Pinocchio

I have learned a bit about the dark side of Buenos Aires. I spoke with a woman here who teaches Spanish. She began bragging about how much Argentines love to cheat foreigners. Really- bragging. It is kind of like gambling in Vegas- but with much higher odds. There is no guilt attached- no feelings of disgrace for malice intent towards the people that end up supporting many of the businesses here. (There are several types of businesses that exist here for the sole purpose of catering to North Americans and Europeans.... surgery centers, laser hair removal, condo buildings with $300K and up condos for sale (or rent), and most of the restaurants. Locals here rent an apartment for $200 (usd)/ month- If I wanted that same apartment... it would cost me $1500(usd) per month.

FYI...With the average salary of an Argentine being around 1800 pesos a month- a dinner of 100 pesos is not cheap. Even ice cream is around 10 pesos and coffee about 10-12. Would you pay $10 for a cup of coffee? Also- if you buy a house here, you must pay for it in cash. USD's- not pesos- and there are very few mortgages. If you are able to get a mortgage, expect to pay an interest rate of anywhere from 25-35%.

Back to the scams- counterfeit money is a very large problem here. If it is night time and you get in a cab, you should have small bills to pay with. The problem is that the ATM's give you 100 peso bills only and many stores are reluctant to give you small bills when you pay for things. They will often turn your business away if you do not have the small bills. So the cabs take advantage of people who try to pay with a large bill. They are notorious for giving out fake money. While you can easily spot the fakes in the light- there is often not enough time or light to get a good look. Bars and night clubs will also do this- and of course the tourists are targeted.

I met a mother and daughter from Canada who told me of a different experience. They were in a cab and needed to pay- but they only had 100's. They handed the cab driver a 100 peso note- and the cab driver quickly switched it with a 10 and told them they still owed 5 more pesos. They only had hundreds- so they knew what was going on. The cabbie made them go into t store to get change to pay him "the rest of what he was owed". I would have gotten out at this point- but they did what they were told and paid 105 pesos for a 15 peso ride. They will also take the money you give them, switch it for a fake- and then give it back to you saying you gave them fake money and they will not accept it.

I was in a cab last night and received a fake 50 peso bill. I knew exactly what was going on. They just feel different and the face was not in the bill when I held it up to the light- and I am cautious after the stories that I have heard. However, I was not in the mood to fight with a shady cab driver at 3:30 AM. So the guy got away with an extra $12.... I hope Karma reaps its vengeance. The part that really bothers me is the feeling of getting taken advantage of- or that many of these people get a kick out of stealing from you. There is not an option to call the police either- they are more corrupt than the cabbies. The first thing I was told by my Spanish tutor is to never get in the car with a cop. They will take all your money and valuables before letting you go. I am not surprised though, considering that they are vastly under paid and can earn a months salary in a night by giving criminals a free pass or robbing tourists.

I also learned that the bus companies have the biggest scam of all. When you get on a bus- you have to have monetas (coins) to put in the machine for your bus fair. There are no bus passes. You pay every time you board the bus- and you cannot use bills and get change. So monetas are hard to come by here. Everyone wants them for their bus fares- and stores are reluctant to give them up. Even banks seldom give them out. So- I always wondered what happened to the monetas. Why are they so hard to get.... it's not like there are magic monsters that live off monetas and consume the countries supply. No- the bus companies hoard the monetas and sell them to business at a premium. So if you buy 100 pesos worth of monetas- it will cost you 120 pesos. Genius, really, when you think about it... for the bus companies anyway.

So- I have concluded that I pretty much live in the wild wild west. It is definitely a place where anything goes- and if you are caught.... you just need to have enough cash to pay off the police.