GZ WARNING AGAIN

[sawadee]

just read a post on 001, a girl passed her interview and got the visa, but she was robbed near the station, lost her visa parcel, and not a clue if it is possible to get the visa parcel again from GZ consular.

 

BE EXTREMEMLY CAREFUL IN GZ ESP. AFTER PASSING THE INTERVIEW, AND IT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED TO MAKE A COPY OF ALL IMPORTANT STUFFS.

 

It happened a couple times already,several months ago, a girl was stolen before the interview, all her evidence of relationship was lost, however, she was able to recover the loss by paying the thief a lot of money.(they knew it is important!!)

 

Just be careful!!!!

[rogerluli]

That is really terrible. It was bad enough what happened to my SO being robbed of her passport but to lose the whole visa packet after the interview would be far worse. I will make sure that my SO has a herd of friends to accompany her every step of the way when she returns to GZ with her new documents and to go and return from the consulate. If women are being targeted like this you would think the police could make some effort to try to catch these criminals...

[boba]

I read an artical not too long ago about how the public is very upset with the actions of the police in Guangzhou. The police claim there is no problem however the artical stated that Guangzhou has the highest crime rate in China.

[david_dawei]

Is GZ where the protests against Japan were going on?? I read that the police were fairly lax in controlling the crowd... a protester took this to imply that the police were on the side of the protesters.. That would be a first !

[awch]

It happened a couple times already,several months ago, a girl was stolen before the interview, all her evidence of relationship was lost, however,

Sorry... but does this say "a girl was stolen"???

[sawadee]

 

It happened a couple times already,several months ago, a girl was stolen before the interview, all her evidence of relationship was lost, however,

Sorry... but does this say "a girl was stolen"???

Sorry for my English!

What I mean:The suitcase of that girl was stolen

[awch]

Sorry.. it's ok! I was just a little confused.

 

Anyways thanks for the warning... my SO was terrified of going to GZ but everything worked out ok.

[eeyore]

A girl was stolen???????????

 

Did they ever find her????????

 

 

 

Even the spill chucker could not help

[tonado]

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2...tent_428638.htm

 

Rising crime rate on streets of Guangzhou

By Zhan Lisheng (China Daily)

Updated: 2005-03-28 06:09

 

GUANGZHOU: The worsening crime rate in Guangzhou has aroused attention from the city's lawmakers, many of whom have voiced their concern during the city's on-going people's congress.

 

Zhong Kezhi, a deputy from Guangzhou Private Entrepreneur Association, said that robbery has become one of the most serious threats to public order.

 

He said some criminals have become so defiant that they commit crimes anywhere and at any time.

 

In some extreme cases, bus drivers have been threatened after warning passengers to take better care of their property.

 

Zhong said that crime has become so rampant that very few local women dare wear earrings or necklaces on the street.

 

And local citizens have to wear their handbags to the front instead of to the back for fear of being robbed.

 

Liang Jinjiang, a reporter with China Radio International's Guangzhou office, said he has had two mobile phones taken in the past couple of years.

 

The first one was stolen when he was talking with his colleagues on the street, and the second one was stolen last week when he was on a crowded bus on his way home.

 

"Four or five men were around me and the bus was very crowded, and I could not find my mobile phone when I got off the bus," he said.

 

Yang Yi, who works for an information technology company in the city's Tianhe District, told China Daily that his new laptop was robbed by two men on a motorcycle late last year only 30 metres away from his office building.

 

"The robbery was so instantaneous that they got away before I realized what had happened."

 

Yang reported the robbery to the police and was told at least five people had also been robbed of their laptops that week.

 

He has not got his laptop back.

 

In a recent survey conducted by Guangzhou Social Situation Public Opinion Centre only 20.8 per cent of the 1,000-odd citizens sampled said they were satisfied with the city's current crime situation.

 

Several deputies to the municipal people's congress suggested that the public security authorities should set up a long-term public order plan instead of resorting to occasional crackdowns.

 

The authorities were also urged to build up a stronger police force and send more police officers onto the streets.

 

Official statistics indicate that less than half of the 27,000 police officers in the city go out to maintain public order, and even less patrol the street.

 

And there are only 2.6 police officers for every 1,000 citizens in Guangzhou, as compared with 41.08 in Hong Kong.

 

They said more incentives should go to those who do grass-roots public order across the city.

 

In response to the lawmakers' concerns, Xie Fuxing, deputy director-general of the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, said that the police authorities have taken the initiative in seeking public opinions on how to improve the situation.

 

The authorities will build up the police force gradually, he added.

 

The official said the practice of allowing people to report crimes by text messages will be applied more widely in the city in addition to the use of telephone calls.

 

Xie said that the police authorities will also change the way of policing major events this year by focusing on the supervision of security guards.

