples