Re: [Debconf-team] Q for Cape Town bid: attendees safety outside the venue

[Jonathan Carter <jonathan@ubuntu.com>]

Hi David

(note: I'm not on debconf-team, it seems to be a private list)

On 19/12/2014 14:02, Stefano Rivera wrote:
> Hi David (2014.12.19_11:46:23_+0200)
>> Can someone who was in Managua (Jonathan?) compare the security
>> situation with Managua? I found everyone I talked to in Managua friendly
>> and helpful, but there was a great deal of warnings about walking alone
>> around campus that made me a bit nervous.
> 
> I was in Managua, too. I felt pretty safe in Managua, just as I do in
> Cape Town.
> 
> I didn't explore that much, beyond the hotel, conference venues, and the
> local mall. I was just too busy.
> 
> There's pretty much nowhere I won't walk in Cape Town, alone. There are
> areas I won't feel safe, walking in, but I'll still do it, and just be a
> little more aware of my surroundings.

It's highly subjective, but I feel safer in Cape Town than I did in
Managua, which is probably just because I grew up here and know it well.
That's not to say that I didn't feel safe in Managua, but being a
visitor there I was certainly a bit more conscious of safety and made
sure that I walked in a group in the evenings and didn't keep a lot of
cash on me (although I also do that when visiting any foreign city).

Capetonians (Cape Town Demonym, yes really) have a reputation for being
friendly and helpful, the city generates a large income from tourism and
it's well set up for visitors who may need any kind of assistance. If
someone gets lost / needs help, then they typically wouldn't need to
look far to find assistance in the form of an information bureau, the
police or just a helpful local.

While I'd play it safe and heed caution to visitors and advise them to
always stay aware of their surroundings and not to walk alone at night
wearing all their most expensive jewelry, I'm also at the same time
confident that visitors here would have a great time and that we'll be
able to have a debconf without incident. It's not something we can
provide any gaurantee for, as Stefano pointed out, but that's true for
any city.

Hope that helps :)

-Jonathan