 

And the police will withdraw from security work for commercial activities, which currently accounts for a large proportion of their work.

 

As a result, more police officers will be able to carry out general public security duties.

 

The police bureau allocated 180,000 officers last year for 2,600 big events in the city.

 

The municipal public security bureau claimed that of more than 50,000 criminal cases in 2004, 87 per cent of the suspects were migrants, and more than 70 per cent of those were jobless.

 

And on many occasions, the suspects were under the age of 14, official statistics say.

[peterscat]

Guangzhou does a terrible place with lots of crazy thieves. Unfortunately, I am living in Guangzhou now, EVERY friend of mine including myself was robbed, you can tell how desperation living here. Lots of people pouring into the big city from all over China, so you can see a job position is applied by many people at the same time in job-hunting market, and many people didn¡¯t receive much education and they don¡¯t want to do low-paid job, so they prefer to run the risk to rob people, especially a gal who is walking alone.

Make sure to hold your stuff tightly all the time and especially be very careful to the men who ride motorcycles getting close to you!!!

 

 

--------------------------

interview on May 31st. 2005 ^0^

www.phantomspace.com

[eeyore]

GZ sounds a little scary esp when we have to go there with all the important documents.

[peterscat]

Is GZ where the protests against Japan were going on?? I read that the police were fairly lax in controlling the crowd...  a protester took this to imply that the police were on the side of the protesters..    That would be a first !

hi,DavidZixuan

Yes, last Sunday there were lots of Guangzhou students got together in front of the Garden Hotel where the Japanese embassy located in. and a big parade held in the downtown of Guangzhou, a student climbed up to a big Sony advertisement and tear it. you can see ¡°Japanese goods prohibited¡± in the back of the students¡¯ cloth. What Japan did and is doing is damn terrible!! I have seen a car probably made in Japan was broken by someone here. so please make sure do not drive your car which made in Japan to Guangzhou. and yes, the police were lax in controlling the crowd.

 

 

---------------------

interview on May 31st.2005

www.phantomspace.com

[david_dawei]

Can you speak to the safety of the area where the embassy is? In my brief period on this forum, most people reporting back from interviews have never mentioned any issues of robbery

[C4Racer]

Can you speak to the safety of the area where the embassy is?    In my brief period on this forum, most people reporting back from interviews have never mentioned any issues of robbery

Having walking through both Shaimen Island and Guangzhou, I would say the area around the consulate is relatively safe. We walked around the area of the consulate and I felt relatively safe most of the time. It is not crowded.

However, Guangzhou is a different story. We went on a shopping trip in one of the areas that the streets are pedestrian only. This area was very crowded. You must be careful here!! As we walked along, I saw something odd coming. I knew something was wrong. A man standing on the street corner zeroed in on me the lao wai. He forced around people to approach me. He came up to me offering his card very forcefully. I knew all he wanted was my undivided attention, so I push passed him not stopping or even pausing. My SO also knew something was wrong and kept an eye on my camera bag. I was wearing it strap around my neck with the bag to my left side. His associate got in behind me reached over to my left and was able to get the zipper down on my camera bag. My SO immediately yelled at him, scaring him away. Even if he had gotten his hand in, he would have come up empty.

The reason I selected my camera bag is for security. To get to my camera, you must unzipper the outer part, fold it open and unzipper the second section. I have taken the pull off the second zipper so you must be holding it securely in your hands, to manuver the second zipper open. The camera was my least worry. My hands remained on my waist pouch which had our passports, tickets and money. These were the items I worried about most. Yes, it is absolutely imperitive you trust no one anywhere in Guangzhou. Treat everyone with suspicion and guard your valuables. This was another reason I traveled to be with her during the interview time. Strange city can be a real big problem for anyone.

[jtaylo69]

Good God!!

 

With all of this mess, i can see my butt going straight to jail there for killing one of those bastards. Each time i've gone over there to Nanning, I have taken my walking stick, (reshaped reformed solid oak baseball bat) .

 

I had only one instance of someone just thinking of trying something stupid when I swiped it up over my shoulder like I was getting to make a home run. Upon seeing that, the guy quickly turned & went the other direction.

 

So I can just imagine what will happen there in Guz, I am sure to decapitate one or 2 sorry souls before they haul my butt off, LOL

 

My SO said that we might want to concider hiring a couple of Body guards to accompany us, (as neither of us are close to being large people:P ), but I can just imagine that cost, not to mention, if you can not trust the police, how in the heck can you trust the BG's?

 

I told her that when we go, our outings would consist of the following:

 

Get off the plane,

Call Taxi,

Taxi takes us to the hotel

get settled

call Taxi to take us to the front door of the Interview,

I stand out side with the Guards,

she comes out,

Call taxi,

go to hotel, gather our things,

Go back to the airport.

 

 

Time will tell I guess.

 

Anyone else thought anything about this?