It is a well-known phenomenon all over the world that at the crossings when the cars are queuing up in front of the red light, volunteer “windscreen-cleaners” step up to the car and start to clean the windscreen without asking for permission. After few seconds of blurring, they ask for change. According to the police experiences, these cleaners are not criminals but open-eyed youth who try to earn money this way. However, it is worth to be careful, because sometimes it happens that if you refuse to pay they might cause a smaller harm on the car or insult the passengers. If you don’t want your windscreen to be clean then refuse it explicitly. It might occur, that even at this time the cleaners start to work and thus try to force you to pay. If this happens, close the windows, lock the car from inside and leave the crossing as soon as you can. If the cleaners cause any harm on your car, call the police on the 112 emergency number.

The number of car thefts has been decreasing year-by-year in Hungary. Although the police have made significant efforts to restrain this type of crime, precaution is advisable. The foreign tourists’ cars are especially endangered because the criminals calculate upon the foreigners’ vulnerability, due to the lack of their knowledge on the language and the place. The most popular makes are the German ones (Mercedes, Audi, BMW), but apart from those, expensive, special cars and jeeps are the most likely to be stolen. You can do a lot to prevent your car being stolen. First of all, have state-of-the-art defence devices, alarm or GPS installed in your car, and apply mechanical protective devices. Do not leave your car at a deserted, abandoned place even at that time when you go out for excursion in the countryside. You can effectively decrease the risk of car theft in town if you leave your car in a guarded parking lot. The best is if you leave your car where you stay (parking lot of the hotel, backyard of a private house, etc.) and explore the sight of the neighbouring area on foot or by public transport.

Common type of crimes, but it can be easily prevented. The principal rule is that never leave anything at a visible place in the car. Do not keep valuables, cash, and technical equipment even at a concealed, non-visible place in the car. Use a removable car radio or a radio with detachable front. Don’t forget, the criminals do not take the risk of breaking into a car when they don’t have the reason for it. Important: never leave your personal or car documents and spare keys in the car! If your car has been broken into, do not touch anything do not change the scene, notify the police immediately. You can considerably decrease the risk of breaking into the car by leaving it at a secure parking place. If it is possible, always use the parking lots of the hotels, restaurants, pensions, and other institutions!

Like in many European countries, begging is present on the streets of the bigger cities in Hungary, too. Begging and mumpery belong to the breach of regulations, what the police try to chase using its capabilities. In spite of this, beggars can always be found on streets and squares. The majority of the beggars are not criminals they are victims as well. On one hand, they are victims of their circumstances (poverty, penury, unemployment, etc.), and on the other hand, they are sometimes victims of criminals who force them to beg and collect their income.

There is a special programme launched for helping the homeless and poor people in Budapest. The essence of this programme is that until the homeless people cannot find a job they are allowed to sell newspapers at the busy crossings. The newspapers deal with homeless people’s problems and lives. These homeless people, who are supplied with identification cards, work within an organised, coordinated programme and they attention is drawn to the proper conduct before they start to work. However, it might happen that some of them are intrusive or aggressive. When experiencing this, just close the car windows and drive on.