Can you tell easily who is a local and who is a tourist in your city at a glance?

[Capsicum]

Before asking strangers personally or having them come up to ask for directions, is it easy to recognize tourists vs. locals these days vs. in the past?

Back in the old days the stereotype of tourists looking around, being loud, taking big cameras and snapping pics all around, dressing differently than locals, seems to have been tempered a little since nowadays people take selfies on phones rather than cameras and dressing styles have diversified/globalized a bit more.

[JManc]

Most people don't carry cameras anymore so opposite is true for that now. I have a huge DSLR and no matter what city I'm in, people see the camera and assume I'm local and walk up to me and ask for directions. I was just in Chicago and people kept asking where the closet L stop was. I just told them: 1060 W Addison.

[Buckeye Native 001]

Originally Posted by JManc

I just told them: 1060 W Addison.

I mean, that's what the state's computer database says is your address...

If people wandering around in Flagstaff aren't wearing flannel, or ski gear and they aren't driving Subarus, they ain't locals.

The most obvious are the Phoenicians walking around downtown wearing sweaters when it's 75 degrees.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by JManc

Most people don't carry cameras anymore so opposite is true for that now. I have a huge DSLR and no matter what city I'm in, people see the camera and assume I'm local and walk up to me and ask for directions. I was just in Chicago and people kept asking where the closet L stop was. I just told them: 1060 W Addison.

Wouldn't be an issue in SF: You wouldn't have it long. Somebody would rip it off your neck soonest and unless it's worth at least $950 (and you could prove it), that wouldn't even be a felony in CA these days.

[JManc]

I think tourists over the age of 35-40 regardless of region or country are less apt to chase trends. I stopped caring about what was trending a long time ago. I can still spot an American while overseas like a fart in a church; heavier, ball caps, sports jerseys, cargo shorts, fishing shirts, etc where as Europeans/ Asians tend to be a bit more style conscious.

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Wouldn't be an issue in SF: You wouldn't have it long. Somebody would rip it off your neck soonest and unless it's worth at least $950 (and you could prove it), that wouldn't even be a felony in CA these days.

It's worth way more than that and I've been to third world countries and never had any issues. I also don't hang my camera around around my neck but a wrist strap and have camera in hand at all time.

[homebucket]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

Wouldn't be an issue in SF: You wouldn't have it long. Somebody would rip it off your neck soonest and unless it's worth at least $950 (and you could prove it), that wouldn't even be a felony in CA these days.

Not sure if you're attempting a joke, but if not, this is misleading and not the norm. Most of the property crimes in SF are nonviolent thefts, typically in the form of car break ins. There are very few "attacks" where someone is actually getting robbed. I and many other photographers have walked around SF many times with DSLRs and have never had anyone even physically attempt to steal our gear from our hands. And yes, I've walked around the Mid-Market/Tenderloin areas with my gear.

Of course, there are occasional instances where even news crews get mugged.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...co-pier/67510/

Also, most decent camera lenses alone are worth more than $950.

[hallelujah]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Not sure if you're attempting a joke, but if not, this is misleading and not the norm. Most of the property crimes in SF are nonviolent thefts, typically in the form of car break ins. There are very few "attacks" where someone is actually getting robbed. I and many other photographers have walked around SF many times with DSLRs and have never had anyone even physically attempt to steal our gear from our hands. And yes, I've walked around the Mid-Market/Tenderloin areas with my gear.

Of course, there are occasional instances where even news crews get mugged.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...co-pier/67510/

Also, most decent camera lenses alone are worth more than $950.

You can cite as many facts as you want. Nothing is getting through that Fox News bubble.

[Pedestrian]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Not sure if you're attempting a joke, but if not, this is misleading and not the norm. Most of the property crimes in SF are nonviolent thefts, typically in the form of car break ins. There are very few "attacks" where someone is actually getting robbed. I and many other photographers have walked around SF many times with DSLRs and have never had anyone even physically attempt to steal our gear from our hands. And yes, I've walked around the Mid-Market/Tenderloin areas with my gear.

