Travel to Mexico??? Read This First

[Bob Miller]

Foe those that are interested in a trip to Mexico, this story might give you cause to rethink your decision.

Yes, I know that a lot of Americans travel down south and return with all of their body parts still intact, it's just food for thought when going to a place where the local police are often part of the problem they are supposed to protect us from.

I only live 100 miles from the border, and I no longer travel south as I did for many years.

In Mexico, '12 kidnappings per hour'

[stevebaz]

Boy I hope they get this solved before I get off the cruise ship next March.
They can try to ransome me but there is no one to answer or pay out.

[Bob Miller]

As long as you keep your Scamp parked onboard the cruise ship you are taking you should be just fine....

[Daniel A.]

I'm here in Mexico for the winter.

It is well known that boarder area's can be a problem.

The Baja is probably one of the most safe area's beyond the boarder.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

I'm here in Mexico for the winter.

.

Darn I hate you once again!!!

[Roger C H]

There is this:

Mexico

But then one sees this:

Secure Border Intel - Nogales

We visited Nogales, AZ earlier this year, but didn't even take our passports so we wouldn't be tempted to go in to Nogales, Sonora. Nogales, AZ has about 21,000 inhabitants. Nogales, Sonora has 220,000. City size alone tells the story.



That is Mexico to the right of the border fence visible on the hill.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Roger C H

There is this:

But then one sees this:

Secure Border Intel - Nogales

Yup and then there is:

Police ID man who shot Canadian Border Officer

and then this:
Sumas Border Shooting tries to Cross into Canada

Both events took place at our local boarder crossings between Washington State and BC within the last year!

Sadly bad events are not restricted to Mexico.

I do still travel to Mexico most years and can honestly say I feel just as safe there as I do here. Have several camping buddies who spend their winters in Mexico and they would not be any happier or feel any safer if they were winter in Arizona or California - they know this as they have tried both.

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

I'm here in Mexico for the winter.

It is well known that boarder area's can be a problem.

The Baja is probably one of the most safe area's beyond the boarder.

r---------------------------------------

I don't know if the crine statistics agree with that. I used to travel well into Baja but No Mo....

The last time we went down there: In Ensenada, usually thought as a safe place due for tourism, our pick-up as broken into, the in-bed storage box pried open with a crowbar and everything worth more than 5 centavos, including the spare tire from under the truck and the jack was taken.

All this while parked on a main street, one block from the policia, and within 15 minutes after parking to eat. No body saw anything. Local police refused to take a report so we could claim the loss on our Mexican ins policy.

On another trip, on the hiway parallel to the toll road, a car ran off the toll road, flipped over in front of us and threw several of its occupants out of the vehicle. When we stopped to help they insisted to not call the Police and warned us that we could also be taken into custody because we saw the accident and might be blamed for causing it because we were Gringos.

Even most of the tourist areas now have well defined "Safe Zones" that you dare not venture beyond.. And road travel at night....fergetit

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

r---------------------------------------

The last time we went down there: In Ensenada, usually thought as a safe place due for tourism, our pick-up as broken into, the in-bed storage box pried open with a crowbar and everything worth more than 5 centavos, including the spare tire from under the truck and the jack was taken.

All this while parked on a main street, one block from the policia, and within 15 minutes after parking to eat. No body saw anything. t

Whats the difference between that and the fact several people attending the big Oregon Gathering at Ballards Beach the year before last had their trucks and cars broken into and goods stolen while they slept - in a *very* full campground with trailers all very close around them?

Thats the reality of the world we now live in regardless of where you live there is crime.

[Daniel A.]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Darn I hate you once again!!!

Sorry Carol but it is sunny here.

[Daniel A.]

Bob I do understand your point.

There are many Americans down here I talk with them all the time.
Yes things can happen as they do in the USA and Mexico is far poorer.

Gun violence in the USA is far higher than Canada as are many other crimes but is this a reason Canadians should avoid travel to the USA?

Maybe we Canadians are just not as smart as Americans.

I view Mexico as very much the wild west and people do need to be a bit careful but I'd have a bigger problem with many US cities that I would not go to.
I have been in most US states in the last 60 years.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by Daniel A.

Sorry Carol but it is sunny here.

Yea Yea Yea! I am just in the middle of buying a new tug so sadly I may have to forgo my annual pre Christmas dose of sun and margaritas this year

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Carol H

Whats the difference between that and the fact several people attending the big Oregon Gathering at Ballards Beach the year before last had their trucks and cars broken into and goods stolen while they slept - in a *very* full campground with trailers all very close around them?

Thats the reality of the world we now live in regardless of where you live there is crime.

