Looks like an in-car GPS sent a group of tourists into a dangerous slum -- and a drug gang firefight -- in Rio de Janeiro.

http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/story.html?id=5530c87a-8740-404a-a81b-fa15050e64d2

No doubt GPS is highly useful, but it sure doesn't replace research, research, research into local conditions.

That is a problem when you travel, no matter if it be a GPS or paper map guiding you. In my experience you can usually get some clues that you are entering a less than desirable area before you get to the worst of it. Time for a u-turn...

One of the things I do is get out and explore. Since I live/work in the city bugging out is higher on the list than others who live in the country where there are more situations they can safely bug in. So I have my primary route and I start out exploring secondary roads around it. Plan trips to parks or other attractions to see what the side roads and towns are like that I may someday need to detour through.

I'll admit that I don't know a way to readily get information about the bad parts of cities that I'm traveling through but I'm not familiar with. If you have friends or relatives in the town you can use them. Otherwise it's not a factiod that I've found easily.

I don't see maps or GPS having an advantage over the other.

Does anyone know a relatively easy way to find information about more trouble prone areas?

Some cities have their major crimes on a map that is available over the miracle that is the Internet.

See for example: http://chicago.everyblock.com/crime/by-primary-type/homicide/

I understand that some larger cities will have this information available online. I recently took a roughly 900 mile (each way) drive with the family. I can see trying to look up this sort of information for the destination but I can't see trying to dig up statistics for every metro area between here and there where a little bladder might need to stop.

I guess sometimes it will be practical and other times it won't.

In this particular case, being in a foreign country, possibly not speaking or reading the local language, would make things harder than they might be in your home country...

Yeah, local language can be a big problem. My Portuguese is rusty beyond repair.

So would you drive yourself around, in a rental car, in a place like this?

Or do you ply a local taxi driver, who knows the rough spots, with lots of work and good tips? Perhaps someone recommended by the hotel manager?

Unless they're all hooked up with some kidnap-for-cash outfit ...?

What's the best move? Thoughts?

Safe bet for me . . . . Don't go at all. Pick a country where the national pastime is not kidnap for cash.

Intentional bad directions from a hotel clerk in Pasadena, Ca. sent me not to LAX but to Slauson and Crenshaw in LA.

Less than 24 hours later I owned a GPS. One week later I was back in Pasadena speaking with the young lady thanking her for directions. She really never expected to see me again I think. Found a nice new hotel though.

"...Slauson and Crenshaw..."

Oh no! Glad you made it out in one piece...