Of course, there are occasional instances where even news crews get mugged.
https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/loca...co-pier/67510/

Also, most decent camera lenses alone are worth more than $950.

This doesn't mention cameras but I'm sure if they look grabable they'd be fair game too--and the more they seem worth the more so:

These BART stations saw the most phone and laptop thefts, amid surge in snatch-and-grabs
Phil Matier Jan. 22, 2020 Updated: Jan. 22, 2020 8:30 a.m.
Comments

BART saw a significant surge in thefts of cell phones and laptops in the past year, with the No. 1 target being passengers on trains running through San Francisco stations, where 512 robberies and thefts were reported in 2019.

Systemwide, BART police records show, 1,180 devices were reported stolen last year — that’s an increase of 288 thefts over 2018.

“The typical snatch-and-grab occurs when the train doors open and the victim is not paying attention,” BART Police Chief Ed Alvarez said.

According to BART, the thieves are often juveniles. They eyeball someone engrossed in their device as the train is pulling into a station, then grab the phone or laptop and run off the train just before the doors close. That leaves the stunned victim and any witnesses trapped on the receding train as the thief makes his getaway.

The thieves then often head for Civic Center Station, where there has long been an active thieves market around U.N. Plaza.

“They can quickly fence the phone for $300 to $400, depending on the model. And they are paying cash,” Alvarez said.

The thieves usually turn off the phone immediately after the grab, so it can’t be tracked by its signals . . . .

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...d-14993367.php

I just wouldn't walk around SF these days with anything valuable in plain site. I have read we have apparently won the prize for highest rate of property crime in the US these days.

SF ranks high in property crime while it ranks low in arrests
Phil Matier Sep. 15, 2019 Updated: Sep. 15, 2019 7:49 a.m.

San Francisco has by far the highest property crime rate in California, with more than twice the number of reported thefts per capita than Los Angeles or Santa Clara counties, according to a new report by the Public Policy Institute of California.

And when it comes to arrests, San Francisco is 50th out of the state’s 58 counties.

Statewide police records reviewed by the PPIC show San Francisco averaged a whopping 5,844 property crimes per 100,000 residents per year from 2014 to 2016, the last period for which detailed arrest data are available . . . .

https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...s-14439369.php

In relation to the topic of this thread, many locals, like the tourists, either don't seem to know the risks or don't care as they display their electronic goodies casually. So it may not be a great way to tell one from the other. But the smart people walking the mean streets of SF keep anything valuable out of sight and, if possible, keep a firm grip on it.

[homebucket]

I mean that kind of stuff can happen in any city. I don’t think it’s unique to SF. How many times have we heard of friends that have been abroad and had their wallets or passports picked? Paris seems to be the most common one at least in my circle, although it seems there the thieves do it more subtlety where you don’t notice it’s gone until later.

The bottom line is, if you have basic street smarts (like waiting until you’re in a safer location to review your photos) and are aware of your surroundings (ie not walking around with your face buried in your phone) you’re probably going to be fine.

That being said, most SF locals are likely to be wearing either the North Face or Patagonia as outerwear, yoga pants if female, khakis or jeans if male, and Allbirds or Adidas Ultraboosts as footwear.

[jtown,man]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

This doesn't mention cameras but I'm sure if they look grabable they'd be fair game too--and the more they seem worth the more so:


https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...d-14993367.php

I just wouldn't walk around SF these days with anything valuable in plain site. I have read we have apparently won the prize for highest rate of property crime in the US these days.


https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...s-14439369.php

In relation to the topic of this thread, many locals, like the tourists, either don't seem to know the risks or don't care as they display their electronic goodies casually. So it may not be a great way to tell one from the other. But the smart people walking the mean streets of SF keep anything valuable out of sight and, if possible, keep a firm grip on it.

