http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/getawa...99/dngr28.html

January 28, 1999
List names most dangerous stops for business travelers

POST-INTELLIGENCER NEWS SERVICES

Air Security International, a 10-year-old Houston company that
provides security services for traveling executives, has issued a list
of what it considered last year to be the most dangerous
business-travel destinations in the world.

The company's listing of travel dangers is largely based on the
detailed reports of paid agents -- including employees of airports and
international corporations, and owners of overseas businesses --
working in the field.

The dangerous destinations are divided into four risk categories:
crime, kidnapping, political violence and wars or insurgencies.

The only destination to appear in all four categories is Colombia.

That country is cited as the one with the most kidnappings, as home to
"the longest insurgency in the Western Hemisphere," and for its high
crime rate exacerbated by the cocaine trade, as well as bombings,
assassinations, guerrilla insurgencies and power struggles among drug
lords, politicians, judges and the military.

The 10 places cited for their dangerously high crime rate are
Johannesburg ("carjackings, robberies and assaults continue
unabated"), Mexico City (corrupt police and "taxi-related crime"),
Tijuana ("getting a reputation as the next Medellin"), Sao Paulo, Rio
de Janeiro, Papua New Guinea (gangs armed with high-powered rifles,
machetes, even grenade launchers), Kazakhstan ("corrupt officials and
police impostors continue to target foreigners"), Lagos (pickpocketing
to armed robbery and murder), Moscow and Colombia.

The company found a heightened threat of kidnapping in five places.
Besides Colombia, they were the Caucasus region of Russia ("extremely
common"), Mexico ("rings operate throughout the country"), the
Philippines (where it's on the decline, but still prevalent) and Yemen
(tribesmen seeking government concessions use foreigners as bargaining
chips).

The political-violence category cites Bangladesh, where labor strife
has been known to turn violent; Indonesia, where violence between
security forces and demonstrators still flares on occasion; Pakistan,
where "more than 4,000 people have died in ethnic, sectarian and
political violence in Karachi since 1995" and, yes, Colombia.




"B H" wrote in message ...
I think PETER PAN refers to my posting about crime/pickpocket aviodance
guide in a thread
further down here (rec.travel.latin-america).
I was the one who experienced the problem with the self-appointed parking
attendant.
I think there are at least two kinds of parking attendants. Official ones (I
think I have heard
that they have som kind of cloth or id to be sure they are official) and
self-appointed ones.
The one I met certainly looked highly unofficial to say the least. But from
there to say that
he is into some organised crime and mafia is taking it a bit far (but of
course I do not know that).
Can anyone shed some light on the facts here? Are there official and
self-appointed parking
attendants, or just official ones in Rio? I think I know the answer, but
would like a more
qualified statement than my own here.

Borge

"Kurko" wrote in message
news
3. In 3rd world countries there are JOBS like parking attendants. These
guys have
actually licence to operate as such (atleast in Rio they do). There is no
MAFIA involved here, just some people trying to get their livelihood with
honest way (read
not robbing the tourists).