Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Guatemala City can be a dodgy place, though certain
zonas
are certainly more
prone to crime than others. Most ofthe areas frequented bytourists are relatively
safe, though the downtown area (Zona 1) is by far the country's purse-snatching
and pickpocketing hub. Exercise common sense and caution when in public
areas. Never leave valuables in a parked car and avoid flashing expensive items
such as laptops and cell phones in public places.
Pay careful attention when using ATMs. Some thieves have been so ingenious
as to set up fake keypads at the entrance to ATM kiosks asking cardholders to
entertheirPINnumbersinordertogainaccesstothemachine.Youshouldnever
enter your PIN number anywhere other than on the ATM keypad itself.
Riding public buses is not usually a good idea, though the newly unveiled
transitsystem,theTransmetro,hasprovenmuchsafer.Ifdriving,it'sagoodidea
to keep the car doors locked and the windows rolled all the way up. (Make sure
your car's air-conditioning system is working properly so as to avoid the tempta-
tiontorolldownthewindowswhenitgetshotout.)Avoidtalkingonacellphone
whiledriving;itwillkeepyoualerttoyoursurroundingsandwillnotdrawundue
attentionfrompotentialthieves.Cellphonesareafavoritetarget,asisflashyjew-
elry. Recently, some parts of the city have become prone to robberies whereby
the perpetrators (usually on motorcycles) target cars stopped at traffic lights. In
mostcases,thevictimshavebeentalkingontheircellphonesorarewomentrav-
eling alone and wearing expensive jewelry. For this reason, many Guatemalans
tinttheirwindowstokeeppryingeyesawayfromthecontents oftheircar.Ifyou
are the victim of a robbery or witness one, dial 120 from any phone.
Watch out for a common scam, particularly in the vicinity of the airport,
whereby a “Good Samaritan” informs you of a flat tire on your car. If that is in-
deed the case, pull over in a well-lit, public place, if you can, but do not stop in
the middle of the road to change the tire. They may try to carjack you. If you
are able to make it to a public place such as a gas station, have someone in your
party stay inside the car or keep an eye on it yourself while you have someone
change the tire for you (it's common for gas station attendants to change tires in
Guatemala). The important thing is not to lose sight of the inside of your vehicle
for a moment. Thieves can be extremely crafty at distracting you and getting
into your car while you take care of the urgent business at hand. Locked doors
may be a deterrent but they will not stop thieves at this point if they've targeted
you. For information on other precautions and common scams while traveling in
Guatemala, see the State Department's Consular Information Sheet online at
ht-
In November 2008, the U.S. Embassy issued safety warnings for certain
Guatemalan roads. Among the areas mentioned was the road east of kilometer