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  • The best place you think in South Africa?

    thank you

  • #2
    Originally posted by Jaca teb View Post
    thank you
    The best place to do what, exactly? Plane spotting? Holiday? To immigrate?

    Comment


    • #3
      As far away from anyone as you possibly can, unless you want to get mugged or murdered (or both).

      Comment


      • #4
        Yes. A lady doctor friend of mine who lived in Durban had this checklist for going shopping.....
        1. Shopping list.
        2. Purse.
        3. Handbag.
        4. Car keys.
        5. Ballistic vest.
        6. Gun !!
        If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

        Comment


        • #5
          Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
          Yes. A lady doctor friend of mine who lived in Durban had this checklist for going shopping.....
          1. Shopping list.
          2. Purse.
          3. Handbag.
          4. Car keys.
          5. Ballistic vest.
          6. Gun !!
          Rumor has it Soweto is lovely this time of year, but I haven't been, so I can't say for sure.

          Comment


          • #6
            I am a South African and have lived here all my life. I do not carry a ballistic vest or a gun or anything like that while out my house and I have never been mugged or shot at. I have taken photos of planes for a number of years in this country and not once (touch wood) have I ever had a problem with crime or anything else.

            If you are looking for the best place in the country to take photos of aeroplanes, then your best bet is OR Tambo Airport (FAOR/JNB). The volume of traffic is not too bad and the variety of airlines is also quite good with lots of carriers that you will not see anywhere else in the world, such as Air Botswana, LAM Mozambique, Kulula, Mango and so on. There are also some decent spots to take photos of the aircraft arriving, as can be seen in my profile on JP. Departure photos are also possible but are a lot more difficult to get for various reasons.

            To ensure safety while taking photos, it is advisable to go there in a group with one or two other friends. If need be, you can stand there by yourself but do not stray too far from your car, and never go to the airport without a car as then you will be a sitting duck.

            As a tourist, South Africa is a beautiful country and is worth a visit. The crime is not as bad as everyone says it is but always remain vigilant.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by timbrandt View Post
              I am a South African and have lived here all my life. I do not carry a ballistic vest or a gun or anything like that while out my house and I have never been mugged or shot at.
              I agree. As a fellow South African, the misinformation in this thread is astounding.

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by jvdl View Post
                I agree. As a fellow South African, the misinformation in this thread is astounding.
                Well, my comment about the doctor came directly from her. She used to take the precautions that I described because she had previously been robbed at knifepoint twice and had been the victim of an attempted carjacking at traffic lights on three separate occasions.
                Yes, South Africa is a beautiful country. It's just a shame about some of its people.
                If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                  Well, my comment about the doctor came directly from her. She used to take the precautions that I described because she had previously been robbed at knifepoint twice and had been the victim of an attempted carjacking at traffic lights on three separate occasions.
                  Yes, South Africa is a beautiful country. It's just a shame about some of its people.
                  Did she really REALY wear a ballistic vest when going to the supermarket?

                  --- Judge what is said by the merits of what is said, not by the credentials of who said it. ---
                  --- Defend what you say with arguments, not by imposing your credentials ---

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by brianw999 View Post
                    Well, my comment about the doctor came directly from her. She used to take the precautions that I described because she had previously been robbed at knifepoint twice and had been the victim of an attempted carjacking at traffic lights on three separate occasions.
                    Yes, South Africa is a beautiful country. It's just a shame about some of its people.
                    Was she exaggerating? I have lived in South Africa all my life, been to all it's biggest cities, even some dodgy areas, and I have NEVER seen or heard of a civilian wearing a bulletproof vest. She would be drawing so much attention to herself, and getting some weird looks!

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Yes. She showed me pictures of the vest. It was worn covertly and would just about stop a subsonic 9mm round. I did comment that it was more like a stab vest and that a bullet would likely penetrate it but would probably have sufficient stopping power to stop any deep penetration. She didn't just wear it when shopping, she wore it every time she went out. This lady was in her fifties/sixties, she was a general practitioner doctor who was known to carry opiate drugs in her car as part of her medical pack. She left South Africa and came to Britain because of the levels of violence in her part of South Africa. She showed me news clippings appertaining to the incidents that she was involved in and they were all really quite scary.
                      Last edited by brianw999; 2018-04-25, 18:00.
                      If it 'ain't broken........ Don't try to mend it !

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by jvdl View Post
                        I agree. As a fellow South African, the misinformation in this thread is astounding.
                        You should know that anecdotal evidence doesn't carry a lot of weight. One person claiming he/she never had any issues means very little.
                        You don't have to spend much time on Google to realize what an absolute shithole (some parts) of SA are: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth are just some of the cities which comes to mind.
                        Tourist recommendations is to live in gated communities and don't go out at night.

                        SA has a murder rate of about 35/100.000 inhabitants, which is roughly 10 times as high as the US, or 30 times as high as Sweden. Murder rates are interesting because they are one of the most accurate statistics, simply because they tend to actually get reported.

                        There is even a wiki page dedicated specifically to crime in SA.

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Originally posted by Nirwanda View Post
                          You should know that anecdotal evidence doesn't carry a lot of weight. One person claiming he/she never had any issues means very little.
                          You don't have to spend much time on Google to realize what an absolute shithole (some parts) of SA are: Johannesburg, Cape Town and Port Elizabeth are just some of the cities which comes to mind.
                          Tourist recommendations is to live in gated communities and don't go out at night.

                          SA has a murder rate of about 35/100.000 inhabitants, which is roughly 10 times as high as the US, or 30 times as high as Sweden. Murder rates are interesting because they are one of the most accurate statistics, simply because they tend to actually get reported.

                          There is even a wiki page dedicated specifically to crime in SA.

                          https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_South_Africa
                          Of course there is crime in SA, and yes, we have a high rate of crime. But to imply that wearing ballistic vests to go to the shops is normal, is misinformation. To say "as far away from everyone else to avoid getting mugged" is misinformation. A large percentage of violent crimes are present in the townships, and not the suburbs.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Unless your spotting at 21L, then I’ll protect you. At least my house is safe when you guys are around.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Originally posted by timbrandt View Post
                              I am a South African and have lived here all my life. I do not carry a ballistic vest or a gun or anything like that while out my house and I have never been mugged or shot at. I have taken photos of planes for a number of years in this country and not once (touch wood) have I ever had a problem with crime or anything else.

                              If you are looking for the best place in the country to take photos of aeroplanes, then your best bet is OR Tambo Airport (FAOR/JNB). The volume of traffic is not too bad and the variety of airlines is also quite good with lots of carriers that you will not see anywhere else in the world, such as Air Botswana, LAM Mozambique, Kulula, Mango and so on. There are also some decent spots to take photos of the aircraft arriving, as can be seen in my profile on JP. Departure photos are also possible but are a lot more difficult to get for various reasons.

                              To ensure safety while taking photos, it is advisable to go there in a group with one or two other friends. If need be, you can stand there by yourself but do not stray too far from your car, and never go to the airport without a car as then you will be a sitting duck.

                              As a tourist, South Africa is a beautiful country and is worth a visit. The crime is not as bad as everyone says it is but always remain vigilant.
                              Unless your spotting at 21L, then I’ll protect you. At least my house is safe when you guys are around.

                              Comment

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