Buenos Aires Warning or Danger Tips by sabrina_florida

I know it's difficult, and I'm sorry guys, but no matter how hard you try, it's so easy to tell who's a tourist! Apart from your language or accent of course, and the colour of your skin and hair, it's your features, but mostly the way you dress! Yeah, nobody wears shoes with socks if they are wearing shorts, for example. Or only teenagers wear baseball caps! Or practically no one ties his sweatshirt round his waist!
The problem about this is that we are known as being "chantas", this means that some people might want to take advantage of you, perhaps by ripping you off. Or in other, worse, cases stealing your camera. So just take some precautions and keep your camera in your bag.
ALWAYS carry your ID! If you don't have it with you and a policeman stops you, you MAY get into trouble. For example: last february I sent a group of tourists back to their hotels with a taxi from my house. Some policemen stopped the taxi and when they saw that there were tourists inside they asked them for their IDs. One of them didn't have it so one of the policemen told him either to go with the police station with him or to "solve the problem in some other way", to cut a long story short: the guy bribed him and some hours later went to a police station to make a statement that a policeman had accepted money from him. The guy returned to his country and now the poor taxi driver is in trouble as he is the only witness who's still here in Argentina. I really don't know whether it is legal or not to be taken to the police station just for not carrying your ID, but again, as you're tourists, people may want to take advantage of you, even some police officers.

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Phone: Dial 911 for emergencies

As in the rest of the world, when in Capital Federal people just hail a taxi in the street when they need one. But make sure it says "Radio Taxi" on the door, along with the company name.
If you don't like to hail taxis in the street, or you feel afraid, get the phone number of a popular taxi company/agency and call them to send one to pick you up.
Below you have the phone number of one I usually call when I'm in downtown. All the units have air conditioning, so useful in the summer.
Make sure the driver turns on the fare machine (is that the word?) as soon as he starts driving.
Around downtown the fare will be no more than 12 pesos.
I've heard tourists say that most of the taxi drivers are usually very nice to them, although most of them don't speak any English. So if you don't speak Spanish, then have the address written down and show it to the driver.
I've also heard that some of them might take advantage of your being a tourist and may make funny turns. This is not something easy to realize if you don't live here. But don't worry, you'll be fine. I've NEVER heard any complaints from tourists!

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Phone: 5238-0000 or 4374-6666
Website: www.taxipremium.com