Safety and security in Budapest
Security and Safety : Tourist Advisory For Hungary
Security is no worse than in any other foreign capital. The most frequent crimes are pickpocketing, scams and car theft. Tourist police and uniformed guards, accompanied by interpreters, patrol main tourist areas from July to August. A couple of common and useful hints
The US Embassy typically posts warnings for their citizens travelling to Hungary of any tourist scams and areas with a high incidence of theft. Hungary in my experience is a very safe place however to ensure you enjoy your trip this advisory is worth checking out. Last time I was there i.e. March 2008 I did get the feeling that I was being charged differently to the locals and this to my mind is unethical and should be identified wherever possible. Victims of such have file reports with the US embassy and they have highlighted below the following practices excessive billing of customers, physical intimidation to force customers to pay exorbitant bills notably related to some of the seedier clubs in Budapest (including holding a member of a party while others in the group pay the bill at ATMs, 24-hour cash facilities), and assault by club/restaurant employees for non-payment of excessive bills.
Further, Do NOT let seemingly helpful taxi drivers or local women lure you to an establishment they recommend - they may receive a commission for bringing victims to the club/restaurant. It is also advised that you not patronise the following clubs and restaurants and do not frequent anywhere where you are not provided up front with a menu of prices. Always verify the cost prior to purchase. Be aware that a menu switch may occur at the time of a billing complaint/dispute, for you may be handed a menu that lists higher prices and other hidden charges.
American citizens are strongly urged to avoid these clubs and restaurants due to multiple reports of victimization received by the Embassy:
This list is not all-encompassing, so please use common sense and take note when/where one or more local women approach foreign citizens in the guise of friendship. Please note that most of these places are located in Budapest's fifth district, on/near the main tourist street, the Váci utca.
Lastly, the Embassy has received reports of attacks in the Chain Bridge area on both sides of the Danube, and on the bridge itself.
If you have been the victim of any incident, scam or theft, you should file a police report and report the incident to your embassy if possible. Victims of personal crimes, such as theft, robbery, scams or overcharging while in Hungary are strongly encouraged to report all such incidents to the police. The Hungarian National Tourist Office has a special, 24-hour telephone number for tourists who become the victim of personal crime while in Hungary. Personnel with foreign language capability, including English, are on duty seven days a week to give advice on how to file a police report and to help to find the nearest police station. This telephone number is: 438-8080.
There is a Tourinform office that provides service in English and in German and is located in one of Budapest's busiest tourist areas: Sütõ u. 2., 1052 Budapest, open daily 8-20. Tourist police service is also available during the opening hours.
Money and Passports
One common scam usually occurs in tourist areas and involves a "money-changer" and two "undercover policemen." In this scam, a tourist is approached by a man who asks if s/he would like to change money. If the tourist says, "No, thank you," the man will leave. A minute or so later, two men (sometimes of intimidating size and demeanor) in plainclothes will approach the tourist. The two men will openly display their false police badges or "police identification cards," and request to see all of the tourist's money - the money the tourist might have changed with the first man. At this point, the money will be handled by the two men and then replaced in the tourist's wallet. Only, not all the monies are replaced - the small bills are put back in the wallet and later, the tourist will learn s/he has been robbed of the larger denomination dollar and/or Forint bills. By the time the loss is discovered, the team of three men will have escaped. There are variations of this scam and one of them involves questioning by these "undercover policemen" of the tourist about drugs and eventually leads to seeing the tourist's wallet.
Hungarian police are generally in uniform and do not deal with tourist money changing issues. Tips on avoiding the above scam are: turn away and head in another direction after being approached by the first man; tell them you'd like to consult with another police officer patrolling the area.
Transportation
Another potential scam may occur while driving on the Motorways. This one involves someone who attracts your attention by saying that there is something wrong with your car (i.e. a smoking hood, or a flat tire) in order to encourage you to pull over to the shoulder of the highway. Once you are pulled over, while you are busy inspecting the aforementioned trouble, these scamsters will take your purse, etc. out of the car, or even the car itself, and drive away. Also, car thefts are on the rise; favoured cars are VWs and Audis. It is best not to leave any items in the car and not to let others see you put things in the trunk (do this before you arrive at your next destination).
Prime theft areas involve crowds of people, where it is easier to distract the unsuspecting tourist. Train stations, trains, trams and metros are full of people and present many opportunities for the thief. Do not leave purses and luggage unattended at any time - all it takes is one unguarded moment and the thief will have what he is after: your money and/or passport.
Also be careful with the bills you are handed in return as change, a simple check it to make sure they have a silver band running across the currency as last time I was there I was duped by been given fake change notes. |