Single female-read a blog about being unsafe

Miss Denver,
Have you gotten any follow ups concerning Cuenca's safety for single women?? I too am planning to travel to Cuenca. from Alabama

No, I haven't had any responses. I have done my homework though and it seems as though if you take reasonable precautions (don't go out at night unless by taxi and to a place you're meeting others), try to make friends to explore the city with, don't wear expensive clothing, jewelry or maybe none (the jewelry, not the clothing {;D) and only keep items with you (small amounts of cash, cameras, Mp3 players, etc.) that you can afford to lose, I think it'll be fine. I've heard robberies are more common than violent crimes, which are rare. If someone wants my "stuff" at gunpoint or knife-point, I'll willingly hand it over. I also plan to buy one of those loud wrist alarms in the event I'm harassed. I think it'd be a deterrent, because everyone would be turning to look! I do not want to face the risk of being arrested if I hurt a local with pepper spray (that can get in others' eyes) or a stun gun (the electrical pulse can make someone's heart stop beating).

Hey D2,  I just sent you a nice video, that a gentleman posted on youtube of Ecuador... He did a great job showing us what to expect.. Also there are girls and women walking alone, without showing any concern.. I think it's like in most US cities, you walk in the areas that you know, are known to be safe public areas...
Thanks for the update..
m

Marilyn, we single gals have to stick together! Thanks for the video; it's great.

Could you post the link to the video here? I'd love to see it as well.

Hi! I'm a 25 year old and I came to Ecuador alone a year ago and have been here ever since. I'm not going to say that you don't have to have your guard up, and when I was living alone in Guayaquil I never walked around at night alone. But I have found that most of my initial tension and fear and the constant catcalling has passed. It's part of the culture here. I experienced the same kind of thing when I went to Paris alone. Be careful, don't put yourself in any stupid situations, but one you realize that the guys whistling at you aren' actually going to rape you, their just being idiots, its a lot easier to relax. I've written an advice post about this on my blog if you're interested.

Advice for the Foreinger in Ecuador - Part 1

One of the questions originally asked was if it were possible to purchase pepper spray, or mace. The answer is yes, you can.
Being a male, my views might not be taken with the authority of a woman, and I understand that.
My observations are that I think women are as safe as the situation they put themselves in. Please understand when I say that, I think the same holds true for men. I am very conscious of where I am at night, and I'm a pretty good sized male. If you get that subtle feeling that you are in a dangerous situation, you are! Pay attention to your inner feelings.
I'll also say that I think a woman is safer in Ecuador than in most US cities.
You will see small, school aged girls with no visible supervision traveling the city streets alone. The key word is " visible " It seems that the whole community here looks after one another. It is not like in the US where people are afraid to become involved. This is truly a nation of connectedness, and family.
Be Smart, Be Safe... but enjoy your life, don't let fear rule  it.
Regards,
Neil

Hello.

To note that this thread is a year old.

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@Neil -> Thank you for your contribution.

@pandabear131 -> If you have questions, you should start a new thread on the Cuenca forum for more visibility.

Thank you,
Aurélie

Neil, you hit it in the nail with "It seems that the whole community here looks after one another".
Once they get to know the newbies, engage in conversations, help each other in the community, word spread that a "buen gringo/a" (good gringo) lives with them and they will become protective of said gringo, but you better remain a good one!.
I would say excercise common sense, dont flash valuables like jewlery and tech (many Ecuadorians live on minimum salaries, which are US$ 319/month so they can barely access high tech devices that we just take for granted. Therefore they can easily be sold in the black market.
Other than that you would be fine. I came to Ecuador by myself over 2 years ago, traveled everywhere but have lived in the coast since, didnt mind putting myself through challenging situations and never had a problem..I was in much worse places before by own choice. At the end, the fear is really in someone's mind.
I also realized by listening to the local radios about some incidents, that thief happens mostly when the thieves can avoid confrontation with their victims.
There was only one time when I was walking back home late in the afternoon and a motobike with two individuals stopped closed to me in a suspicious way. I simply stood in a defiant position, gave them an evil look and asked them directly what they wanted. They seemed to have reassed their chances and decided to move on. If they see someone on the phone they will go straight to snatch the phone off, they are not likely to face the victim and demand the device, much less become violent.
Also, I dont think ocassional thieves are used to people fighting back here. Add to that the fact that guns are prohibited, so the chances that you would be approached at gun point are almost zero unlike what happens in some US cities. Heck I felt a lot unsafer in some NY, Boston and Miami metropolitan areas than in any Ecuadorian city! and again, when listening to local radios there, the number of incidents involving guns were way higher.

It is very difficult to obtain a permit for a firearm, it is not difficult to obtain illegal firearms.  And firearms are used in the commission of a felony, including home invasions.  Police and military roadblocks are set up for the precise purpose of seizing illegal arms.

The Ecuadorian government is attempting to address this issue through establishing community policing with programs like community alarms, safe neighborhoods and a number on your cell phone that goes straight to the local UPC station.

Most crimes are property crimes like cell phones etc in part because of the dollar limit on what can be reported.  the police respond very quickly and response time is noted.

That said, I do not feel fearful here in Cuenca but I do take the necessary precautions. All that said, Cuenca is a great place to live.