Banderas says New York is more dangerous than Buenos Aires

[bemildred]

Antonio Banderas says he feels safer in the Argentine capital than in the Big Apple.

The Spanish actor told Argentine newspaper Clarín, he is more afraid to walk the streets of New York or Los Angeles than those of Buenos Aires.

Banderas is currently in Argentina shooting his second film in the capital alongside English actress Emma Thompson.

The two are starring in Imagining Argentina, which centres around human rights abuses during the country's military dictatorship between 1976 and 1983.

Ananova

[xultar]

1. That's cuz Banderas is Pussy......................................cat.n/t

[ComerPerro]

17. In boots, no less

[DrDebug]

2. Hmm I think it is more because he is used to Buenos Aires

It's hard to find real comparisons but let's try it

Argentina: The Crime rate is out of control

More and more reports out of Argentina show that the crime rate in the country is out of control. Murders in Buenos Aires province are now being committed every four and a half hours. According to government statistics, over 1,300 people were murdered last year in the Buenos Aires suburbs, 302 more than in 2000, but so far this year this rate has skyrocketed to an average of five homicides per day.
(...)
http://www.hacer.org/current/crime_rate.php

Our incredible shrinking crime rate
By DAVID SALTONSTALL

"The news for New York City is spectacular," Mayor Bloomberg said in trumpeting the figures yesterday at City Hall. The FBI crime stats showed major crimes - murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, car theft, larceny and arson - dropped 5.8% in the city in 2003.

Crime was down in every category except murder, which inched up from 587 killings in 2002 to 597 in 2003, the FBI reported.
(...)
http://nydailynews.com/front/story/196809p-169915c.html

So 597 / 8,158,000 = 1 : 14,000
And 1,300 / 12,000,000 = 1 : 9,000

So as far as murder goes New York is safer!

[HuckleB]

9. I can pretty much guarantee you...

that Antonio is not hanging out or walking around the BA suburbs, where the poor and disenfranchised live, and where the murder rate is so high. Likely, he's enjoying a stay in Recoleta and night-life in the hip parts of Palermo, and little else.

Still, in order to use the BA statistics that you've noted for comparison, however, one would probably have to include areas around NYC.

[alcibiades_mystery]

11. Not sure that would help Buenes Aires

Since the suburbs around New York (and you could add the 4 million fairly quickly with Nassau County, Suffolk County, Westchester County and small parts of northern New Jersey) are generally speaking even safer than New York. You'd probably have something like 800 murders for 12,000,000 for new York and surrounding areas as opposed to 1300 for Buenes Aires.

[HuckleB]

12. Yes, I know.

Mostly pointing out that the two statistics are actually quite difficult to compare. Though, from looking at the areas in question, I suspect that the main portion of Buenos Aires proper and NYC may actually be quite close in murder rate.

[Renew Deal]

3. Banderas is an idiot.

:dunce:

[theboss]

4. He's crazy

The only thing dangerous on most Manhattan streets are the bike messengers.

[HuckleB]

8. That...

and the crowd waiting to get in to see Lion King.

;)

Actually, I love bike messengers.

[im10ashus]

28. He must be referring to the taxi cab drivers.

Let him stay in BA. He and his bitch of a wife.

[WilmywoodNCparalegal]

5. I never felt unsafe in Manhattan

except for the Lower East Side (but I never go there), even late at night and by myself (I'm a human of the feminine persuasion). I can't vouch for other NYC boroughs, though. Of course, I don't know about Buenos Aires either.

I felt much less safe driving around parts of Raleigh or Durham, NC (where I used to live from 1987 to 2000) than walking around Manhattan.

[alcibiades_mystery]

13. Grew up in Queens and lived in Brooklyn for years

You obviously have to keep your head and your ass wired together, and marks get got all the time, but it is not particularly unsafe, as a general proposition.