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference is that the perps in Mexico were brazen enough to do it on a main street, in broad daylight and front of perhaps 50 other people on the street without concern. That that the local constabulary refused to take any interest in what happened suggested, as did the link I posted, that Law Enforcement In Mexico is often on the wrong side as well.

I years past I have stayed in campgrounds in Mexico that not only had fences with locked gates at night, I have been to a couple that stationed armed guards on the perimeter at night.

BTW: The U.S. Department of State also recommends against individual travel in Mexico outside of major cities and tourist centers. Basically that alone is good enough for me.

Now, if others in the campground incident mentioned had witnessed what was going on and just turned around and ignored it, shame on them. I am afraid that tells me more about the good guys than the bad guys.....

[Daniel A.]

Originally Posted by Bob Miller

---------------------------------------------------------------------
The difference is that the perps in Mexico were brazen enough to do it on a main street, in broad daylight and front of perhaps 50 other people on the street without concern. That that the local constabulary refused to take any interest in what happened suggested, as did the link I posted, that Law Enforcement In Mexico is often on the wrong side as well.

I years past I have stayed in campgrounds in Mexico that not only had fences with locked gates at night, I have been to a couple that stationed armed guards on the perimeter at night.

BTW: The U.S. Department of State also recommends against individual travel in Mexico outside of major cities and tourist centers. Basically that alone is good enough for me.

Now, if others in the campground incident mentioned had witnessed what was going on and just turned around and ignored it, shame on them. I am afraid that tells me more about the good guys than the bad guys.....

OK Bob
It is well known down here that everyone should be in a fenced compound.
Many reasons for this one if the local police want something they need a warrant to bother you. Yes that is right will they take the time probably not so a fenced compound is good for everyone.

It does take time to understand why things here are what they are.

[Bob Miller]

"a fenced compound is good for everyone."
WOW, that's scary.....

Thank You for supporting my comment. It sounds like what you are saying is that the "fenced compound" is to protect you more from the Police than the perps (who may be one and the same......)

Gotta say, I'm not really interested in understanding "why", just knowing what "is", is enough to stay away.

It's sorta like when you see a neighborhood in the U.S. where all of the houses have bars on the windows. They're not there to keep everyone inside..... it's a clue to look elsewhere.

[Cam A]

Some are happy to go, and do so. Some do not wish to go, and do not.

[frank_a]

We want to haul the ParkLiner behind us and explore the North American continent when we retire, but that does not include Mexico. No way I would ever venture south of the border. I don't need any more excitement than I already have!

Frank

[Bob Miller]

Originally Posted by Cam A

Some are happy to go, and do so. Some do not wish to go, and do not.

--------------------------------------------------

And others wish to go and still do not.....

As I made a number of trips into Mexico in the 60's to 80's, I am well aware of the enjoyment such a trip provides and still "want" to go.

However, unlike many past adventures in love, my head has over ruled my heart, and I will forgo further travel down south for the duration.

[honda03842]

The last time we were near the border near Deming, NM fellow campers said you can go down to the small Mexican border town but if there's no locals on the streets leave. They know when there's going to be trouble, actually they said a shoot out.

The same reason it makes sense to stay out of parts of Chicago - ask Leroy Brown.

[Carol H]

Originally Posted by honda03842

The same reason it makes sense to stay out of parts of Chicago - ask Leroy Brown.

LOL how true. My job required me to travel on my own to many big NA cities as well as to a number of different countries. I can honestly say that there are a number of cities in NA (including the one I live in) that I would not walk down certain areas of or even drive through certain areas on my own -day or night. It would scare me more than walking through any of the places I have stayed in Mexico or other poor countries I have visited outside of North America.

Funny enough the one and only really scary incident I have had in my travels on my own took place in the middle of the Hilton Hotel lobby in downtown Antwerp at 8 AM. A $300 a night hotel - corporate rate. I was robbed and as it would happen there were at least a dozen or more men in suites sitting in the lobby enjoying their morning coffees who sat and watched it happen and not one of them made a move to help. Pretty sure their friends and family would all say they are all fine outstanding members of society though - if the price of their suits is an indication.

The simple fact is millions of people go to Mexico for vacations each year and they have no problems. But when a tourist is murdered or robbed it makes headline news all across NA. Tourists are killed or seriously injured or robbed in the US as well as Canada all the time but it rarely makes the head lines of every major paper in the US and or Canada or both. You have to ask yourself why is that?

When friends ask me about what it is like to visit a country such a Mexico or even poor countries I have been to and if I am not scared? I ask them how many people have been murdered or robbed in our own city in the last week? Does that stop you from going into town for dinner or to a pub for drinks? Apparently not, as the restaurants and bars are pretty darn full.