Safety

Kingston is a city of nearly one million people, the vast majority of whom know poverty. It is important to keep in mind that people will say and do just about anything that gives them the opportunity to eat, or "nyam food." While some may use physical intimidation to get what they want, a more common occurrence is for someone to pretend to know you or yell aggressively from across the street, "Come here!" When you get the feeling that an advance of this sort may lead to an uncomfortable situation, go with that inclination. It helps to keep petty cash on hand to ease tensions when strategically necessary. If you're driving, there's almost always someone nearby to help direct your parking and then volunteer to watch your car while you go about your business. When you return to the car the helpful volunteer will certainly expect a tip. While you don't need to be intimidated by these everyday occurrences, a bit of change or a small bill will put you in good stead for the next time.

For women travelers unaccustomed to aggressive men, Jamaica will most certainly be an eye-opener. Shyness is not a strong part of the Jamaican way, and Jamaican men will put on all kinds of charm to seduce women with creative and tactful words. While most of these approaches are harmless, it's important to never let down your guard and to maintain a certain degree of aloofness, taking everything with a grain of salt. Standards for what is considered acceptable language are very different in Jamaica from most North American and European countries, and language commonly used for flirtation in Jamaica might be considered sexual harassment in other places.

In club settings, dancing can be very sexual and intimate, with "whining and grinding" a part of normal conduct. Jamaican women are a tough lot, however, and generally run things, or have control over the situation. When a man displeases them, they have no problem making it known. You should feel perfectly comfortable doing the same--with a degree of diplomacy to avoid offending the suitor's pride.

Crime and violence certainly exist in Kingston, although visitors are unlikely to encounter it. In fact, it would take real effort for a foreigner to be a victim of gun violence in Kingston, perhaps only by making the mistake of wearing an orange People's National Party (PNP) T-shirt while walking through Tivoli Gardens, one of the city's most notorious ghettos and a stronghold for the Jamaica Labor Party (JLP). Political situations linked to sensitive constituencies like Tivoli Gardens can cause these garrison communities to flare up with tension and violence, usually demonstrated by residents barricading the streets in one of the only displays of power they can muster. Should you be unfortunate enough to be caught in Kingston under these circumstances, avoid going Downtown and keep abreast of the news and discuss safety with locals. The U.S. embassy is typically the first to sound an alarm issuing prompt travel advisories anytime such a situation exists. Jamaica has a history of liaisons between politicians and dons, the strongmen who rule many of the impoverished areas of Kingston and Spanish Town, and it's best to avoid getting involved in any way as a visitor.

Generally speaking, the only time foreigners are in the press associated with crime is in cases where they have tried to exit the country carrying drugs. Sticking by the right set of locals and hanging in the right places, Kingston is no more dangerous a place than any other big city in the developing world where wealth and poverty coexist.