Naples Warnings and Dangers

Here in Naples, especially, it's important to remember what your parents and your teachers told you about crossing streets. Definitely look both ways and if you can, cross in groups of people. Drivers here in Naples are very obnoxious and the traffic lights (at least in my eyes) were seen as accessories or optional. You hear ambulances in the city ALL the time and you wonder if they're going to retrive some victim of a Napoli driver. Be careful when crossing. I found it to be dangerous at times. A rule to remember is that try not to hesitate when crossing! It seems to be a game. Naturally, the drivers should stop. If you hesitate and decide to wait, you could wait forever. If you don't prefer this method, then like I said, cross with groups of people.

Honestly-
I have to believe that some of you that are writing tips and such on here are either amateur travelers or have never set foot out of Wyoming.

Naples, like ANY city/town on this planet (other than maybe Wyoming, like I mentioned) has crime. Good thing is, violent crime in this city is kept to a minimum, mostly because any violence that occurs is usually due to internal fighting between crime families and such. At least it's not like here in the US, where it's not uncommon to hear of rapes, kidnappings and random murders. It just doesn't happen in Naples. I will say though that Naples does indeed have its petty thieves, who will not hesitate to mug you if you're not paying attention. But really...some of these tips on here...first off, why would you stop to even look at some of the stuff the street vendors are hawking? They're STREET VENDORS. You know you're gonna get either a) a counterfeit or b) something that's gonna fall apart probably an hour after you've purchased it. Are you really expecting a good quality purchase? If you see someone approaching you, possibly looking for some pocket money, do you really think it's a good idea to stop and see how much he wants? No. Because then he'll either continue to hassle you unless you're aggressive from the get-go or yes, get his buddy to pickpocket you all fast and easy-like. I just walk right past these characters and ignore them. Then they have no other choice than to leave you alone. You simply have to remember this one thing: NAPLES IS NOT AMERICA. You can't expect to go and have things be the same way they are here. It's a common sense city--go, use your common sense, and nothing will happen to you. Not even a mugging.
As for not walking around Spaccanapoli because they'll snatch you from their doorways...really?? ;)

Come on, people.

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All over Naples life as a pedestrian is pretty fraught! Shall we say the locals drive very exuberantly and there are plenty of vehicles.

Just walking along pavements is not easy, parking is rather random with very little space to get by on foot, often it's necessary to step into the street!

I set off at least one motorbike alarm just trying to squeeze by!

In the narrow streets of the Centro Storico you might think you are safe but cars pass even here, pinning you to the sides and scooters and motorbikes rush by at astonishing speeds.

Naples gets a bad rap for being a dangerous, crime ridden city, while there may be some merit to that assertion its also fair to say that Naples is really no different then Rome from a crime perspective. Before I visited Naples for the first time I read several tips from people claiming that they felt unsafe in Naples. I have visited Naples twice and have walked all over the city during the day and late at night and have never once felt unsafe. I'm sure there are some bad areas of Naples but its unlikely those areas are tourist attractions. The city of Naples does have a rundown look to it that adds to the negative perception, but don't let that prevent you from visiting a wonderful city that is a gateway to Pompeii, Capri, and the Amalfi Coast.

Naples in general is a horrible horrible place.

With no redeeming value. Avoid it at all cost if possible.

Your time and money is better spent someplace else.

The major industry in Naples is cheating and robbing tourists.

Big problem with thieves and beggars. Don't make the mistake of thinking someone helping you with your baggage is doing so out of the goodness of their heart. After getting you to the train platform they will demand some outlandish amount for their efforts and when payment is refused the fun really begins. Pack light and never let your bags out of your hands.

“See Naples and die”

– whoever first coined this phrase may not have been referring to the dangers of crossing the roads here, but they could have been! There appear at least to the uninitiated to be no rules, except to get to wherever you’re going as fast as possible – not easy given how crowded the roads are. For instance, we were pleased to see a pedestrian crossing on the Via Toledo at Piazza Dante, and even more impressed that its lights changed immediately it was pressed. However we soon realised that this made not the slightest difference, as cars and scooters would continue to drive through the red light unless someone had actually stepped on to the crossing. We gradually realised that this in fact was the only system for safely crossing the roads – simply do as the locals do and step out confidently, and they will stop. Obviously you can’t do this in fast moving traffic (a rarity here) and you do still need to look both ways, but unless you want to spend your visit standing at the kerb, you’ll need to take the plunge!

You also need to be careful in the narrow streets of the historic centre where pavements are either too narrow or non-existent. Listen out at all times for the tell-tale roar of a scooter behind you and be prepared to step aside – although again, watching the locals, few of them seem to bother with this nicety and simply trust that the scooter will go round them.

Actually, although at first I was intimidated by the traffic, especially the scooters, after a while I relaxed and became fascinated by it instead!

The following is an infamous naples rip-off.
It occurs in any place the local organized crime and petty criminals think might be frequented by tourists.
I was approached at Garibaldi station , at the port and other such places.
It works like this: A youth or other suspicious looking character runs up to you and shows you something like a rolex, a mobile phone or a car radio or similar and says he'll sell it to you for 100 euro. The implication is that it is stolen goods and he is trying to off-load it quick.
you barter on price and he will try to hurry things along by dropping the price.
He will show you it is working , but these guys are like magicians in that after you hand over the cash, he swaps that great looking stereo , watch, mobile phone or whatever it is for a brick , a mobile phone with no innards or similar and you are left with a brick in a box for your 50 euro !!
Don't say i didn't warn you suckers....