I grew up in New York City, and never felt as unsafe as I did my two nights in Lincoln, Nebraska. That place looks like its packed to the gills with crystal meth heads who are dry sniping everyone they see. Jesus, that place gave me the creeps and put my back up. I didn't unclench my fists for two night. Shithole.

[bemildred]

14. El Paso is just a lovely town to explore at night too. nt

[Karenina]

24. Went to Conservatory in Manhattan

and regularly rode my bike through Central Park during the wee hours. I travelled alone A LOT, an indestuctible adolescent with an attitude...
Back for a visit during Guiulini's tenure, I also perceived the street atmosphere as much more "relaxed."

Feeling "safe" is so very subjective.

I felt "physical-threat-at-any-moment" in Santa Monica, Texarkana, N.O., Houston, England, KY and a truck stop somewhere along an interstate in TN. The only place in Europe that has evoked such a strong response is Magdeburg.

[Cleita]

6. I felt safer in any number of capitals in South America

walking down an empty street after dark than I do here in any city.

[HuckleB]

10. Where have you been in SA?

[Cleita]

15. All along the west coast. Stopped in every capital except Santiago.

I have to admit I did go to Columbia before the drug cartel era. I even had a chance to visit Havana way back before Castro.

[HuckleB]

16. Ah.

Well, I was in Lima and Quito last year, and, while I enjoyed them immensely and can't wait to go back (especially to Quito), from a safety standpoint, I'd take NYC (and BA, for that matter) over them any day. I've no idea what the situation was like when you visited, of course.

On edit: As an aside, I've heard from friends that Santiago is actually quite safe.

Salud.

[Cleita]

18. I been to Lima a number of times and never felt unsafe.

Of course I don't wear anything expensive like jewelry or watches when I'm walking around the streets. Although, I only go to the shops, not the bars and restaurants, so I could have a different experience there. But I have walked on streets in Lima and Quito for that matter after dark and they seemed safe enough.

I haven't been there in the last two decades so I hope they haven't changed that drastically.

[HuckleB]

20. From what you're reporting...

and from what I've read of those cities from travel diaries of the past, they have changed over time in terms of safety. Alas, while NYC, for example, has gotten safer, it appears that Lima and Quito have gone the other way, though not enough to keep me from going back.

Salud.

[HuckleB]

7. I agree with his comment in regard to LA, but not NYC.

And why do I suspect that he doesn't actually walk very far in any of the mentioned cities? Besides, Antonio, hanging out in Recoleta and the hip parts of Palermo, do not make for a full tour of Buenos Aires, which is, I must say, in general, quite safe -- pedestrian-motor vehicle confrontations aside.

[amazona]

19. I doubt he said any such thing

Ananova is not a source that I credit with any accuracy whatsoever. He probably meant to say -- or actually did say -- that he felt safe and free to walk the streets of Argentina. He probably didn't want people to take the fact that he was making a film about the tragedies of the late 70s and early 80s to mean he was making a slam against Argentina today.

The conservation movement is a breeding ground of communists
and other subversives. We intend to clean them out,
even if it means rounding up every birdwatcher in the country.
--John Mitchell, US Attorney General 1969-72

[HuckleB]

21. Well, this is a very old report.

The film was shot in 2003. Alas, it received horrible reviews. Too bad, since the book is simply amazing.

[zalinda]

25. Could he also have been saying

that he felt safer because he doesn't have the photogs following him everywhere he goes when he's in LA or NYC? Some of these people are insane and I imagine that the more famous actors feel more like prey, than humans in these cities.

zalinda

[devilgrrl]

22. Yeah... whatever Antonio.

:eyes:

[Algomas]

23. Hahahahah...

I live in Tucson and travel regularly in Mexico. I feel much safer in Mexico. Bad things happen everywhere but the level of violence in America is truly frightening.

[Karenina]

27. Really.

[nolabels]

26. Zorro promotes violence in the films he makes but worries about...........

feeling safe :shrug:

I don't know if I could debate his points but would like to know about his frame of reference



http://www.boston.com/news/packages/sept11/