Wait, didn't someone on here just last month state that stealing phones is so 5 years ago or something? Eh

[bnk]

Originally Posted by Pedestrian

This doesn't mention cameras but I'm sure if they look grabable they'd be fair game too--and the more they seem worth the more so:


https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...d-14993367.php

I just wouldn't walk around SF these days with anything valuable in plain site. I have read we have apparently won the prize for highest rate of property crime in the US these days.


https://www.sfchronicle.com/bayarea/...s-14439369.php

In relation to the topic of this thread, many locals, like the tourists, either don't seem to know the risks or don't care as they display their electronic goodies casually. So it may not be a great way to tell one from the other. But the smart people walking the mean streets of SF keep anything valuable out of sight and, if possible, keep a firm grip on it.

For a City of 883,305 people

"Still, according to The Chronicle’s Car Break-in Tracker, there were 2,279 vehicle break-ins reported in San Francisco last month, or roughly 73 per day"

And that's just cars and not phones or personal items off people.

That's unacceptable. San Fran is not the city I remember from the 1990's- early 2000's sadly.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by JManc

Most people don't carry cameras anymore so opposite is true for that now. I have a huge DSLR and no matter what city I'm in, people see the camera and assume I'm local and walk up to me and ask for directions. I was just in Chicago and people kept asking where the closet L stop was. I just told them: 1060 W Addison.

this has me a bit confused, maybe you can explain?

you definitely see fewer cameras these days, no question about that, ha, although way more pics being taken.

however, it still seems to me that anyone with a camera is a tourist. not sure how i would think that camera guy is a local?

[iheartthed]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

this has me a bit confused, maybe you can explain?

you definitely see fewer cameras these days, no question about that, ha, although way more pics being taken.

however, it still seems to me that anyone with a camera is a tourist. not sure how i would think that camera guy is a local?

Now that phone cameras have gotten a lot better it seems like the bigger cameras are mostly used by professional photographers. I've switched from using big cameras to my cell phone and a small camera that I can fit in my pocket.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by mrnyc

this has me a bit confused, maybe you can explain?

you definitely see fewer cameras these days, no question about that, ha, although way more pics being taken.

however, it still seems to me that anyone with a camera is a tourist. not sure how i would think that camera guy is a local?

You do realize there is a whole profession and hobby dedicated to photography right? So yes, someone with a camera in Times Square will stand out as a tourist, someone doing time lapse photos on some random city street will not.

When I was in Chicago taking photos, I was taking random shots of the L track blocks away from most of the touristy stuff and that's where I was hit up for directions. If I was at the Bean, most would have assumed I was a tourist.

[mrnyc]

Originally Posted by JManc

You do realize there is a whole profession and hobby dedicated to photography right? So yes, someone with a camera in Times Square will stand out as a tourist, someone doing time lapse photos on some random city street will not.

When I was in Chicago taking photos, I was taking random shots of the L track blocks away from most of the touristy stuff and that's where I was hit up for directions. If I was at the Bean, most would have assumed I was a tourist.

well, ok now i see what you mean.

however, in ny i still would think it was a tourist. photo tourists are all over nyc these days. there are hardly any no go zones. also, around here you just automatically don't assume anything on face value, because you will usually be wrong.

i would tend to ask directions in a shop or bodega or standing lost on a street corner.

[Acajack]

I just spent some time abroad and even though I don't have the typical local physionomy (even if it was predominantly European in origin there too), I was asked for directions and posed questions by people all the time - in the local language even. So for the most part these are people from the country I was in, but not from that particular city, asking foreigner me about a city I was just visiting.

[iheartthed]

If you can't tell who is a tourist in New York then you are the tourist.

[Urban Zombie]

Very easy in Seattle (provided that it's a rainy day), as tourists/non-locals will be the ones using umbrellas.

[Handro]

Originally Posted by Urban Zombie

Very easy in Seattle (provided that it's a rainy day), as tourists/non-locals will be the ones using umbrellas.

Do Seattle locals just say f it and get soaked?


Obvious tourists are easy to spot, but so many people are urbanized now and travel from one city to another so it makes it harder. Eastern Europeans have a very particular style that I can spot out of a crowd (and have often been the only smokers I could find to lend me lighter) but a random person from Boston or San Francisco or whatever will blend in easily.

[rsbear]

A convertible Mustang or Camero in the Hollywood Hills (Los Angeles) is highly likely a rental car and, therefore, being driven by a tourist.