Anti stab vests – what a joke.

Firstly, let me state clearly that although SA has got a crime problem, I don’t think we’ve reached the stage where visitors have to bother about anti – stab vests. Personally I still walk around the street with a T – shirt.

What good would such a stab vest do you in any case? It covers only a small part of your body, and criminals will soon learn to recognize a stab vest and will know which other bits of the human body a blade can be slipped into.

Although the police are hiding the stats as far away as they can, I reckon that stabbings account for only a very small percentage of the crimes committed in South Africa.

A good dose of being sensible about what you do, and taking your surroundings into consideration, will keep you much safer than an anti – stab vest. In my opinion such a vest will only give you a false sense of security.

Think about this situation. You are wearing an anti – stab vest and three men hold you up. They have got knives, and they want your money or your life, but are prepared to take both. Are you really going to try to defend yourself because you are wearing that vest? I suggest you hand over your wallet to the three men and hope they don’t kill you, because that vest is going to be useless.

So what am I going to say if a foreign visitor does get stabbed while in SA during the 2010 world cup? Well, nothing. South Africa has got crime, I’ve said that, but you cannot try to stop everything. We have a LOT of gun crime, but I don’t think the average visitor is coming here with bodyguards, bulletproof vests and their own security limo.

Come as you are, come and enjoy South Africa, but just be vigilant, ok?

Remember to log onto my security forum at here.

For the record, I do wear a bullet proof vest, but only when out on patrol, because then I am out looking for trouble.