Shopping in South Africa

[blu82]

I was waiting outside a Spaar in Johannesburg and saw this security guard outside.

I verrry quickly took this shot and left.
He did notice and I felt a bit uncomfortable.

[sparker1]

I wouldn't mess with him. Brave shot.

[amokkoma]

are you sure that they are not just robbing the grocery ?

[ChP]

hmmm, without uniforms how do you tell a security guard from a random guy with a machine gun down there.

[Mills]

That's Not Cool.

[jobowoo]

haha...is that a grenade launcher?!

[WhipMaster]

Good Shot.. I tried to sneak a shot of a security guard (holding an AK-47) that was guarding a bank truck in Cuba. I had the camera at my side pointing up at him while I walked by, but I was so nervous that I didn’t get the shot in time. I wouldn't have the balls to just stand in front of him and take his picture.. The gun kinda makes my nervous.:o

[blackviolet]

great shot!

i'll be there in 2 weeks - lots of my friends and a few colleagues have had issues (muggings, hotel getting robbed at gunpoint, etc.). i will 'ghetto down' my 1dmk2 (i did it to my 10d before for some other trips- basically black gaffa tape across the lcd and silver fingernail polish around the edges to give it an 'old worn' look (not digital). both the tape and polish come right off. i probably don't have to do it, but hey a gram of prevention....

i've got some similar shots from guatemala, mexico city, indonesia, and even los angeles and i'm really looking forward to this trip (several cities in south africa and then to zimbabwe).

[jobowoo]

that reminds me...when i was in the philippines years ago...every major business had its own private security force with automatic weapons...scary thing really.

[peter/c]

Must be quite a bad situation there if this is so necessary outside a supermarket, I 'll stick to UK I think for the moment for shopping.
Peter.

[Pelao]

South Africa is not so different from many countries now - it depends on the neighborhood. I lived there for 10 years until a few years ago. Sites like this one are indeed quite rare outside certain sections of Johannesburg. In Cape Town, for example, you will never see this.

An amazing country for photographers, cultural, wildlife, landscape etc.

South Africa is in fact one of the world's leading tourist destinations. Worth a visit.

By the way, in South Africa the Spar is rarely a fully fledged supermarket, but rather more of a convenience store. As in many countries with a high rate of armed robbery, convenience stores are a key target because they tend to have a lot of cash and can't afford security. This one decided to invest.

regarding the firearm: it's a shotgun, with a folding stock. Looks like a small version of a grenade launcher because of the large drum magazine. Scary.

[jgbeam]

I was in a huge indoor, upscale mall in Bogota, Colombia about 12 years ago and all the security people were carrying various types of automatic weapons. Very weird. Walking around it looked like any big mall you would see in the US until you came across a pair (always in pairs) of armed guards.

Jim

[freddycr]

Hey blu...you got some guts, buddy !! :cool:

[JohnClark]

I believe the gun that man is holding is called a "street sweeper" http://www.gunsamerica.com/guns/976534059.htm
What part of Africa, I stayed with some friends in Madagascar, pretty cool place. Except I couldn't wander by myself since i kind of stand out, I have many Tattoos.

[blu82]

The gun is called a Protecta. 12bore, 12 shot ,non-removable magazine. Semi-auto by twisting the front grip. Slow to reload. (Kiss your ass goodbye anyway if you can't resolve the situation with 12 shots). Designed in Rhodesia and South Africa.
blu

[Michaelmjc]

are you sure that they are not just robbing the grocery ?
haha thats funny, he could have been and no one even know.

when I was in dominican a few years ago, a small man had a sawed off shot gun and was posintingit everywhere. He was a maniac, apparently he was a security guard but it scared the crap outa me.